How to Post a Job Online

The search for top talent isn't easy right now. Unemployment remains near historic lows and large swaths of the workforce are clinging tightly to the security of their current roles.

Online job postings are indispensable, but for employers, the results they produce can sometimes feel like a minefield of fake credentials, keyword spam and copy-and-paste resumes churned out by bots.

How do you cut through the noise?

It starts with the job post itself: The description, title, salary range, and listed skill requirements all play a critical role in the race to attract a qualified candidate.

Where you post — and how you promote it — also matter.

Whether you’re running a small business or scaling a corporate team, here’s how to do it right.

How to write a strong job post

Building an effective job post starts with a question many employers tend to overlook: Who should actually write it?

Art Zeile, CEO of Dice, a tech careers site, says handing off that responsibility to a recruiter is usually a mistake. Candidates are looking for indications in the job listing that they would be joining a team of professionals.

"They want to be spoken to at their level," Zeile says. "They want to know that they're dealing with an expert."

Recruiters often lack the knowledge to get that across. If the "technical skills" section of your job listing is worded strangely, for example, a candidate who understands the work at a high level will spot that immediately and move on, he says.

It's also essential to properly explain the company's values, its mission and the way things work internally, Zeile adds. Hiring companies tend to breeze through this section of the job description, and it's a major reason potential applicants keep scrolling instead of hitting apply.

"You are still going to get applications, but you're not going to get people that are really inspired by the culture of the company," he says.

Another frequent job posting faux pas, according to HireQuest CEO Rick Hermanns, is listing off so many requirements that even strong candidates get scared off.

"The absolute single biggest mistake that employers make," he says, is making each job ad a "laundry list of requirements."

Concrete requirements like licenses or certifications should absolutely be included in the online job post, but employers often go overboard.

The reality is there is usually "no perfect match," says Michelle Perchuk, founder of MTV Coaching. "You need to hire people that have the capability to upskill and to problem-solve no matter what."

At a time when candidates can shop around online, browsing a seemingly infinite number of job posts, companies need to get more realistic about their needs versus their wants. And they should reimagine the job listing as a piece of marketing designed to attract candidates — not a laundry list of demands, Hermanns said.

Where to post a job online

Once you've nailed the job listing, it's time to figure out where to post it. Companies have multiple free and paid options for posting jobs online, but factors including the size of the company and hiring budget affect what options are actually on the table.

A small company with no budget may not be in the market for LinkedIn's most premium services. On the end of the spectrum, however, it costs basically nothing to put a job post on your own website and share it on social media.

What the best job posting sites offer, above all else, is reach. Larger platforms tend to come with higher price tags, reflecting the size of their user bases. Some sites charge per post, while others use performance-based pricing models, meaning employers pay depending on how many applications they receive. Niche job boards for creative, nonprofit and higher education roles often charge $300 or more per listing.

ZipRecruiter, the sponsor of this story, uses a fixed monthly subscription model that allows employers to receive unlimited applications per job. (The company also maintains a large resume database of active job seekers.)

The bottom line

There are a few limitations that come with every job board. Sorting through applications takes time, and low quality resumes often come with the territory.

Still, in many industries, job posting sites are essential. They're one of the reliable ways to meet people where they're actively searching, and the steady flow of applicants they generate can be well worth the price of admission.

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