How to Advertise a Job Opening

When there’s a new job available on your team, publishing it on your careers page isn’t enough. You need to get the word out in the right places to bring in the volume and quality of applications that you need. When you know how to advertise a job opening, you’ll be a lot closer to hiring the right person.

Getting it wrong can be costly! But a solid advertising strategy can get your job opening in front of the right people—and you’ll be proactive about it in the process.

Where Should I Advertise a Job Opening?

There are many ways to advertise job openings, both online and offline. Some are free or very low cost. Others can feel costly—but they may be worth the money for certain roles.

Let’s take a look at some key places you can advertise your job opening. If you already have some of these in your recruitment plan, but you may find a gem to add to your toolkit!

1. LinkedIn

LinkedIn has long been the most popular social platform for job seekers, so much so that 97% of HR and staffing professionals use LinkedIn in their recruiting efforts.

At Insight Global, our experts actively utilize LinkedIn which has contributed to growing our company page to over two million followers. Maintaining a strong presence on a platform like LinkedIn offers significant benefits when posting job openings. A larger audience means more eyes on your postings, resulting in a wider pool of qualified candidates to consider.

Try using LinkedIn in the following ways to boost you job posting’s success. And remember: use your other social platforms (if your organization has them) to promote your jop openings, as well! We recommend LinkedIn based on the nature and purpose of the platform. But if your organization has a presence on X (formerly “Twitter”) or Facebook, these can only expand your reach.

Post Statuses

Post a status update linking to your job posting. Encourage your followers to apply or to share it with their network. Posting job openings on LinkedIn costs nothing and has been proven to be an effective method in the hiring process.

LinkedIn Jobs

If you’re working with a budget for advertising job openings, you can use LinkedIn Jobs to promote your role. This feature allows you target the most relevant candidates and gives your job ad greater visibility.

Word of Mouth

Your employees have vast networks of their own! Encourage them to help get the word out about your job openings. This can be part of an overall employee referral program, too.

2. Job Boards

The second most obvious way to advertise a job opening is through online job boards. Some of these platforms will allow you post jobs for free, but you’ll have to pay to get access to the best resources and tools it has to offer.

Check out three popular job boards:

Indeed: Free to post, though you’ll get the best results by sponsoring your job posting. Includes: tools to manage multiple job postings and applicants.
ZipRecruiter: ZipRecruiter has great customer support (and offers a free trial). This platform can send your job postings to 100+ other job board sites to help with traction.
Monster: Monster has a wide range of useful tools but does come with a fee for utilization.

3. Email Previous Applicants

Chances are, you already have a pool of qualified candidates from previous applications. These individuals may have been considered for past roles or even interviewed, making them ideal candidates for your current openings, especially as your company grows.

Here’s an email template you can refer to when contacting a past applicant:

Dear [name],

I’m [name], a [job title] at [company name]. You might remember [you applied for / we spoke when … etc] in [month, year].

We’ve kept your resume in our database of talent so we could reach out if a suitable role came up. I’m pleased to let you know that we have a position open for [job title].

I think your skills and experience would make you a great fit for this position. You can find all the details about it at [link to job description on your company website].

If you have any questions, just let me know. I’d be very happy to set up a time to chat about the role.

Best wishes,
[your name]

4. Local Colleges & Universities

Looking for entry-level candidates? Your local universities’ careers services department will almost certainly have a database of job opportunities that they make available to students. This is a great way to get your role in front of eager job seekers who are close completing their degree.

If you’re looking to hire seasonal employees (like for the peak of summer and holiday periods), local universities and colleges can also be a great source for undergraduates looking to work between semesters.

5. Local Radio or Public Transit

If you’re recruiting for a large number of jobs (or even a hiring event like a career fair) and particularly hourly roles, local radio or public transit can help you reach an audience.

Keep in mind that taking this route to advertise job openings can be expensive, both in terms of the advertising fee itself and for the necessary creative assets (voice recording for radio, images and text design for public transit ads).

6. Store Front

If your business has a brick-and-mortar facility open to the public, you can use it to advertise your job opening. This could be as simple as putting a “We’re Hiring” poster in your window—ideally with a few details about what you’re looking for. You’d be surprised how efficient this can be!

Free Download: Insight Global’s Complete Guide to Finding Employees

Should I Have a Budget for Advertising Job Openings?

Depending on your company’s priorities, you may or may not have a budget for advertising job openings.

If you have a smaller budget, it would be pivotal to determine where your dollars would best be spent. For example, you may plan to focus on exclusively advertising the role on LinkedIn and Indeed, as those are two of the best areas to find potential candidates online.

If you’re working with a larger budget, you may want to advertise your job opening in a range of different places. Make sure you track your results for each platform, such as number of applications or percentage of candidates that went on to the second stage of recruitment. This will help you see where best to use your resources in the future.

Optimize for SEO

Some job hunters will have minimal knowledge on the various places they can access job boards and head straight to Google to type in what they’re looking for, like “front-of-house restaurant staff NYC.”

When you create a job posting, use some search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, such as:

Including phrases that applicants would type into Google to locate the posting.
Having an easily identifiable and specific title for your job posting (avoiding language like “Job Opening” in the title).

Let a Staffing Company Do it For You

If you’re feeling a little daunted by where and how best to advertise your job opening, consider bringing in a staffing company to help.

At Insight Global, we handle the whole process for you while working within your budget. Whether you’re looking for a contractor or permanent staff member, we can take care of it all. We’ll identify top talent, curate the right candidates for you, then take care of onboarding and even payroll. Take a look at what we offer.