Top 6 job posting sites for small business employers

Are you looking for hourly employees? You want to target the widest audience possible without paying out of budget for a hiring manager or job site. And you can definitely do without a pile of applications from unqualified candidates.

But effective job posting sites work for you instead of adding to your to-do list. You just need to know what to look out for. To help you decide where to post, here are six of the best places to post your vacancies online.

Characteristics of an effective site for posting job ads

Before we dive in, let’s define what we’re looking for from a job listing site. These are some of the features you should expect to see.

  • A broad audience: You need a job posting site with high traffic. The more eyes you get on your job ad, the more applications you’re likely to get. But a broad audience can become a problem if the job site doesn’t have the right filtering tools to remove unqualified applicants.
  • Efficiency: Job posting sites should speed up the whole hiring process. Time-saving features include mobile apps, built-in messengers, notifications, and the ability for job seekers to apply directly through the site.
  • Cost effectiveness: Many job sites provide limited features for free. Otherwise, you want a job posting site with custom paid plans and your choice of add-ons so you can tailor the cost to your budget.
  • Ease of use: The ideal job posting site is intuitive. It doesn’t require any tutorials and lets you post ads with a couple of clicks. Bonus points for any job sites which provide a dashboard so you can easily check the progress of your postings.
  • Tools and resources: Some job posting sites have useful tools and resources like blogs, tutorials, and job posting templates. These are great for first-time hirers or business owners
  • Candidate matching software: Effective job posting sites have filters to hide unqualified candidates and alerts for best-fit potential candidates.
  • Sponsored job posts: Companies post thousands of ads every day and cause yours to sink to the bottom of the listings. Sponsored job posts let you pay a little extra to boost your visibility and display your ad higher in search results.
  • An all-in-one solution: The best job posting sites have application tracking system (ATS) integrations so you can use your job ads alongside your recruiting and hiring software—and maybe more!

1. Homebase

Caption: Post job ads easily and quickly with Homebase’s hiring tool

Homebase is an HR software suite that aims to reduce paperwork and other time-consuming tasks like—you’ve guessed it!—job listings. The free hiring tool lets you post a job ad to hundreds of sites but manage it all in one place. If you already have a Homebase account, all you need to do is click on a role and the platform fills in the job title, whether it’s full-time or part-time, and even the job ad itself.

Pros

  • Post your job ad in seconds
  • Post to multiple job sites
  • Candidate matching software
  • ATS integrations
  • Sponsored job ads to boost visibility
  • Dashboard to manage ads and applications
  • Job description and post templates
  • Screener questions to find the right candidates
  • Arrange interviews with candidates in-platform

Cons

  • If users don’t need the range of HR tools, they may wish to use a simpler tool
  • Hiring is US-oriented

Pricing

Homebase’s Hiring tool is free for businesses with one location alongside features like scheduling and time clocks. After that, the prices start at $20 per location per month but include team communication and performance tracking.

Summary

Homebase is the perfect platform for managers looking for an all-in-one solution to all their hiring needs. The hiring tool provides you with templates based on the roles you need to fill so you can post a job ad within minutes of logging on.

Homebase integrates with a wide range of job sites, so you can be sure that qualified candidates will see it. But in case you don’t have time to sift through mountains of job applications, Homebase also allows you to filter applicants with screener questions.

If that wasn’t enough, Homebase also takes you through to the next stage of the process by messaging candidates and scheduling interviews with them. Then you can end the hiring process by organizing your new hire’s welcome package and paperwork through the onboarding features.

2. Craigslist

Caption: Craigslist’s name recognition means it’s one of the first places candidates start their job search

Founded in 1995, Craigslist is one of the oldest job boards on the internet. It started in the San Francisco Bay Area, before expanding to other cities in the early ’00s. People can advertise anything on Craigslist – much like the classifieds section of a newspaper.

Craigslist organizes job listings by job type and location and then lets recruiters provide as much detail as they like. But recruiters must create one job post per position—even if they are identical.

Pros

  • Easy to post your job ad
  • Job ads appear within 20 minutes of posting
  • Heavy traffic with around 200 million visits per month
  • Job seekers can contact you directly through Craigslist

Cons

  • The broad audience means it takes longer to filter candidates
  • No tools for job seekers or recruiters
  • Candidates can’t apply directly through the post
  • The lack of regulation on the site leads to scams and pranks

Pricing

Job ads cost between $10 and $75 depending on the job type and location. Craigslist is free to anyone posting outside the US.

Summary

Today, you can post jobs in a wide range of sectors, such as retail, e-commerce, and financial services. With its simple interface, posting a job is a breeze. Employees can search for openings posted in the last 24 hours, as well as internships, non-profit opportunities, and telecommuting jobs. This is a great way to find candidates in your local area without having to join an agency or post flyers.

3. Facebook Business Suite

Caption: Facebook’s inbuilt job search engine and business pages make it an ideal place to post ads

Facebook is a social networking site that allows users to connect with friends and family, manage their business online, and search ads. It started as a place to network with friends at university but quickly expanded into marketing and business. Before long, it became a place to advertise businesses and look for job opportunities. Facebook had a Jobs group on Facebook Marketplace but they have recently replaced this with a dedicated tab on their Business suite.

Recruiters on Facebook simply need to fill in a short form to publish their job ad. Job seekers can find your ad on your feed, on your Business page, and in the new Jobs section. If people like or comment on the job ad, their friends will see it too.

Pros

  • Posting a job ad is quick and free
  • Broad audience: 69% of the US have a Facebook account and 70% check it daily
  • More exposure when people like your ad and it shows up in their feed
  • You can communicate directly via the messenger
  • Sponsored job posts

Cons

  • Only available in the US and Canada
  • The high traffic means you will need to do more filtering
  • Small businesses without many followers must pay for sponsored job ads to boost their visibility
  • Applying is so easy that lots of people apply on a whim instead of being genuinely interested
  • If you are a regular Facebook user, job notifications may get lost in other social media alerts.

Pricing

It’s free to post a job ad but you must pay extra to sponsor your job ad and boost your visibility.

Summary

You can post job openings, share them with your contacts, and communicate with candidates over the platform. Unlike some employment websites, job seekers won’t have to upload their resumes or answer loads of questions before they apply for your job.

4. Glassdoor

Caption: Glassdoor’s reviews are a unique feature that can help you attract potential candidates

Glassdoor is an employment website with a difference. Like Craigslist and Facebook Business pages, you can post job listings for different industries and contact employers. However, employees who have worked for companies in the area can also post reviews about their experience. Currently, there are more than 35 million employer reviews on the platform.

Pros

  • High traffic at 55 million visitors per month
  • Candidate matching software
  • Free branding
  • Choice of search filters including date posted, job type, and distance
  • If you get positive job reviews, they can attract applicants and customers
  • Customisation to showcase your values and attract the right people

Cons

  • Time-consuming sign up process
  • No employee verification so anyone can post a bad review
  • Reports say employers on Glassdoor artificially boost their ratings which gives them an unfair advantage in the job market

Pricing

You can post up to seven job ads for up to ten days for free. As a small business, this will probably cover your needs. But in case it doesn’t, Glassdoor can give you a custom quote for their paid plans.

Summary

Glassdoor gives you a professional look with its simple and business-focused profiles. You can customize your page with your logo, photos, and more to display your values and your unique identity. Also, you can get into detail about yourself using the updates, awards, and overview sections. That way you can attract more qualified applicants that will suit your business and be right for the role.

5. Indeed

Caption: Indeed is one of the world’s best and largest free job posting sites

Indeed is the world’s largest recruitment website, with more than 200 million unique visitors every month and 72 million company ratings and reviews. It aggregates listings from job boards, agencies, and company websites in a simple, tiled format so they’re easy for job seekers to compare. Employers can also post a job ad directly to Indeed to increase their range.

Pros

  • Indeed is the free job board with the highest traffic
  • Candidate matching software
  • ATS integrations
  • Sponsored ads
  • Candidate matching
  • Option to screen applicants with questions specific to your job offer

Cons

Pricing

Indeed is free to use but you can get quotes for products like sponsored job ads, candidate matching, and mobile applications.

Summary

You can upload your job posting to the platform, find candidates based on their experience and achievements, and more. The search feature is easy to use, too. Employees simply type in a job title and their town or city, and they’ll receive a list of openings in mere seconds.

6. ZipRecruiter

Caption: ZipRecruiter lets you post a job ad to multiple sites in one submission

ZipRecruiter is an employment market and recruitment platform with around 9 million active jobs. Employers can post a job ad to over 100 sites—including Google and LinkedIn—with just one submission. The smart dashboard then lets employers track all their job ads and applications in one place. Hirers can choose to add features like pay-per-click which means you pay ZipRecruiter for every candidate who looks at your job ad.

Pros

  • Around 25 million active users
  • Candidate matching software
  • Applicant tracking system
  • Smart dashboard access
  • You can adjust the pay per click to your budget

Cons

  • No free job posting
  • The 4-day free trial requires credit card information
  • Basic subscription doesn’t include resume contact

Pricing

Prices start at $299 a month and are based on industry, location, the number of ads wanted, and the number of positions you need to fill.

Summary

Just like Indeed, ZipRecruiter will help you land the ultimate candidate with a click of a mouse or the swipe of a finger. Employees can browse jobs and track their applications through their personalized dashboards. Once you review their resume, ZipRecruiter will let them know. They’ll also alert the candidate if you accept their salary request.

7. In-person

While 54 percent of American adults use the internet to find work, the rest use more conventional methods to secure employment. Post your job opening in a public place and hang a “we’re hiring” sign on your door. You might be surprised to find the perfect candidate when they simply walk into your business.

There’s also word of mouth and employee referrals. Always ask your team for their recommendations before you start hiring.

Time to end your search for the best free job posting site

Want to get eyes on your job ads? If you’re a business owner or manager looking to hire, these are the sites you should be sure your open jobs are listed on.

Homebase Hiring integrates with all the recruitment websites on this list, making it easy for our clients to source the industry’s top talent. We also have features like our library of ready-to-go templates and paid boosts to increase your job ad’s visibility. Our features extend beyond hiring so you have the option to add tools to interview and onboard future employees too. Learn more about our free recruiting software here.

FAQs about the best places to post a job opening

homebase customer photo homebase customer photo

How do you announce a new open position?

Announce a new open position wherever you can but prioritize your social media, job posting sites, and your local area. Make sure you include:

  • The job title
  • A brief job description with desired skills, qualifications, and experience
  • The location and unexpected hours of employment
  • The hourly rate and any benefits
  • How to apply (if necessary)

How do you post an internal job opening?

Send an email or a message to your team with the desired skills, expected hours, and any benefits. Mention whether you have already posted the job externally. If so, include a link to the online job posting.

How much does it cost to post a job?

The cost of posting a job varies wildly. Many job sites allow you to post job ads for free with limited features and options. Paid job listings range from $10 to as much as $500 a month.

How do you post a job on Facebook Business?

You can post a job on Facebook by taking some simple steps:

  • Open your ‘Business’ page on Facebook
  • Select ‘Jobs’ from the left-hand menu
  • Fill out the ‘Create Job’ form
  • Click the ‘Post’ button

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