10 Best Places to List Job Vacancies to Find Great Candidates

By Shawn Wilkins, Senior Recruiter & Brett Carlson, Recruiter

A new requisition opens and it’s up to you to grasp the attention of the industry’s top talent. You might be wondering, “Where do I turn to attract these candidates?” Finding really exceptional people who fit your culture and positions can be a challenge. However, as Recruiting Consultants, we have had the opportunity to not only work on many different job openings, but have had the pleasure of filling positions for many different industries too.

In today’s high-tech world of mobile applications and social media, getting your open positions out there to the public has never been easier. Below are the top 10 best places to list a job vacancy that have proven to be successful when attempting to peak a candidate’s interest and have given us the best ROI:

1. Social Media: Social Media is a popular, growing trend within the recruiting industry that is making a tremendous impact. For instance, LinkedIn can be used to post job vacancies that both active candidates and passive candidates can view. You can target specific organizations for candidates who hold unique industry expertise. On Twitter, you can generate attention to your vacancies by using hashtags such as #hirefriday, #jobs #DC, #jobhuntchat, etc.  Make sure to include the location and industry when posting!
2. Job Boards: Posting a requisition on job boards is certainly one of the more traditional approaches to advertising a job, however it has proven to be highly effective. Thousands of candidates often turn to sites such as Monster, CareerBuilder, and Indeed everyday when searching for a new opportunity. Most of these sites can be tied easily to your internal ATS and will be posted with a simple click of the mouse.
3. Your Company’s Website: Qualified candidates will often go directly to a company’s websites to search for opportunities and will apply to positions within the applicant tracking system. Don’t forget about all of your candidates who have applied in the past that may still be a great candidate for your new position.
4. Professional Associations: If your recruiting niche is Contracts & Procurement, advertise your job the National Contracts Management Association’s website or if it is Human Resources, look into your local SHRM Chapter’s newsletter. Members of such organizations will often look for job vacancies on channels that focus on their core area of expertise.
5. Personal Network: It is imperative to build a strong network of professionals and personal contacts. Sharing your company’s vacancies within your network will often yield positive results, as this approach will generate referrals.
6. Career Fairs: When attending a career fair, it is always a good idea to have a list of your organization’s current requisitions to share with candidates who are actively looking for new opportunities.
7. University Websites: University websites are great for attracting students who are graduating or have recently graduated, that are looking for internships or entry-level jobs. By taking this approach, it could also provide job leads for alumni, who already have years of professional experience. Posting to University websites are usually free, which is an added bonus.
8. Newspapers: Posting a job ad in a newspaper may be considered more of an old-fashioned approach in today’s society, but it’s another helpful way to reach active job seekers who will still search the classified ads for career opportunities. Many papers are now integrating their classified ads onto a website and/or mobile app too.
9. Online Classifieds: Organizations will often post job vacancies on websites such as Craigslist and Kijiji, an online classified service owned by eBay. While this may not be the first option for candidates, many will turn to such sites if they have exhausted their searches elsewhere and the cost to post a listing is quite inexpensive.
10. Radio: When commuting to or from work while stuck in the DC gridlock, listening to the radio can alleviate the stress of the beltway. Advertising your company’s openings on the local stations, could very well perk someone’s ears up and make them consider doing more research on your firm after listening to a well thought-out advertisement.

We believe that the most important tip to remember is to highlight your opening as often as possible. Promote your organization and drive the talent you desire to your door. Happy searching!