A Refresher Course in Online Job Posting

Julie Shenkman
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By now, most employers have dabbled in, if not devoted a significant amount of time and money, to online job boards for their recruiting program. When the Internet was first starting to see the dawn of online recruiting-more than 5 years ago - there were pretty basic guidelines to follow if you wanted your job posting to be successful. Include keywords. Check your spelling. Don't forget to include some indication of the salary range.

But just as the workplace has evolved over the last decade, online recruiting has done the same. Employers now using the Internet to build their teams (and that's a majority of the companies out there) should explore the new ideas and capabilities of online job boards. The basic tips are not enough for the most effective online employee search. Today, there a new set of rules, including some of these tips for success in the new world of online posting:

Get diverse. Sticking with just one job board isn't going to cut it if you're searching for a few different candidates. There are so many options out there that great potential employees have lots of options too! Post your job on a few different sites, including both a general and a niche site for the best coverage of the talent pool. To cut costs, find sites that offer free postings in addition to paid sites.

Use those special agents. No, I'm not talking about the James Bond kind, I'm talking about the auto agents available on many job boards that will contact employers whenever a new candidate (with the qualities you're looking for) posts their resume. This way, you're not only waiting for people to read your job posting, you can actually be dynamic in the search and contact attractive candidates before they even get to your posting.

Post something else, too. Don't leave it at text alone. Here, you have two options. See if you can include your logo with the posting (color is good for attracting attention) or inquire about running a banner ad on the site. So many job boards out there are so overwhelming for candidates that it often takes more than a great written ad to grab their attention. Logos and banner ads provide a little something extra, a splash of color and energy with an easy-to-use link to your posting.

Inquire about newsletters. Many job boards send out newsletters via email to their registered job seekers-often tens of thousands of eligible professionals waiting to hear about opportunities. See if you can advertise your posting in these types of publications. It's usually a very low price and will end up right in their inbox, providing a cost-effective way to reach qualified candidates.

As online job boards have changed and improved, so have the employers' chances of finding the right candidates. There are more people online now than ever before, and with the right tactics employers can have more success than ever before in the evolved world of online job boards.

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