As more and more companies look to reap the benefits of advertising vacancies online we consider the question faced by most: which job board or jobsites are going to provide the maximum return on investment?
According to reports there are now over 1200 job boards across the UK and with each week that passes we see the emergence of even more. Therefore working out which job board is most suitable is an increasingly difficult task especially for those companies working with smaller budgets.
Combine this with the changing behaviour of job seekers and advertising your vacancy becomes an extremely time consuming and complex process.
6 years ago in 2003, candidates used to look on average at 7 job boards in their search for a new role but now adopting a more selective approach, they only look on average at just 4 job sites. (NORAS Dec 2008). So how do you ensure you reach your intended target audience?
Undoubtedly the ability to advertise on a selection of job boards and achieve the combined exposure of generic, specialist and online press sites results in a higher number of applications. The cumulative cost of this approach however can be extremely expensive if pursued directly and can often lead to the receipt of high numbers of irrelevant applications.
Without knowledge or experience of what is available, what works or more importantly what doesn’t, advertising your vacancy can become a very costly affair. Here are some quick questions to help you along the way…
If your competitors are using a particular job site then this could indicate that the website will reach your required target audience.
However you need to consider the reason why they have chosen to use the site. Is it because it has worked in the past? Is it due to an existing contract? Is it due to a low cost / free trial?
If you have been offered a low cost introductory trial, it is more than likely that your competitors have been approached with the same "deal" too.
For more generic positions it is also a good idea to look at where other established companies in your local area are advertising.
Consider the role; whilst administration and supportive roles are generally filled by the more generic job boards, more specialist roles will benefit from the more targeted exposure of the specialist job boards which focus on specific sectors or skills.
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that one job board will fill all your vacancies - each role has to be assessed individually.
PAccess to a database of registered candidates presents an ideal opportunity to ensure your vacancy is highlighted to job seekers who match your requirements and help improve the quality of applicants. This facility is normally offered at an additional cost but may prove extremely beneficial.
Online advertising in its very nature can attract irrelevant applications and increase administration so consider the level of managed service that is available.
Again these can be at an additional cost but thought needs to be given in relation to the amount of administrative work that may be encountered sifting through applications, delivering a quality candidate experience and the internal costs that may occur as a result.
A fully managed service can offer both cost and time savings. However ensure that the process is completely transparent and that all applications attracted from your advert are not cross matched for other vacancies and that details are available at no additional cost for all future vacancies.
Alternatively, consider a Sourcing & Response Management service that combines knowledge and experience of online recruitment with access to a wide variety of job boards to help companies achieve optimum efficiency and maximum return on investment.