Top 10 Free Ways to Advertise Your Job Openings

Recruiting can be an ongoing challenge in a hiring environment where the unemployment rate has reached record lows, and the quit rate among employed workers continues to go higher. And, with nearly a quarter of all U.S. workers passively looking for jobs right now—a number that some project to be much higher globally—recruitment can feel like a full-time job for some HR professionals.

When recruiting engines are constantly firing, who’s watching the recruiting budget?

Recruiting budgets can be tricky, especially if you’re dealing with a revolving door scenario at your company. As SHRM finds, the average recruitment cost-per-hire can easily exceed $4,000—a figure that includes posting job openings. And if you’re using a recruiting agency, then you know that per-hire recruiting costs can be much higher.

Beware of Free Ways to Advertise Job Openings That Aren’t Free

While popular job sites such as Indeed and Glassdoor provide ways for employers to post jobs for free, these no-cost options tend to restrict a post’s reach and frequency. Still, if you want to keep a close watch on your recruiting dollars, free job posting options can help you control costs.

Below, we’ve identified 10 ways to post jobs for free that will hopefully help you catch the right candidate’s attention.

Keep This in Mind Before Posting Your Jobs for Free

• Posting online does not have to be a “post and hope” situation. We’ve identified a number of ways you can sync up your work to help job posts gain traction.
• At the end of the day, you’re looking for qualified candidates that fit the description of what you need. Therefore, no matter how or where you post, be sure to evaluate the demographics in order to target the best candidate.
• For instance, if you’re looking for a blue-collar worker or handyman, consider looking for trade-focused websites that offer free job postings.
• Conversely, if you’re looking to attract passive job seekers who might be fans of your brand, then your social media sites can be a smart way to go.

To help you parse through the following free ways to post jobs, we’ve broken things down into three categories:

• your website
• social media and other sites
• word of mouth/reputation

10 Free Ways to Advertise Job Postings

Your website:

1. Your company’s blog

As long as your company’s website includes a blog—and your blog gains traffic thanks to SEO-rich content—then consider using it as a place to post job openings.

• Whether you post the entire opening to the blog, or just a lead that links to your careers page, your blog can help you connect with people who are already familiar with your brand.
• Even if they’re not searching for a job at your company, readers might be inclined to share the post with someone they know.

2. Your careers page

Many job seekers start on your careers page, especially if they’re keeping an eye on your company for an opening. Posting to your blog and your careers page is one way to sync up your posts. For instance, you can post a short abstract of the opening to your blog, then link it to your careers page.

3. Focus on the search engine optimization (SEO) of your online job post.

While we’re on the topic of things you can do on your website, SEO can play a big role in helping people find your job posting. Some applicant tracking systems (ATS) include SEO support when it comes to integrating with your careers page. You can also think with SEO in mind when you write your job post.

Social Media and other sites:

4. LinkedIn 

LinkedIn is still one of the more powerful ways to source new candidates. While some of LinkedIn’s recruitment features come with costs, you can post job openings to your company page’s main feed. And, you can sync things up when other members of your company post openings to their feeds as well.

5. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms

Other social media platforms that aren’t necessarily geared for professional audiences can still be useful when it comes to free recruiting options. When you consider the fact that passive job seekers and fans of your brand will follow you on social media, adding a “check out our latest job opening” post to your feed can be an easy way to catch an ideal match.

6. Job sites such as SimplyHired, Indeed, Glassdoor and others

As we mentioned earlier, many of today’s popular job sites offer free posting options. While they’re limited, they’re still worth utilizing as part of a cost-conscious recruiting campaign.

In-person, word-of-mouth, and reputation:

7. Showcase openings at tradeshows

If you’ve already invested in attending a few tradeshows, you can use these events to promote your job openings. While it might cost you or your graphic designer an hour or two to create a simple flier, tradeshows can be a great way to network.

8. Word of mouth via employees

 An employee referral is still one of the strongest ways to connect with a candidate. You can encourage more referrals by creating an employee referral portal, communicating new job openings with your employees, and designing incentives for employees when a referral is hired.

9. Maintain your brand reputation

The line between a company’s consumer and employer brand is thinner than ever before. If your brand has built a strong reputation as a great place to work, you’ll continue to attract active and passive job seekers who dedicate time each week to scanning your careers page, following your social media pages, and searching your company’s name on job sites. And, if your employees enjoy their jobs, they’ll continue to post positive feedback on the same job sites where candidates are looking.

Wait, that’s only 9…where’s #10?

Number 10 is less about being a tip, and more about an invitation. Go back through the 9 free posting options above. Which ones align with your current recruiting methods? Which ones are new to you, or ideas you haven’t considered before? Asking these types of questions before you write your job post can help you see new ways to stretch your recruiting dollars.