Thoughts on online job boards..do you use them..do they work for you?

Wondering if it is worth the time, effort and dollars to post on the job boards? I am finding the niche sites to work better. Looking for your thoughts and experience to help me out.

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Permalink Reply by Julie Deane on January 25, 2009 at 10:11pm

Amy,

I really like Simply Hired-they charge you per click and advertise on hundreds of community job boards. I have used Monster for years, with a 10% success rate. I also like Craig's List....lots of applicant flow.

Julie

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Permalink Reply by STEVE MARSDEN on January 26, 2009 at 2:14pm

The big boards send their jobs to simplyhired and indeed too.
if you are looking for strong candidate flow, any of the the big boards can bring you that at this point, with Careerbuilder probably being the best (in my experience in dealing with job posting employers). however, candidate flow can be a double edged sword, inundating you with folks who might not fit into your desired qualifications (and thus costing more of your time). i would look at it this way...the lower the skill level, the more candidates fit the bill, and therefore the job might be good for one of the big generalist job boards (or simplyhired and craigslist).
However, if you are looking for candidates with higher levels of skills and credentials, you would be better served to stick with niche boards. they tend to cost less to post to, and they also tend to deliver better candidates while saving you the time of sifting through all those irrelevant applicants. there are lots of niche associations and online publications that would be appropriate for higher skill-required positions.

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Permalink Reply by Gino Conti on January 26, 2009 at 2:46pm

Amy,

I tend to agree with Steve about the volume benefits and problems caused by major boards. If you want to get your requisitions in front of the largest number of people possible it is hard to go wrong with CareerBuilder. In my experience posting there results in more applicants than any other site. However, they are expensive and there is a high potential for lots of 'garbage' applicants who do not necessarily fit the requirements very well. In addition, major boards like CB or Monster are quite expensive.

I would suggest looking into one of the following options for a more cost-efficient and focused posting approach. LinkedIn, Craig's List, Simply Hired, or websites of societies for the particular skill set. For example, if you have an HR Generalist opening put it on the SHRM website! Many of the niche sites will be effective because although they will probably result in far fewer applicants, those who do apply are likely to be a much better fit.

Regards,
Gino