A job board is a website where employers advertise vacancies and job seekers search and apply. For most employers, job boards are still the main source of applicants, but there are thousands of them, and the right mix depends on where you hire, what you hire for and how many applicants you can handle.
This guide covers the types of job board, the main boards by country, how they charge, and how to get good applicants from them.
Types of job board
| Type | What it is | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| General job boards | Large boards covering all sectors | Volume roles, broad reach | Many unsuitable applicants |
| Aggregators | Collect jobs from employer sites and other boards | Reach without posting everywhere | Less control over how jobs appear |
| Professional networks | Combine a job board with profiles and messaging | Professional and white-collar roles, sourcing | Can be costly for volume |
| Niche boards | One sector, profession or community | Specialist roles, diversity reach | Smaller audiences |
| Government job boards | Run by public employment services | Free posting, entry-level and local roles | Varies in reach by role |
| Graduate and campus boards | Run by universities or graduate specialists | Graduate schemes, internships | Seasonal |
| Freelance marketplaces | Short-term project work | Contractors and freelancers | Different employment status |
Which job boards are used in each country?
The boards below are examples of widely used options in each market, not a ranking. Check each one's current audience, pricing and terms on its own site.
United States
- General and aggregators: Indeed, ZipRecruiter
- Professional network: LinkedIn
- Niche: Dice (technology) and many professional association boards
- Graduate: Handshake and university career services
- Public sector: USAJOBS is for US federal government jobs; state workforce agencies run their own job banks
United Kingdom
- General: Indeed, Reed, Totaljobs, CV-Library
- Professional network: LinkedIn
- Government: the Find a job service. GOV.UK says employers can advertise for free through it, and that it covers England, Scotland and Wales.
- Niche and graduate: sector boards (for example in charity, health and education) and university careers services
India
- General: Naukri, foundit, Indeed, Shine
- Professional network: LinkedIn
- Government: the National Career Service portal, run by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, which says it charges no fee at any stage and lets employers post jobs
- Campus: college placement cells and internship platforms
Canada
- General: Indeed, LinkedIn
- Government: Job Bank, from the Government of Canada, which tells employers they can advertise jobs for free
- Niche: provincial and sector boards
Australia
- General: SEEK, Indeed, Jora, LinkedIn
- Niche: sector boards for health, education, mining and technology
- Government: check the Australian Government's employment services for current employer listing options
Global and remote roles
LinkedIn and Indeed operate in many countries. For remote roles, remote-specific boards reach people who are only looking for remote work; state clearly which countries or time zones you can hire in.
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How do job boards charge?
| Pricing model | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Free posting | Basic listing at no cost, often with paid upgrades | Small volumes, testing a channel |
| Pay per post (slot) | A fixed price for a listing for a set number of days | Predictable budgets |
| Pay per click | You pay when someone clicks to view or apply, up to a budget | Volume roles where you can tune spend |
| Pay per applicant | You pay for each application | Hard-to-fill roles |
| Subscription or package | A number of postings or unlimited posting over a period, sometimes with CV database access | Regular hiring |
| CV database access | Pay to search and contact candidates | Proactive sourcing |
Compare boards on cost per qualified applicant and cost per hire, not cost per post. A cheap board that brings hundreds of unsuitable applicants can cost more in screening time than a niche board that brings ten good ones. Our cost per hire calculator helps you compare.
How to choose the best job boards for a role
- Start with where your past hires came from. Your ATS should show source of hire. Keep what works.
- Match the board to the role. Volume and entry-level roles: general and government boards. Specialist roles: niche boards and professional networks. Senior roles: networks, referrals and search firms more than boards.
- Match the board to the country. Market leaders differ by country; a board that dominates one market may be minor in another.
- Test, then measure. Run a role on two or three boards and compare applicants, interview rate and hires by source.
- Check the terms. Listing length, edit rights, refunds, auto-renewals and how your data and candidates' data are used.
How to get better results from job boards
- Write the advert for the job seeker. A clear title people actually search for, location and working pattern, salary range where you can share it, the three most important requirements, and why someone would want the job. Our job posting template is a good start.
- Use a standard job title. Creative titles do not match what people type into search.
- Keep the application short. Long forms lose good applicants, especially on mobile.
- Post on your own careers page too. Google's guidance says that JobPosting structured data makes listings eligible for its job search experience. Required properties include the title, description, date posted, hiring organisation and job location (or applicant location requirements for fully remote jobs).
- Remove filled jobs. Google requires expired jobs to be removed or marked as expired, and says failing to do so may result in a manual action. Candidates also notice stale ads.
- Respond to every applicant. Use an application acknowledgement email and close the loop with a rejection when you can.
Handling high applicant volume
Popular boards can bring far more applicants than you can read. Options:
- Knock-out questions for genuine requirements (right to work, licences, location)
- A short skills assessment before CV review, so you shortlist on evidence of ability
- Structured screening calls for the shortlist, using a phone screen script
See high-volume recruiting strategies for more.
FAQs
What are the best job boards?
There is no single best board. For volume roles in most countries, a large general board plus the free government board is a good start; for specialist roles, add a niche board and a professional network. Measure results by source and adjust.
Are free job posting sites worth using?
Yes, as part of a mix. Government boards in the UK, Canada and India let employers post for free, and many commercial boards offer free basic listings with paid upgrades.
How long should a job ad stay up?
Until you have enough suitable applicants to shortlist. Close or mark it expired as soon as the role is filled.
Should I post salary in job adverts?
It usually helps applicants decide quickly whether to apply. Some places have pay transparency rules for job adverts, so check the rules where the job is based.