There are many ways to advertise job openings, but how to advertise job openings and which is best for you? It depends on a few elements, such as your company's budget, your target audience, and the type of position you intend to fulfill.
Still, social media holds the crown decently. A survey by Clutch states that 1 in 10 hires come from social media interaction between candidates and managers.
How To Advertise Job Openings?
There are many proven efficient and creative ways to advertise job openings. You can use online job boards, post flyers in local businesses, or even take out ads in the newspaper. But are you really reaching the right people with the same old processes? What's the best way to reach potential candidates?
12 creative ways to advertise job openings
1. Geo-Fencing
Geofencing is a technique that uses GPS and radio frequency identification to create a virtual, wireless perimeter — around an event, a zip code, or a neighbourhood — so that people in that area receive messages or advertisements on their smartphones. Perhaps the most well-known application of the technology is the distribution of coupons to potential customers passing by stores.
Recruiters are using innovative ways such as this to get the attention potential job seekers. As one of the creative ways to advertise job openings, this technology is more targeted and you can even poach candidates from competitors in your industry with great ads. It’s cost-effective and avoids the trouble of throwing a wide-net to see who comes through the pipeline.
2. Freelancing websites
If your company has a ton of side projects to work on, hiring freelancers for short gigs could be the right choice. Utilizing these websites is one of the best ways to advertise job openings as there are freelancers for almost any task you can think of, such as internet research, design, content writing, and so on. Most freelancers' hourly rates are displayed on the websites, and you can choose to pay by the hour or set project milestones. When posting your job, be sure to summarize your job descriptions to make them easily understandable by the freelancers.
3. Instagram
Instagram, a newcomer to the recruiting scene, is rapidly expanding, with an estimated 80 million active users daily across the globe. Instagram has grown in popularity as a recruiting tool in a society where attention is the new currency. While there are many ways to advertise a job openings, employers must find more efficient ways to reach out in today's fast-paced society and one of them is social recruitment. As a result, using Instagram for recruitment will become more important, and the primary source for attracting, engaging, and hiring top talent.
Show you culture in a fun visual way, (but don’t take yourself too seriously). If your company is looking to attract Gen-Z talent, utilise Instagram stories. The younger generations hang out in the stories section of Instagram more often than in the main feed. Utilise Instagram’s CTA feature as well as hashtags that the talent pool will use to make your brand easily discoverable.
Also check out: A day in the life of a recruiter: What people think we do vs What we actually do
4. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site in the world. The platform has over 800 million members from more than 200 countries, allowing you to cast a wide net for potential candidates. Furthermore, because LinkedIn is a social networking platform, a job posting on LinkedIn can be easily shared by the hiring team, company leaders, employees, and people outside the company. As a result, LinkedIn is a valuable and effective hiring tool, regardless of whether you are looking for an SMM specialist or a web developer who has experience in building headless e-commerce platforms.
LinkedIn offers several advantages for using LinkedIn for your job posting, including:
- Using the "Jobs You Might Be Interested In" tool to attract top passive candidates
- The "Suggested Professionals" function lets you know which candidates are qualified even if they haven't applied
- Utilizing LinkedIn to manage applications with ease
- Using detailed analytics to optimise your job posting on LinkedIn
- Integrating your Career Page can help you build your employer brand
- Giving applicants a mobile experience that is user-friendly
Furthermore, job posting on LinkedIn allows your team to share your job posting with their network. This increases the visibility of your job opening and increases your chances of getting qualified applicants.
5. Right through the front desk
Wouldn’t it be great if your new hires had an understanding of how your company operates before they’ve spent time working in it? So, instead of leaving a plain-old “Help Wanted” sign on the window, you can leave point-of-sale takeaways focused on the benefits of working for the company, made for those who already buy in as clients. It's also a good way to show everyone else the great employee experience of your organization.
6. Live Stream recruitment marketing
What better way to showcase your employer brand than to broadcast it in real time while answering questions and receiving instant feedback from candidates? Those with global organisations, live streaming recruitment marketing services provide a platform to broadcast content that not only feels personal, but is immediate, eliciting a sense of connectivity. In an era when genuine brand transparency is a sought-after "best practice" among talent acquisition professionals, applications such as Periscope are ideal and cost effective platforms.
7. Text recruiting
Instead of emailing potential candidates about job openings, you should consider texting them instead. Since people use their phones for an average of five hours a day, text recruiting is a more effective strategy than email. Look at it this way, a text message's average response time is only 3 minutes. In comparison, an email response time is 47 minutes on average.
Candidates in today's youth anticipate being texted. Text messages are preferred by 73% of job seekers for receiving tailored job prospects. Recruitment text content must be fluent, creative, and readable. Therefore, you can paraphrase online to generate a concise job description that seems descriptive yet readable for a text message. People crave connection and engagement with businesses more than ever. More and more recruiters are joining in on the trend of text recruitment. Utilising this medium effectively will help you get a quicker response rate than if you contact them via email, thus overcoming a major recruitment challenge.
Here's an interesting read to follow: Text Recruiting: How to keep your candidates engaged
8. Local university websites
If there’s ever a need for fresh blood in your company, you can always reach out to placement centres at your local universities and they can post the job opening on their website. This could greatly assist you in obtaining several excellent resumes from local areas at no cost.
9. Craigslist
It may sound strange, but here is a creative way to advertise job openings. There are job boards on the website where you can post a job description and potentially find great candidates. Craigslist is popular among freelancers and outsourcers.These types of candidates are most suitable for your ad creator, graphic designs other creative work related opening. There is a massive audience out there who may or may not be looking, but they may be piqued by the job description they see in their feed.
10. Dating apps
You’re probably familiar with Bumble the dating app, but are you familiar with Bumble as a networking app for professionals? Bumble bizz's goal is to provide users with a familiar and empowering tool for making a career move, meeting team members, or becoming a mentor.
Unlike LinkedIn, bizz focuses on what individual users seek when networking, whereas it can be difficult to determine what people want from LinkedIn. Along with verified photos, users can upload a digital resume, work samples, and list their professional skills, making this dating app ideal for recruiting.
Bumble made it clear that bizz is not a job search or recruiting tool, but rather a networking tool. Regardless, it's a reliable source for developing candidate pipelines and expanding your network.
11. Billboards can still hit
Billboard ads are a fantastic method to reach a large audience with your job ad. Still, this method is better when hiring for a critical position. Check how to promote your business with billboard promotions properly:
a. Choose the correct location: When selecting a location for your billboard ad, choosing a spot your target audience will see is crucial. For example, placing your ad near a hospital or medical center would be a good idea if you want to fill a healthcare industry position.
b. Make it readable: Remember that people driving by your billboard only have a few seconds to read your ad. So, make sure that your ad is clear and concise. Use large font sizes and avoid using too much text.
c. Use visuals: Images are vital in attracting attention, so consider using visuals in your billboard ad. Graphics and photos can help catch people's attention and make your ad memorable. Remove your image background to get an even better effect.
d. Call to action: Include a call to action phrase in your billboard ad so that people know what you want them to do. For instance, you can guide them to visit your website, call your office, etc.
12. Employee referrals
If you're looking to fill some open positions at your company, one of the best ways to advertise job openings is through employee referrals. By leveraging the networks of your current employees, you can reach a larger pool of qualified candidates without spending any money on advertising.
To get started, let your employees know that you're looking for new hires and ask them directly for potential candidates they deem a good fit. You can also offer incentives for successful referrals, such as a bonus or additional paid time off.
A piece of additional helpful information is knowing who's recommending the candidates. For example, if you're aiming to hire new accountants, you might want to consider recommendations from the finance department.
If you're not already using employee referrals to advertise your job openings, give it a try. It might surprise you when you find your next great hire!
Conclusion
There are many best ways to advertise a job openings, and the best way will depend on your budget and your target audience. Online job boards, social media, or even old-fashioned print ads are incredibly effective for all types of vacancies. Whatever method you choose, include essential information like the job title, responsibilities, qualifications, and how to apply. Hiring must not be a daunting task and neither an expensive one.