Why Job Boards Are Great for Companies and Candidates

Gone are the days when companies had to list open roles in newspaper ads and candidates went door-to-door with their résumés.

Companies can get new roles in front of candidates in a matter of moments, and job seekers can apply in seconds. It’s all thanks to job boards.

Companies often turn to job search sites to make sure the right audience sees their available jobs to help meet their company’s hiring needs and demands as quickly and effectively as possible.

Types of job boards

Three main types of job boards, each with specialized features, functionality, and use cases, are found online.

General job board

A general job board is the most common. These boards offer a range of listings across varying industries and job types. They’re a good option for anyone unsure what their next position should be. A general job board allows users to explore opportunities, options, and full-time and part-time openings.

Examples of general job boards are Monster, Glassdoor, CareerBuilder, and LinkedIn.

Niche job board

A niche job board, sometimes called a specialty job board, only shows openings in a specific industry, job type, and job title. They’re best for job seekers looking for a new role in a particular field. While a niche job board may have a smaller selection of listings than a general job board, the listed roles are more targeted and focused, ranging from internships and entry-level to C-suite roles.

Niche job boards exist for:

• Non-profit roles
• Military veterans
• Medicine and healthcare opportunities
• Entertainment jobs
• Finance jobs
• Legal jobs
• Students

Examples of niche job boards include HospitalCareers.com, which lists healthcare jobs; The Art Career Project, which only lists jobs in the art field; and GovernmentJobs.com, which is exclusively for government jobs.

Company-specific job board

Sometimes called a company career site, a company-specific job board is run by a company and only lists open roles within the organization. This is ideal for job seekers seeking a position at a specific company. 

For an example of a company-specific job board, check out the open positions on the careers page on G2.

Benefits of job boards

Job boards are incredibly beneficial for companies that need to hire qualified candidates, staffing agencies, and job seekers.

Benefits for employers

An employer hiring for open roles might rely on a job board for a few reasons.

• A job board acts as a résumé database. Since many job boards allow candidates to upload their résumés into the system, recruiters can actively search for potential employees directly on the site to source candidates. This can be especially helpful since not all candidates actively search for a new role, but they may still be interested in learning more.
• Job boards are cost-effective. Since they don’t require much of a fee to use, job boards are a cost-effective way to reach many potential applicants and advertise new roles. Employers then save on costs associated with recruitment marketing efforts. 
• They help employer branding. Some job boards, like LinkedIn and Indeed, let companies create their own company page on the website. This can highlight aspects like company culture and vision, and take part in storytelling – which all attract qualified candidates.
• They can send jobs directly to candidates. Recruiters and employers often look at job boards for potential candidates based on searchable and popular keywords related to an open role. Once potential candidates are found, the job board can send these available roles directly to the individual as an open job alert.
• Job boards expand hiring reach for better-qualified candidates. Since job boards are often the first place a job seeker goes when they need a new position, companies get access to millions of candidates. Job boards can also put your company in front of passive candidates who aren’t actively looking for new roles.
• Job boards and ATSs integrate well. Several job boards can integrate into a company’s applicant tracking system (ATS), which improves the candidate’s experience and streamlines the recruiter's responsibilities.

Benefits for a job seeker

As an individual looking for a new job, a job board mitigates a lot of stress.

• Job boards are easy to use. Many job boards are candidate-focused and user-friendly. Most boards have a mobile app version, and it’s easy to upload résumés without much hassle.
• Candidates can sign up for job alerts. Some job boards allow users to set up job alerts when specific roles get posted or for new roles within a particular company.
• Job boards make industry research easier. A person interested in working in a particular industry or organization can search job boards to learn more about openings and discover trends and qualifications. Plus, searching for openings that match current skills can help uncover possible careers.
• Job boards help make connections. Sometimes postings on job boards include the contact information of a recruiter, so job seekers can easily send a connection request on a professional social networking platform. If it’s not listed, there’s likely search functionality to find a recruiter or department manager at the organization.

Job search site vs. job board

A job search site is where millions of listings for open roles are posted online. The listings come from multiple sources, including job boards. They often include job alerts, company reviews, career advice, and links to career websites. It’s common for job search sites like Indeed and LinkedIn to also function as job boards.

Sometimes job seekers have to register or log in to use a job board. Employers may have to pay a fee to post job openings within their company and view resumes from candidates. A specialized job board may also require users to pay a fee to view jobs posted.

Best job search sites

Job search sites are platforms that connect employers to job seekers. They’re ideal for companies with open roles, staffing firms searching for qualified candidates, and individuals looking to find a new job.

To qualify for inclusion in the job search sites category, a product must:

• Allow employers to publish job posts with information about open positions.
• Filter job posts based on criteria like industry and location.
• Have a search functionality for job seekers so they can find relevant open opportunities. 

* Below are the top five leading job search sites from G2’s Winter 2023 Grid® Report. Some reviews may be edited for clarity. 

1. LinkedIn Job Search

LinkedIn Job Search makes it easy for users to quickly find job opportunities thanks to its location-based search, automatic recommendations, and specific job search notifications. With more than 400 million members, LinkedIn is a great place to look for new roles, network with other professionals, and share resources. 

What users like best:

“The interface is so friendly to pick the right jobs. Filtering features are to the point regarding location, company, and type of work. The recommendation tool is very accurate and recommends the best suitable jobs per your profile feed. I can save all the jobs, under the My Jobs section, that I am interested in applying for later or monitor the same.”

-  LinkedIn Job Search Review, Neha B., Dec 1, 2022

What users dislike:

“Some of the more valuable parts of LinkedIn are not available on the free account, which hinders a genuinely effective job search. For example, spam and advertising messages are often in my inbox, and there have been multiple attempts to scam me during my job searches. In addition, the number of job applicants is not based on the actual number of applicants but on the number of people that have clicked the "Apply Now" button, which is misleading.”

- LinkedIn Job Search Review, Dorothy B., Sept 21, 2022

2. Indeed Hiring Platform

The Indeed Hiring Platform is a worldwide employment search engine for job listings. Users come to Indeed to find jobs, learn trends in the market, upload résumés, research salary information, and read website forums. It’s an all-in-one solution for everything a candidate may need in their job market.

What users like best:

“The main benefit of using Indeed Hiring is the number of candidates you will receive and the number of screening questions you can post. It's an easy platform to use, and any staff member can use it. Pricing for posting ads is relatively low, and it's a nice feature that you can have free job posts.”

- Indeed Hiring Platform Review, Dónall F., Nov 20, 2022

What users dislike:

“I think a lot more of my coworkers would benefit if the price were slightly lower.”

- Indeed Hiring Platform Review, Jon M., Oct 31, 2022

3. ZipRecruiter

ZipRecruiter makes hiring for any size company simple and stress-free. Companies can send an open role to over 100 job boards with just one click. Then, ZipRecruiter uses powerful matching technology to find candidates with the right experience and prompts them to apply.

What users like best:

“ZipRecruiter has a good variety of job listings in lots of areas. Much more than other job sites. The one-tap application makes applying for jobs so much easier than other sites.”

- ZipRecruiter Review, Kelly T., Nov 18, 2022

What users dislike:

“I hope the algorithm for jobs that match my profile improves. I'm not too particularly fond of the way it only gives results on traits of an applied job.”

- ZipRecruiter Review, Cameron T., Oct 27, 2022

4. Monster

Monster is an employment site ideal for lower to mid-level employment roles. It helps candidates find jobs by matching their skills and location to open roles listed on the website.

What users like best:

“I like the ability to source candidates based on location and industry. It has various filters which help source the right candidates. It shows candidates who have updated their résumés recently. It is user-friendly and allows keyword search.”

- Monster Review, Neeraj S., Aug 5, 2022

What users dislike:

“The cost to post jobs other than the subscription plan or the resume view from the database is much more costly. The subscription plans need to be more flexible and less costly so a small enterprise can also use the extensive features of this platform.”

- Monster Review, Jay K., Mar 18, 2022

5. Glassdoor

Glassdoor aims to increase workplace transparency by offering insights into employees’ experiences. Thanks to millions of company reviews, CEO approval ratings, interview summaries, salary reports, and office photos, Glassdoor is like any other career site.

What users like best:

“The insights which are provided on Glassdoor are very helpful. In these uncertain times, any employee should cross-check company background before joining or doing any business with a new vendor.”

- Glassdoor Review, Punkeet K., Nov 15, 2022

What users dislike:

“Sometimes the information and reviews are misleading, which makes your approach toward this tool negative. The mobile application sometimes lags and with minimal updates.”

- Glassdoor Review, Aamir R., Nov 16, 2022

A smarter way to hire

No matter the size of your company or its industry, job boards make the entire hiring process an easy and hassle-free experience for both your recruiters and the qualified candidates you decide to interview. 

Before you post your company’s latest open role on a job board, brush up on how to write a job description that will attract the right candidate.