Get the best from your job board advertising
Job board advertising is still one of the most effective ways to attract candidates. Yet many employers waste money and time with poor execution.
With more than 20 years of experience in recruitment advertising, we have seen what works and what does not.
Let's dive in and answer the question 'How to get the best from your job board advertising'.
Why job board advertising still works in 2026
According to a workforce resourcing report from CIPD, over 60 percent of UK employers say job boards are their top source of hire. That means most companies still rely on them. But success depends on how you use them.
Done well, job board advertising gives you access to wide pools of talent. You can reach both active job seekers and the occasional passive candidate.
If your ad is well written, placed on the right platform, and targeted to the right person, it will work.
Start with a clear objective
Before you write a single word, define your hiring goal.
Ask yourself:
- What role are we hiring for?
- What kind of person do we need?
- What must they bring to the table?
A well defined brief helps shape a focused, relevant job ad. This alone filters out many unqualified applicants.
Use searchable, generic job titles
Your job title is your first impression. It needs to be clear and searchable.
Avoid internal jargon or creative titles like 'Data Ninja' or 'Customer Happiness Officer'. These terms may be fun, but they do not match what people search for.
Instead, use standard titles like 'Marketing Manager' or 'Customer Service Advisor'. These align with what candidates type into job search engines.
Application performance data published by LinkedIn shows job ads with clear titles get up to 40 percent more applications.
Target your audience carefully
You are not hiring everyone. You are hiring one person. The more specific you are, the better your chances.
Think about the person you want to reach:
- What industry are they in?
- What level of experience do they have?
- Where are they located?
- What kind of work culture are they drawn to?
Write your ad with that person in mind. Speak directly to them. Mention details that would catch their attention, like flexible working, team structure, or industry specific tools.
Set yourself a reasonable recruitment budget
If you've used a recruitment agency in the past, you know how expensive recruitment can be. Fees often run into the thousands of pounds. Recruitment agencies have their place and offer an often frictionless experience. The fees however are steep!
Using two or three carefully selected job boards, or a multiple job board advertising platform like Hiredonline, can save you a lot of money.
Don't go from one extreme to the other. A limited budget of say £200, could be £200 wasted. A budget of £500 would be far more cost effective than using an agency, and it would get you a couple of job board ads, plus a sponsored social media campaign.
Generating applications from a variety of sources is a good thing, but make sure you have access to an ATS system. This will help you to manage, sort and shortlist candidates. Every Hiredonline campaign comes with free access to our easy to use ATS.
Choose the right job boards
Not all job boards are equal. Some cater to specific industries. Others attract high volumes of entry level candidates. Some focus on tech, finance, or care work. Others serve general audiences.
If you need a retail assistant, the best board is not the same as if you were hiring a software engineer.
Use at least two to three job boards to spread your reach. This increases visibility and taps into different talent pools.
Write better job ads
A job ad is not a job description. It is a marketing tool.
Start with a strong, attention grabbing intro. Be clear about who you are and why someone should work with you.
Next, outline the role. Focus on what they will do, not just a long list of requirements. Use bullet points to make the ad easy to scan.
Talk about benefits. Do you offer flexible hours? Remote work? Training? Highlight what makes your company different.
End with a call to action. Tell people how to apply. Keep the process simple.
Avoid free only job boards for serious roles
Free job boards have their place. But they often attract large volumes of low quality applications. This can waste time and lead to poor hires.
Paid job boards usually give better visibility, stronger targeting, and access to passive candidates. They also offer tools like filtering, applicant tracking, and analytics.
In our experience, jobs posted on premium boards generate 30 to 50 percent more relevant applications.
Use performance data
Do not just post and pray. Use the data your job board provides.
Look at how many views your ad is getting. Track the click through rate. See how many people apply after reading the ad.
If one board is underperforming, change your strategy. Try a different title. Adjust the job copy. Try another board.
Hiredonline post thousands of job ads to the major UK job boards. We monitor views, applications and conversion rates across all job sectors. We know which job boards work for which role types.
Refresh ads to stay visible
Most job boards rank newer ads higher. If your job ad is more than 7 days old, it may fall off the radar.
Refresh your ad weekly. Some boards let you repost or edit the listing to bump it back to the top.
This small trick can increase visibility by up to 20 percent.
If a job board doesn't 'auto refresh', consider reposting and paying for a new job advert after the first 2 weeks. Your fresh advert will be sent out to newly registered candidates, who your first advert missed. Job boards typically only include your job advert in job alerts when it's new.
Job alerts generate around 60% to 70% of all applications, therefore getting your advert out twice, is a great strategy.
Build your employer brand
Job ads are more than listings. They are brand messages.
Make sure your ads reflect your company’s values and tone. Include a short paragraph about your mission or work culture.
When people consistently see your ads and recognise your name, trust builds. That improves response quality over time.
Advertise on a regular basis with Hiredonline and we will build you an SEO optimised employer landing page. Our landing pages list all current jobs and are designed to drive organic traffic from search engines like Google and AI platforms such as ChatGPT.
Ask for help when needed
If recruitment is not your full time job, consider getting help.
At Hiredonline, we have supported companies of all sizes with job board advertising. We know which boards perform best for each role. We help you write stronger ads and track performance.
You do not have to do it all alone.
Conclusion
Job board advertising is not complicated. But it does require strategy.
Use clear titles. Target the right people. Write engaging ads. Choose the right platforms. Track your results. Refresh often.
And if you need support, work with experts who understand what works.
