Why DIY Job Listings Rarely Pay Off

List it, and they will come. It’s true that job boards from trusted sites like Indeed, Google, and LinkedIn promise an easy interface for employers to cut out the “middleman” and list their own jobs. But “just listing” isn’t as easy as it sounds, and the floodgates that these job listings open cause insurmountable work for employers and hiring managers.

Let’s look at some essential questions about DIY job listings that may be weighing on your mind as you consider going it alone:

Which job boards do I use? We’d say that job boards are a dime a dozen, but as you’ll read in the next section, they’ll cost you much more. The point is that there are dozens of major job boards to choose from: Indeed, ZipRecruiter, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and more. Beyond that, more than 25,000 websites claim to post job listings. So, which one(s) do you trust? Where do you focus your energy?

Will I actually save money? You get what you pay for. It’s true with job boards as well. Sure, many of the most popular job boards have free features, but for your job listings to generate more treasure than trash, you’ll need to pay for premium features. To that end, you’ll be spending a pretty penny. The median cost per job posting rose 43% in 2021.

How do I know what to do? Some job boards have terrific tools that allow you to target your job listings. For instance, Indeed enables you to ask questions that immediately qualify or disqualify candidates, incorporate skills assessments, and more. But automatically disqualifying candidates can be a huge mistake if you’re not adept at the process. And what about listing salary ranges? Using the most effective wording to attract the right candidates? The sheer number of considerations is staggering.

It’s listed, now what? Congratulations if you made it this far! However, this is the stage we hear from many employers who thought they could DIY. Why? Because their job listings have opened a floodgate of hundreds, if not thousands, of job applicants. Candidates that you’ll now need to weed through, interview, and thoughtfully consider. And those tools from sites like Indeed meant to help you out? They can shoot you in the foot. Indeed offers a Responsive Employer Badge that can expose you if you fall behind.

Why Job Listings Perform Better with Recruiters

Don’t recruiters just use those same job boards? Yes and no. Recruiters access some platforms and services within the major job boards you may not have. Since we’re in the recruiting business, we invest in the platforms, tools, and databases that connect to them to enhance results and make them even more efficient. We have experience running queries, crafting the most effective job listings, and more.

And then there’s the time and talent it takes to weed through candidates. ZipRecruiter boasts that 80% of employers receive qualified candidates within the first day of posting job listings with them. That’s great, but how on Earth do you find the most suitable in a mountain of applicants? Sometimes, you need to interview someone in person to discover what you can’t on “paper.” But how do you do that when you have 100+ “good” prospects? This is, perhaps, the top reason your job listings need a recruiter’s touch. A team can pre-qualify candidates, tailor skill assessments, conduct the first in-person interviews, and more. Suddenly, you’re looking at the prospect of three to five interviews instead of dozens (at least).

Then there’s the follow-up, scheduling more interviews, background checks, negotiating compensation and terms. It seems the work is never done. Stratus HR provides a sample breakdown of the time it takes for someone to complete recruiting tasks. They estimate 30 hours over four weeks to recruit just one employee (more for senior-level positions). In the IT field, Django Co-Creator Jacob Kaplan-Moss says it takes him about 100 hours over four weeks—or about 50% of his time—to get to an offer.

So, DIY job listings have hidden time and resource costs beyond merely posting to job boards. Don’t overlook seeking help, especially with these more tedious parts of talent searching.