11 Free Ways To Post A Job

Post A Job For Free, Promote It For A Fee

Post a Job

When hiring for a new position, one of the most significant measures of success is the visibility of your job opening. Many employers wonder where the best places are to post their jobs for free. When you search on the Internet, you are often met with paid job board options or the same recommended job sites.

These are great starting points, but there are many different ways to post your job for free while giving you optimal exposure. Whether you’re looking for part-time, contract, or full-time employees, posting your opening in the right spot is essential for attracting the right candidate for the job.

Key Takeaways

• Before you post your job, it’s essential that you know the exact candidate you’re trying to reach in order to make your job posting efforts efficient.

• Digital job boards are not the only place to post your job for free on the internet. Consider using your social media platform, company website, or other alternative platforms for greater exposure.

• Even though digital has taken over much of our lives, in-person events are still incredibly beneficial for promoting job openings.

Know Your Candidate

First things first, you’ll want to make sure you understand the type of person you’re looking for and the exact responsibilities of the role. This is essential for writing a comprehensive job advertisement that attracts the candidates you want. Be sure you sit down with your team and get a variety of feedback for how they envision the role.

Once you understand the candidate you’re looking for, you will have a better idea of where to post your job. Understanding whether this employee is entry-level, mid-level, or senior-level can impact the posting, as well as their hours, type of work, needed skills and experience, and character traits.

Post Your Job Without a Job Board

Job boards are a great tool to use when hiring for a new position, and we’ll discuss them in more detail down below. However, before you start with any specific job board, consider using the following free platforms to help expand your reach and resulting candidate pool.

1. Post on social media

   Most businesses, whether they’re small or large, have some kind of social media presence. Your existing following has endless potential, and you never know who could scroll across the job advertisement and decide to give it a go. Social media looks different for every company, so be mindful of the platform where you choose to push your job opening.

   For example, starting with LinkedIn for many companies is the smartest decision. This social media platform is ripe with candidates looking for new opportunities. You can encourage both employees and their connections to share the job opening too. LinkedIn also has many groups that are industry and location specific for people looking for new opportunities.

   Companies that have a presence on Facebook or Instagram can also post there with a catchy image to capture people’s attention. Though users don’t necessarily use these platforms for job openings, utilizing this platform provides additional free exposure for the job opening with the potential to reach even more eyes when your followers share it.

2. Post on your company’s website

   Sometimes when companies head straight to the job boards, they forget to utilize their largest marketing tool — their website. Posting the opening on your company’s website is an incredibly effective way to promote your job opening. The people visiting your website are already invested in your brand and may be heading there specifically to see if there are career opportunities.

   Whether or not you have job openings at your company, it’s a great idea to consider a careers page simply for potential future candidates. This is a good way to articulate your office culture to outsiders and encourages people to keep you in mind when they’re job hunting in the future. This is an easy and free way to get additional exposure.

3. Join digital discussions and threads

   The internet has endless opportunities for networking in our digital age. Consider joining and engaging in different forums or networking events where people may be looking for job opportunities. This is a great place to not just advertise your opening but add a human element to the process by engaging directly with those interested.

   There are a variety of different forum sites, such as Quora, Reddit, and HubSpot, where people are regularly looking for career advice or inquiring about specific companies or industries. There are even specific boards for freelance and contract work. It’s a great place to be aware of if you have a job opportunity you’re looking to post.

4. Craigslist

   Though Craigslist has been widely touted as a yard sale site, Craiglist also hosts advertisements for job openings. These boards are location specific, which can help if you need someone at an in-person job and gives you the opportunity to reach an even wider candidate talent pool.

   Because Craigslist is forum based, you’ll have the opportunity to interact with people on a one-to-one basis and bring the human element as well as prove your company’s values.

Post Your Job Posting at In-Person Events

Although the digital world has permeated most of our lives, there are also resources you can utilize that don’t involve the Internet. Sometimes these are even better resources to use, depending on the job. For example, using a networking event can help you get a feel for a salesperson’s personality. Some places to post your job for free can include the following.

1. Tradeshows, conferences, or workshops

   When attending an industry tradeshow, conference, or educational workshop, consider bringing along any job openings you may have. You will network with people in the industry who may be looking for new opportunities. This can be a win-win partnership as the job you are able to offer them fits in with their career plans while they bring the essential skills needed for your opening.

2. Universities, colleges, or trade schools

   One of the best places to look for eager candidates is at local schools. Students who are on the cusp of graduating are looking for their next opportunity. Posting your opportunity with their career office or in a common area is a great way to get noticed and attract a wide candidate pool that is willing to learn.

3. Job fairs

   Many universities and colleges hold job fairs for their students. These are to help students get comfortable with the interviewing process but also a way for them to understand the wide variety of opportunities at their disposal. If you’re looking for an entry-level employee, a job fair is a great first place to start.

4. Community bulletin boards

   Many towns, townships, or communities have some kind of community bulletin board. Sometimes these are digital, but many times they reside right in the town office or central meeting place for many people. This is a great way to spread the word about a local job opportunity.

Post on Job Boards

Last but certainly not least, consider utilizing digital job boards that exist on the Internet. Even if you use job boards, it’s a great idea to diversify where you advertise your job openings. Sourcing from different places can help you widen your candidate pool in terms of skill, personality, and experience. Some of the best free job boards can include the following.

1. Zippia

   Zippia helps candidates access all parts of the job search process, from finding current open positions to negotiating a job offer that compensates them fairly. With over a million job postings aggregated every month, compiled with Zippia’s proprietary data on salaries, companies, and job-based metrics, this is one of the best places to post your opening.

2. Hubstaff Talent

   This completely free site is ideal for filing remote positions. Employers can post unlimited free job listings and easily track and contact applicants. This is ideal for remote employees like graphic designers, software developers, and marketing professionals. Though there are paid add-ons you can purchase, the heart of this platform is completely free.

3. LinkedIn

   Though they offer a paid posting option, LinkedIn also offers a free option. Employers can also use manual search for potential candidates and get in touch with them for free, as long as their network is large enough. Because LinkedIn is also a social site, it can work for you in multiple ways, completely free of cost!

Free Ways to Post a Job FAQ

1. How can I post my jobs for free?

   There are multiple ways to post your job opportunities for free. You can utilize digital job boards online, where many offer your exposure for free. You can also utilize social media platforms where you have an existing following to expand your candidate pool and your overall reach.

   Consider utilizing other platforms you may not have thought of, such as AngelList, Google for Jobs, or Craiglist. If you have a job opening that requires excellent social skills, it’s a good idea to try and source candidates from in-person networking events or industry tradeshows.

2. How can I attract more people to my free job posting?

   The best way to ensure you get your job posting seen is to understand who your end audience is. This means you have to be really certain about the type of candidate you’re looking to attract. Once you have this down to a science, it’s easy to write a great job description that attracts people to your company.

   The other way to ensure you’re attracting the most people to your free job posting is to diversify where you’re posting the opportunity. Don’t just rely on digital job boards. Be sure you’re utilizing word-of-mouth opportunities, job fairs, or things like community bulletin boards.

3. What is the most effective way of posting my job posting for free?

   There are two things that make a job posting very effective. The first is to ensure you have a copy that resonates with the candidates you’re looking to hire. This means including a creative job title and relevant keywords for the position. Coupled with a concise description of requirements, you’ll create a very effective job ad.

   The next thing is posting your effective job ad to the right sites. Be conscious about where you decide to promote your job advertisements. Does your candidate go to trade shows, or do they spend more time on social media? Whatever the case, be sure your job posting is in the most relevant spots.

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia where she has written 140+ articles that have reached over 1 mil viewers as of June 2023. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research.