What are online job boards?
An online job board helps job seekers and employers connect. Employers can post open roles with required skills and qualifications, and job seekers can apply to opportunities that interest them.
Unlike a company’s careers page, job boards aim to turn site visitors into interested candidates. Employers generally create job boards for the company’s specific audience. For example, if you run an engineering magazine, you could create a job board for engineers.
Job boards also differ from matching and hiring platforms. These platforms aggregate a wide range of job listings from thousands of online sources, while job boards typically prioritize a particular industry, location or job type.
A job board website makes it easier for users to find job listings relevant to their interests. It might offer specialized features and tools tailored for job seekers and employers.
When you add a niche job board to your website, you can attract candidates and employers. Job seekers know opportunities are likely to match their interests, and employers benefit from access to a relevant, specialized talent pool.
Job board software
While you can code a custom job board, using specialized software is often more convenient if you lack in-house technical staff. For example, if your team doesn’t include a web developer or software engineer, a job board website builder can help you create the board without coding experience.
Two common job board software options include:
- Open-source software: Allows you to download plug-ins, themes and templates. These programs, such as WordPress, typically let you select the design and site features, so you can tailor it to your branding and functional needs. Depending on your experience, you may need a Web Developer to help maintain the site.
- Software as a service (SaaS): Uses a software vendor to create, host and manage a white-label job board. You can have it customized with your branding, so it appears custom-made for your business website. Because the vendor manages the back end, such as data storage and server logic, this option may require less technical expertise.
Job board software typically offers features for job seekers and employers, such as:
- Job and resume posting
- Matching alerts
- Applicant tracking software (ATS) integrations
- One-click job applications
- Search engine optimization (SEO) tools
- Integrations with job aggregators
- Artificial intelligence (AI)-driven filters
- Resume database
Many programs also offer customizable templates and themes to ensure a cohesive design across your job board and website.
Step-by-step guide to creating a job board
A job board can help encourage existing visitors to return to your site. It can also attract new customers and, in some cases, additional revenue through ads and sponsorships.
You can follow these steps to create a successful job board that supports and engages your customers:
1. Determine if a job board is right for your business
A job board is most useful when it’s relevant to your target audience. Before investing in one, make sure it will add value to your customers.
Consider who your website visitors are and why they visit your site. For example, they might go to your site to read your blog or buy your products. Google Analytics and Google Search Insights data can help you understand user behavior.
If your business sells medical software, your customers may work for hospitals and other facilities hiring healthcare professionals. They might find value in a healthcare job board. However, if you manage a restaurant, your website visitors may be more interested in finding a place to eat than searching for a job.
Once you’ve determined a job board is right for your users, consider your audience size and total number of monthly visits. These figures can help signal whether you’ll receive a sufficient number of applications.
2. Define your niche and objective
Consider the types of positions you want to post on your job board. Successful job boards typically limit postings to companies in a specific niche. This helps them attract and serve a defined target audience.
Some job boards are grouped by industry, such as finance, government, healthcare, tech or sales. Others might highlight a specific type of role, such as contract, entry-level or remote. You can also create a job board for a specific city, state or region.
For example, a company in the construction industry may want to use a SaaS platform to publish construction-related jobs. A local government website may host a wider range of jobs in a specific city. By emphasizing the location instead of the industry, they can attract many people with diverse skills.
Consider your goals for hosting a job board, such as increasing site traffic, growing your email list or generating revenue through sponsored listings. Clarifying the purpose of your job board can help you track its success and your return on investment (ROI).
3. Choose your job board software provider
If you want to build your job board, you likely need the right software to achieve your goals. The best option depends on your budget, timeline and skills. You might build and design the job board if you or an employee has the technical expertise. However, if you want advanced functionality, you may hire a development team to build and customize a job board.
Open-source job board software
If you already have a website built on an open-source content management system (CMS), such as WordPress or Joomla, consider using it to create your job board. Staying with the same software also makes it easier to add the board to your existing site.
Before you choose this option, search through the CMS’s library of themes, widgets, templates and plug-ins. While open-source software is typically free or low-cost, it may come with other expenses and challenges. For example, you might need a Web Developer to customize the site and handle upgrades or ongoing maintenance.
SaaS job board software
An SaaS job board solution can be a good alternative if you don’t want to handle hosting, coding, upgrades or maintenance. These platforms help you quickly set up a simple job board, especially if you need a straightforward solution without advanced features. Once you sign up for a SaaS service, connect your domain, choose a job board theme, make quick edits and add job listings.
Numerous SaaS job board options are available, including JBoard and Niceboard. As you evaluate platforms, you can search for one with specific features, such as mobile responsive design, matching alerts and data backfill.
4. Collect high-quality job listings
Instead of launching an empty job board, add job listings in advance. Reach out to your industry contacts and ask them to post their job openings, or send an email to your customers to offer early employer access.
Some white-label job board services provide access to a network of employers. They may also allow you to backfill your job board with relevant job listings from aggregators such as Indeed. Another option is to find online job posting sites that allow you to import their job listings. This can help you provide recent opportunities when first establishing your job board.
As your board grows, consider offering job alerts. This valuable feature allows users to receive notifications about new job listings that match their preferences.
5. Decide how you’ll market your job board
After launching a job board, you need to market it. Driving traffic to the site helps increase visibility for employers and job seekers in your niche.
To start, you might add a link to the job board from your website’s main navigation menu. Then, optimize the board for search engines. Add relevant keywords to page titles and page content to help the board rank higher in search results.
You can promote your job board with:
- Google ads
- Social media ads
- Press releases
- Email campaigns
- Blog or social media posts
Word-of-mouth advertising can also help drive traffic to your job board. Ask your employees to add a link to their professional email signatures and mention it when chatting with customers.
Adding a job board to your website can be a powerful way to give back to your community. In addition to serving your existing audience, it can help engage customers and attract more traffic to your website.
By selecting the right niche, choosing effective software and developing an effective marketing strategy, you can turn your job board into a valuable industry resource.
