There are many job websites employers can use to post their jobs. What many don’t realize is that job listing websites fall into one of three categories: job boards, job search engines, and professional social networking recruiting platforms. For this post, we focus primarily on the two most common types, which are job boards and job search engines.
Job Websites: Job Boards vs. Job Search Engines
Job boards and job search engines have the same primary goal, which is to provide the opportunity for employers to advertise their jobs online to help businesses and job candidates find each other—employers want to find the perfect candidates to fill their open positions and candidates want to land their dream job. However, though job boards and job search engines are both types of job websites with the same primary goal, they each operate differently.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the key differences between job boards and job search engines.
Job Boards
Job boards provide opportunities for employers to specifically list their jobs on the job board. Applications are typically accepted directly through the job board, either as an email that goes into the employer’s inbox or by the employer going directly to the job board to check for new applications.
With job boards, employers and recruiters generally pay a fee to have their jobs listed. Employers then have access to resumes provided by the job board and candidates can apply directly to the jobs they see. Candidates looking for jobs might also have to pay a fee to join a job board in order to search and apply for jobs.
Job websites that function as job boards are frequently broken down by industry, job type, or geographical location. However, there are job boards, like Monster.com, that function as generalist job boards and showcase jobs across all sectors, industries, locations, and employment types. Colleges and professional organizations are examples of entities that often have niche, or specialist, job boards where employers can post their jobs.
Job Search Engines
Job search engines crawl the web to aggregate a listing of jobs based on search terms a candidate enters into a job website’s search field. They offer a wider variety of job posting types since they contain postings from multiple sources. Job search engines pull jobs into the search results from various company career webpages and job boards that align with the search terms used.
With job search engines, candidates will likely have to provide some information, like their names and email addresses, to search for jobs. However, they do not have to pay a fee to search. Conversely, employers often have to pay a fee for their jobs to be included in searches on a job search engine site if they want to view the resumes of those who have applied to their jobs. The fee is typically performance-based. In other words, to be listed, employers often have to enter into a vendor contract with the job search engine and have the flexibility to stop spending resources at any point in the future.
Another difference between a job board and a job search engine is how bots are used on job search engines. Bots search web pages for all jobs posted on career sites and job boards and pull a fair amount of information from the different job websites to provide the most accurate results. So, if recruiters are using a job search engine to identify if a job aligns with their job seeker’s career goals, they’ll see the posting date, job title, location, educational requirements, job description, and more. On the flip side, when searching for a job on a job board site, recruiters tend to have to count solely on job location and title to populate search query results since the postings on a job board are often intended for specific candidates.
Note: Some job websites function as a job board and a job search engine.
Social Networking Job Websites
Social networking job websites, like LinkedIn, functions as both a job search engine and a job board. These sites also offer additional niche functions for employers and recruiters, as well as job candidates.
What Are the Best Job Websites for Employers and Recruiters?
When it comes to determining the best job website to use for your business, your budget, industry, employment type, location, and in-house resources all play a factor. In many instances, developing a multifaceted recruiting strategy works best. This approach allows you to incorporate a combination of job website types to find the ideal candidates for your open positions.
Job boards can work well for very specialized, niche positions. Job search engines and social networking job websites are great for all levels and types of positions, including entry-level. For hard-to-fill positions where you’re seeking passive candidates, as well as active job seekers, a social networking job website might be the way to go.
The Ladders Job Website
There are many options available to help you source top candidates as a recruiter or an employer. Sometimes, it takes some trial and error with different job websites to determine where you get the most traction and bang for your buck. In some instances, you might find that a particular job website works wonders for a certain type and level of position, whereas another job site works better for another type of position.
If you’re looking to fill positions in the $100k+ range in the U.S. or Canada, Ladders Recruiter is the ideal choice. Ladders’ member website, combined with Ladders Recruiter, is the only job website dedicated to connecting employers with experienced professionals in the $100k+ range across industries. On Ladders, 89% of candidates have a Bachelor’s degree, and 36% carry a Master’s degree or higher, with an average professional experience of 15 years.
Ladders allows you to post jobs or source jobs using a simple search option, or in-depth search with Boolean operators. You can also read full resumes as you search without losing your place in search, download resumes, contact candidates based on full contact info and much more, with packages tailored to your needs.
