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Updated August 24, 2022You’re reading an excerpt of The Holloway Guide to Technical Recruiting and Hiring, a book by Osman (Ozzie) Osman and over 45 other contributors. It is the most authoritative resource on growing software engineering teams effectively, written by and for hiring managers, recruiters, interviewers, and candidates. Purchase the book to support the author and the ad-free Holloway reading experience. You get instant digital access, over 800 links and references, commentary and future updates, and a high-quality PDF download.
Along with posting job descriptions on your own site (typically in a careers or “work with us” section), you may consider posting in a number of common places that candidates look when conducting a job search.
| Site | Pricing | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Pay per views/post; extensive custom recruiting products | You can post individual jobs, or pay more for LinkedIn Recruiter, which offers advanced search tools and bulk InMail options. | |
| Glassdoor | $199–$699/month | Companies can set up a free account to build their brand (and see what employees/candidates say about them), but have to pay to list jobs. |
| Lever | Custom pricing depending on company plan | If you use Lever for your ATS, you can integrate with your site to post jobs there, along with other job sites. |
| AngelList | Free | Typically, but not exclusively, for startup positions |
| A-List (from AngelList) | Custom pricing | Custom pricing |
| Career Builder | $375/job; $219–$499/month | Larger scale job site, better for accounting, clerical, retail, etc. Not well suited to tech hiring. Caters to a more Midwestern audience. |
| Indeed | Free options; pay per click; 10% of salary of hired candidates | Larger scale, lower-skilled job site. Not typically used for tech hiring. |
| Monster | Free options; $249–$999/month | Larger scale job site, better for accounting, clerical, retail, etc. Not well suited to tech hiring. |
| Zip Recruiter | $249–$1,569/month | Large platform that’s been around for a long time. |
| Remote.com | Free options; $295/posting; 10% of project cost per hire; custom pricing | For hiring remote talent. |
See Appendix B for more details about promoting jobs, which can be done more broadly via blogging, social media, at events/hackathons, and more.
important While crafting great job descriptions for platforms like these is important, most jobs aren’t advertised; an estimated 70–80% of jobs (across industries) are only available through the hidden job market—networks and social media. The pitfall of relying on the hidden job market to find candidates is that that pool is small and will typically be pretty homogenous. Posting job descriptions gives great candidates the opportunity to find you, without having to be part of your in-crowd.
Here are some valuable examples of job descriptions we like and why we like them:
The social media management company Buffer has an interesting approach to job descriptions. Even when they have no job openings, their company website maintains a full page dedicated to telling the company’s story in a way that anchors the reader as a potential character in that story. The page begins with a short story about Buffer, then tells the reader where they could work, what the team is like, benefits the company offers and the values it holds. By the end, someone who’s really drawn to working there will already be picturing joining the team and can get on a waiting list to find out when new roles open up.
Stripe: Most of Stripe’s job descriptions start with the company’s mission and/or the team’s goals, and then share the objectives and impact of each role. This is a lot more compelling to candidates than just listing qualifications, which are still included, but come later in the description.