Are Premium Job Listings Worth It? Analyzing Their Effectiveness

Finding the right talent is important for companies and businesses, and job posting sites have become an industry standard for recruitment. Still, as an employer, you might be wondering: do premium job postings actually provide value? Do they offer anything of value in terms of candidate quality, or will a simple, cheap posting get the job done? In this blog post, we will assess your needs against the usage of premium job postings in an attempt to determine whether they are right for your hiring needs.

What Are Premium Job Listings?

Premium job listings refer to paid job postings on portals like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Glassdoor, where a company creates a job advertisement and pays to boost it so that it receives more views and engagement. Unlike free postings that can get overlooked thanks to the constant influx of new postings, premium listings offer certain benefits such as: 

• Priority Placement – Your job ad appears at the top of the list of other jobs.
• Extended Reach – Ads may be displayed on partner websites or even social media.
• Targeted Promotion – Tools powered by AI will showcase the ad to the most appropriate audience.
• Featured Employer Branding – Your business logo and branding are included.
• Advanced Analytics – Learn how many people were able to see your job ad.

Do Premium Job Listings Have The Potential To Get You Quality Candidates? 

Since premium job listings claim to attract better applicants, they are arguably one of the best options when looking to hire employees. But do they actually do so? Here’s what the research and expert predictions say: 

1. More Applications Due to Greater Visibility

Premium job postings are likely to rank higher in search results, which are more visible to job seekers. To put it into perspective, LinkedIn states that premium job ads receive up to 3x more views and 2x more applications than free listings. 

2. More Targeted Approach Solutions Equals More Suitable Candidates

Websites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter have implemented AI technologies to help match job postings to the right applicants based on their skills, experience, and preferences. This ensures that more premium listings reach their appropriate market and eliminates the chances of having too many unwanted applicants. 

3. Streamlined Hiring Process

The ability to reach high-quality candidates faster means having to spend less time going through appropriate applications. According to research done by Glassdoor, companies that use premium listings fill vacancies 30% faster than those that use free job postings. 

When making premium listings make the most sense 

In cases where many companies are looking for the same competitive role, premium listings help them stand out from competitors.

There is an open position that needs to be filled as quickly as possible. Increased exposure will lead to a quick response from potential candidates.

You are looking for a specific type of skill set. Targeting other job seekers through AI will ensure that your advertisement reaches the intended audience.

Your no-cost job postings are not bringing any results. If the application numbers have not met expectations, then surely increasing your visibility will help on the matter.

When Free Listings Are Adequate

You are searching for people for simple positions or positions that require a large number of people. These free advertisements may attract a large number of applicants without the need for paid promotions.

Your business already has a solid reputation as an employer. Famous businesses often receive applications without having to use paid placements or advertisements.

Your available funding does not allow for high spending. If you are more cost-sensitive, then try the free listings first and only purchase premium placement if really needed.

For Recruiting Purposes, Is There Value In Premium Job Advertisements?

How useful premium job postings are relies heavily on your hiring needs, budgetary capacity, and the urgency to fill the position. Employers looking for good candidates to fill a specific difficult or competitive position will most likely benefit from premium listings. However, for posted jobs that tend to gather plenty of applicants, a free job advertisement will be just fine.

Tip 5: Run Tests and Make Changes

Most of the platforms enable starting a low-budget premium listing or allow running pay-per-click ads where the client pays only for the clicks received. Make use of both free and paid campaigns to figure out what will serve your organization’s recruiting requirements in the best manner.

Do you think that paying for premium job listings is worth it? Or do you tend to go with free postings? Feel free to express your opinions in the comments section!