For most roles, a mix of big job boards, professional networks, and niche sites works best. The right choice also depends on whether you need local, remote, entry-level, or specialized talent.
Major job boards
These sites give you the widest reach and are often the first place candidates look. Many offer free postings with optional paid boosts.
- Indeed: Very high traffic, widely used by employers and job seekers, with free and paid posting options.
- ZipRecruiter: Lets you post and distribute your job to many other boards, usually via a free trial before paid plans.
- Glassdoor: Combines job ads with company reviews, which helps candidates evaluate culture and compensation.
Professional and networking platforms
These are best when hiring professionals, managers, and knowledge workers.
- LinkedIn: Strong for professional hiring; you can post at least one job for free, plus paid promotion and direct outreach.
- Google for Jobs: Not a standalone site, but jobs on indexed boards or your own site can surface in Google search results.
Free and budget-friendly options
If you want to minimize cost, use free job boards and aggregators.
- PostJobFree, Jobvertise, Job Spider, Learn4Good: Allow free or credit-based job postings that show up in search results.
- Hubstaff Talent, SimplyHired: Good for remote and freelance roles, with free postings that syndicate to multiple sites.
Niche and special-purpose sites
Niche boards often deliver fewer but more relevant candidates.
- Handshake: Focused on college students and recent graduates from many institutions.
- Wellfound (AngelList Talent) and Levels.fyi: Strong for startups and tech roles.
- Freelance platforms (Upwork, Guru, similar): Best when hiring contractors or project-based workers rather than full-time employees.
How to choose and use them
A simple approach is to combine 1–2 general boards with 1 professional network and 1 niche site relevant to your role.
- For a local hourly role: Try Indeed, Craigslist (for local reach), and one local community board.
- For a remote or tech role: Use LinkedIn, a major board such as Indeed or ZipRecruiter, and a niche site like Wellfound or a remote-specific board.
If you tell what role and location you’re hiring for, a tailored 3–5 site shortlist can be suggested.
