Guide to Advertising a Job on Reed
Learn how to advertise a job on Reed, what to include in your vacancy advert and how to get more from one of the UK’s best-known job boards.
Marketing Manager
Why advertise a job on Reed?
Reed is one of the UK’s best-known job boards, used by employers to advertise vacancies across a wide range of sectors, locations and contract types.
Reed.co.uk was founded in 1995 and describes itself as the first recruitment website offered by a recruitment agency in the UK.
Reed states that over 100 million people turn to Reed.co.uk each year in their search for work.
Reed reports over 80,000 applications made every day across Reed.co.uk.
Reed’s recruiter page references access to a candidate audience of over 26 million candidates.
What jobs can perform well on Reed?
Based on the types of campaigns we support, Reed can be a useful option for a range of vacancies, especially when the advert has a clear job title, visible salary, accurate location and a simple application route.
Office, admin, sales, customer service and professional roles can be a good fit when the advert is clear and easy to apply to.
Reed can be useful for roles targeting candidates across London and surrounding commuter areas.
Flexible roles can perform well when the remote, hybrid or office expectations are clearly explained.
Reed is often worth considering for finance, accountancy and office-based commercial vacancies.
Large UK candidate audience
Reed can be a strong option for employers who want exposure to active UK jobseekers across a wide range of roles and locations.
Useful across many job types
Reed covers a broad range of sectors, making it suitable for many general, professional, office-based and specialist vacancies.
Good for searchable job adverts
A clear job title, visible salary, accurate location and well-structured advert can help your vacancy appear for more relevant candidate searches.
Works well in a wider campaign
Reed can be used on its own, but many employers include it as part of a wider job advertising campaign alongside other job boards.
How to post a job on Reed
Employers can post a job on Reed directly, or include Reed as part of a wider multi-board job advertising campaign through Career Poster.
Post directly on Reed
You can create a Reed recruiter account, build your advert, choose your posting option and manage applications directly through Reed.
Post through Career Poster
Career Poster can help you advertise your vacancy on Reed as part of a wider job advertising campaign, alongside other leading job boards and recruitment channels.
Create your advert
Add the job title, salary, location, sector, working pattern and job description.
Choose your route
Decide whether to post directly on Reed or include Reed as part of a multi-board campaign.
Review applications
Manage candidate responses, shortlist applicants and track your recruitment activity.
Reed prices and posting options can change, so always check Reed directly before buying. Career Poster package availability can also depend on the package selected and campaign requirements.
Tips for posting jobs on Reed
A Reed advert can perform better when the role is clear, searchable and easy for candidates to understand. Use these practical tips before posting your vacancy.
Use a clear, searchable job title
Choose a title candidates are likely to search for. Avoid internal titles, vague wording or unnecessary extras that make the role harder to find.
Include a salary where possible
Salary transparency can make your advert more competitive and help candidates decide quickly whether the role is suitable for them.
Be specific with the location
Use an accurate town, city or postcode area rather than being too broad. This can help your advert appear for more relevant local candidate searches.
Keep the advert easy to read
Use headings, short paragraphs and bullet points. Cover the role, requirements, salary, benefits, working pattern and application process without making the advert unnecessarily long.
Choose the right sector and skills
Select the most relevant sector and add useful skills so candidates can find the role more easily and applications can be reviewed against relevant criteria.
Use screening questions carefully
Screening questions can help filter unsuitable applicants, but keep them focused on genuine essentials such as location, qualifications, right to work or required experience.
Make the apply route simple
The easier it is to apply, the fewer candidates you may lose. Be clear whether applications go to Reed, your email, your ATS or your own website.
Review performance after posting
Once the advert is live, check application quality and response. If results are weak, review the title, salary, location, requirements and advert structure.
Small changes can affect advert response
Reed’s recruiter advice highlights salary visibility, accurate location, concise descriptions and strong formatting as important parts of a more effective job advert. Before posting, check that your vacancy is clear, candidate-friendly and easy to apply to.
Reed vs multi-board job advertising
Reed can be a strong job board to include in your recruitment campaign, but some employers may benefit from advertising across multiple job boards rather than relying on one channel alone.
Advertising on Reed only
Posting directly on Reed can be a good option if you specifically want to target Reed’s candidate audience and manage the advert, applications and performance through Reed.
- Good for targeting Reed’s candidate audience
- Direct control over your Reed advert
- Useful for testing one job board
- Applications managed through Reed
Multi-board job advertising
Multi-board job advertising can help you reach candidates across Reed and other online job boards, while managing your vacancy through one employer dashboard.
- Advertise across multiple job boards
- Include Reed as part of a wider campaign
- Employer dashboard and hiring tools included
- Packages from £195 + VAT
| Feature | Reed direct | Career Poster multi-board |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising route | Reed only | Reed plus other online job boards |
| Best suited to | Employers testing Reed directly | Employers wanting wider job board exposure |
| Application management | Managed through Reed | Managed through Career Poster’s employer dashboard |
| Included hiring tools | Depends on Reed product selected | Hiring portal and AI recruitment tools included |
| Campaign flexibility | Focused on Reed’s platform | Can include multiple boards, local reach and sector routes |
| Starting cost | Depends on Reed’s current pricing and posting option | Packages from £195 + VAT |
Is Reed the right job board for your vacancy?
Reed can be a strong option for many UK vacancies, but the right advertising route depends on your role, location, salary, sector and how much candidate reach you need.
You want to target an established UK job board
- You're advertising a general, office-based or professional vacancy.
- The role has a clear job title candidates are likely to search for.
- You can include a competitive salary or salary range.
- You are recruiting in a busy candidate market such as London.
- You want access to active candidates searching on Reed.
You need more reach than one job board
- The vacancy is specialist, senior or harder to fill.
- You want to test several job boards at the same time.
- You need local, sector-specific and national candidate reach.
- You are not sure which job board will produce the best response.
- You want to avoid managing multiple adverts manually.
Use Reed as part of a multi-board campaign
- Advertise through Reed and other online job boards from one place.
- Manage applications through an employer dashboard.
- Use included hiring tools to support your recruitment process.
- Choose from job advertising, fixed fee recruitment or online recruitment.
- Packages start from £195 + VAT.
Use Reed alone if you only want one job board. Use a wider campaign if you want more visibility.
Reed can be a useful part of your recruitment advertising strategy, but it does not need to be the only place your vacancy appears. For many employers, a multi-board approach gives the advert more chances to be seen by relevant candidates.
Advertising a Job on Reed FAQs
Common questions about posting jobs on Reed, Reed pricing, direct posting and advertising through Career Poster as part of a wider multi-board campaign.
How do I advertise a job on Reed?
You can advertise a job on Reed by creating a Reed recruiter account, writing your advert, choosing a posting option and publishing the vacancy. You can also include Reed as part of a wider multi-board job advertising package through Career Poster.
Can I post a job directly on Reed?
Yes. Employers can post directly through Reed’s recruiter website. This gives you direct access to Reed’s posting options and application management through Reed.
How much does it cost to post a job on Reed?
Reed pricing can vary depending on the product, offer and account type. Reed currently shows Pay-Per-Application as free to post, and a Premium job credit from £89 + VAT for new customers, normally £150 + VAT. Always check Reed directly for the latest pricing before buying.
How long is a Reed job advert live for?
Reed states that Premium job credits are live for up to 6 weeks. This can vary by product or offer, so it is worth checking Reed’s latest recruiter information before purchasing.
What is Reed Pay-Per-Application?
Reed’s Pay-Per-Application model allows employers to post a job and pay for applications rather than paying upfront for a standard advert. The exact terms, budgets and application rules should be checked directly with Reed.
Can I advertise on Reed through Career Poster?
Yes. Career Poster can help employers advertise on Reed as part of a wider multi-board job advertising campaign, depending on the package selected and campaign requirements.
Is Reed included in Career Poster job advertising packages?
Reed may be included as part of Career Poster’s job advertising packages, depending on the package and campaign setup. Career Poster packages are designed to help employers advertise across multiple job boards from one place.
Is it better to post directly on Reed or through Career Poster?
Posting directly on Reed may suit employers who only want to use Reed and manage everything directly. Career Poster may be better if you want Reed included as part of a wider multi-board campaign with other job boards and one employer dashboard.
What types of jobs work well on Reed?
Reed can be useful for many general, professional, office-based, finance, London, remote and hybrid vacancies. Results still depend on salary, location, requirements, job title, advert quality and candidate availability.
How can I improve my Reed job advert?
Use a clear job title, include salary where possible, choose the right location, keep the advert easy to read, explain the role clearly and make the application process simple. Screening questions can also help filter unsuitable applicants.
Should I include salary on a Reed job advert?
In most cases, yes. Salary transparency can improve candidate trust and help applicants decide whether the role is suitable before applying.
Can Reed be used with other job boards?
Yes. Many employers include Reed as part of a wider recruitment advertising campaign alongside other job boards, local job sites and sector-specific advertising channels.
Does Career Poster manage applications?
Career Poster provides an employer dashboard where applications can be reviewed and managed, depending on the package selected and campaign setup.
Can Career Poster help write my job advert?
Yes. Career Poster can help employers improve job adverts, and also provides AI recruitment tools to support job advert writing, salary checking and application review.
How do I get started?
You can post directly on Reed through Reed’s recruiter site, or view Career Poster’s job advertising packages if you want Reed included as part of a multi-board campaign.
Post your job on Reed as part of a wider campaign
Advertise your vacancy through Reed and other online job boards, manage applications from one employer dashboard and choose the level of recruitment support that suits your vacancy.
