9 Things to Know Before Choosing a Job Advertising Agency
A job advertising agency should do more than simply repost your vacancy. Before choosing a provider, compare the job-board network, advert support, pricing, branding options, recruitment tools, applicant management and level of human support included in the service.
Why does choosing the right job advertising agency matter?
The cheapest package is not always the best value if it uses unsuitable job boards, offers little support or leaves the employer managing the rest of the recruitment process separately.
A useful comparison should therefore look beyond the price of a single vacancy. Consider what happens before the advert goes live, where it is distributed, how candidates apply, what happens to those applications and what support is available if the campaign needs improving.
Do they advertise your vacancy on multiple job boards?
Some services may focus mainly on one platform or a very small number of channels. Others are built specifically around multi-job-board distribution.
Using several relevant job sites can increase the number of places where suitable candidates have an opportunity to discover the vacancy.
If you're new to the concept, read What Is Job Board Advertising? or How to Post Jobs on Multiple Sites .
Which job boards are actually included in their network?
“Posted to multiple job boards” only tells you part of the story. The next question is: which ones?
Look at the mix of general job boards, specialist platforms, professional networks and other recruitment channels available through the provider.
General job boards
Useful for vacancies with a wide candidate market.
Specialist job boards
Useful where industry-specific candidates are important.
Professional platforms
Can add reach among experienced and professional candidates.
Job-search channels
Provide additional ways for candidates to discover the role.
See where Career Poster can advertise your vacancy
View the job boards and recruitment platforms available through our advertising network.
For more help comparing recruitment platforms, see Best Job Board Sites and How to Choose the Right Job Boards .
Will they help you write or improve the job advert?
Distribution is only useful if the advert itself gives candidates enough reason to click and apply.
Ask whether the provider simply accepts whatever copy you send or whether they can help improve the title, structure, salary presentation and candidate-facing wording.
Job title
Will they identify unclear or overly internal job titles?
Salary
Can they help you assess whether the advertised salary is realistic?
Structure
Will they help make the vacancy easier for candidates to scan?
Requirements
Can they identify unnecessary or unclear criteria?
You can also read What to Include in a Job Advert and Top Job Advertising Tips .
How does their pricing structure work?
Two packages at a similar price may provide very different job-board coverage, advert duration, branding options, recruitment tools or candidate support.
Number of job boards
How many platforms are included?
Advert duration
How long will the vacancy remain live?
Extra promotion
Are sponsored or enhanced placements included?
Recruitment tools
Are ATS and hiring tools part of the package?
Shortlisting
Is candidate screening included or available separately?
Support
Is human recruitment support included?
A cheaper advert is not automatically better value if you then need to buy additional job-board access, recruitment software or candidate-management services separately.
Career Poster job advertising packages can be viewed on our Job Advertising page.
Will the advert use your employer brand or the agency's?
Ask how your vacancy will appear to candidates before purchasing the campaign.
Some recruitment campaigns are published using the employer's branding, while others may be advertised without revealing the employer or under another advertising identity.
Your employer identity is visible
Candidates can see who is recruiting, with employer branding included where the selected advertising option supports it.
- Employer name visible
- Company identity
- Useful for employer-brand recognition
The employer can remain less visible
An unbranded option can be useful where the employer does not want its identity displayed prominently within the vacancy.
- Useful for confidential recruitment
- Reduced employer visibility
- Different presentation options
Do not assume all packages present vacancies in the same way. Check exactly how employer branding will appear on each platform.
Do they offer candidate shortlisting as well as advertising?
Job advertising generates applications. Someone still needs to review those applications and decide which candidates should progress.
If your business does not have the time or internal recruitment resource to review every applicant, ask whether the provider offers a fixed-fee recruitment or candidate-shortlisting service.
Fixed-Fee Recruitment
Combine job advertising with candidate screening and shortlisting support.
Do they provide recruitment tools that help beyond advertising?
Modern recruitment providers can add value before and after the vacancy goes live through tools that help employers prepare jobs, review candidates and manage interviews.
Job advert creation
Help turn role information into candidate-facing advert copy.
Advert review
Identify potential weaknesses before the vacancy goes live.
Salary checking
Review the proposed salary against the role and location.
Application review
Help assess application information against the vacancy.
Interview preparation
Generate questions based on the vacancy and candidate.
Interview review
Support a more structured post-interview assessment process.
Do they provide a recruitment portal, or can you use your own ATS?
A good advertising workflow should fit your recruitment process rather than forcing you to manage candidate information across several disconnected systems.
See the recruitment features available to employers
Explore application management, reporting and recruitment workflow tools.
Can you actually speak to somebody when you need help?
Recruitment campaigns do not always go exactly as planned. Human support matters when a vacancy needs changing, response is weaker than expected or you are unsure which advertising option to choose.
Can you call them?
Check whether telephone support is available rather than relying only on automated help or ticket systems.
Can you email a real person?
Understand how account and campaign questions are handled.
Can they advise on the vacancy?
Useful support should help with recruitment decisions, not only technical problems.
Will they help if response is poor?
Ask what happens if the vacancy needs amending or the campaign is underperforming.
Speak to Career Poster
If you're unsure which advertising option suits your vacancy, contact us before purchasing and we can talk through the campaign.
9 questions to ask a job advertising agency before buying
Potential red flags when comparing job advertising providers
You should understand what is included, where the vacancy will appear, how applications will be handled and what support is available before committing.
Should you use a job advertising agency or buy directly from job boards?
Both approaches can work. The best choice depends on how often you recruit, whether you already hold job-board contracts and how much recruitment technology or support you need.
For more detail on the distribution options, see How to Post Jobs on Multiple Sites .
See what is included in our job advertising service
Career Poster combines multi-job-board advertising with recruitment technology, applicant management, AI recruitment tools and UK-based support. Employers can choose from different advertising packages depending on the campaign and level of visibility required.
Job advertising agency FAQs
What does a job advertising agency do?
A job advertising agency helps employers promote vacancies through recruitment channels such as online job boards. Depending on the provider, the service may also include advert support, multi-site distribution, applicant tracking, recruitment technology and candidate shortlisting.
How do I choose a job advertising agency?
Compare the job-board network, package pricing, advert support, branding options, recruitment tools, applicant-management process, shortlisting services and level of human support available.
Should a job advertising agency post to multiple job boards?
If your objective is broader candidate reach, multi-job-board distribution can be valuable. The relevance and quality of the included platforms matters more than simply advertising on the highest possible number of sites.
How do I know which job boards are included?
Ask the provider for a clear list or overview of its recruitment network before purchasing. Check whether the package includes broad, specialist or other platforms relevant to your vacancy.
Will a job advertising agency write my job advert?
This depends on the provider and package. Some services simply distribute the copy supplied by the employer, while others provide advert-writing, review or recruitment tools that help improve the vacancy before publication.
Can a job advertising agency shortlist candidates?
Some providers offer candidate screening or fixed-fee recruitment services in addition to advertising. This can be useful where the employer wants suitable applications reviewed before they reach the hiring manager.
Should my company logo appear on the job advert?
That depends on the recruitment campaign. Branded advertising can support employer recognition, while unbranded advertising may be useful for confidential or lower-profile recruitment. Check which options the provider supports.
Do I need an applicant tracking system when using a job advertising agency?
Not necessarily. Some providers include applicant-management technology within the service, while others may allow applications to be directed into the employer's existing ATS or careers website.
Is a job advertising agency cheaper than buying directly from job boards?
Costs vary according to the provider, job boards, package and volume of advertising. Compare the total service included rather than assuming one route will always be cheaper than another.
What support should a job advertising agency provide?
Useful support can include help choosing advertising options, improving the vacancy, making changes to live adverts, understanding applications and responding when campaign performance is weaker than expected.
