Guide to Advertising a Job on Totaljobs
Learn how to advertise a job on Totaljobs, what a direct advert costs, how the Totaljobs network works and how to give your vacancy the best chance of reaching relevant candidates.
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Maintenance Engineer
Why advertise a job on Totaljobs?
Totaljobs is one of the UK’s largest online recruitment platforms and has been matching employers and jobseekers for more than 25 years. It combines broad generalist reach with access to a wider family of specialist recruitment brands.
Totaljobs was formed in 1999 and continues to operate as part of The Stepstone Group.
Totaljobs says its CV Database gives recruiters access to more than 26 million CVs across sectors.
Totaljobs' hiring toolkit reports more than four million applications from qualified jobseekers each month across its network.
A Standard job credit can be used for a vacancy lasting up to six weeks, subject to Totaljobs' current product terms.
More than one recruitment brand sits behind Totaljobs
The Totaljobs network includes Totaljobs, Jobsite and specialist sites such as CareerStructure, CityJobs, eMedCareers, Just Engineers and RetailChoice. CWJobs, Caterer and Milkround are sister brands within the wider Stepstone UK group and operate as specialist sites in their own right.
Totaljobs and Jobsite form part of the wider Stepstone UK recruitment network, alongside specialist job boards including CWJobs and Caterer.com.
What jobs are a good fit for Totaljobs?
Totaljobs carries vacancies across almost every major UK sector. Looking at the platform's current high-volume categories, these are four areas where Totaljobs has especially broad candidate and vacancy activity.
Team leaders, operations managers, project managers and other management vacancies have strong visibility across the platform.
Drivers, transport planners, warehouse, supply-chain and distribution roles are among Totaljobs' busiest job categories.
Maintenance, manufacturing, field service and engineering vacancies suit both Totaljobs' broad reach and specialist group brands.
Software, infrastructure, data and support roles are well represented on Totaljobs, with CWJobs available as a specialist sister brand.
Large active candidate pool
Totaljobs combines a high-volume jobseeker audience with a large searchable CV database, useful for both active and proactive recruitment.
Generalist + specialist reach
The wider Stepstone UK portfolio gives employers routes into broad national audiences as well as sector-specific candidate markets.
Matching-led search
Totaljobs uses matching technology across searches, recommendations, alerts and notifications, making clean advert data especially important.
Works within multi-board campaigns
Totaljobs can be used directly or included alongside other job boards when a vacancy needs broader candidate exposure.
How to post a job on Totaljobs
You can buy a job credit directly from Totaljobs and manage the vacancy in its recruiter platform, or include Totaljobs within a wider multi-board campaign through Career Poster.
Post directly on Totaljobs
Create a recruiter account, buy a job credit, add your advert details and choose how candidates should apply.
Post through Career Poster
Use Totaljobs as part of a wider job-board mix, with applications and recruitment activity managed through one employer dashboard.
Prepare the essentials
Have your company logo, recognised job title, description, salary and accurate location ready before you begin.
Build & target the advert
Add job type, full postcode, contact details and duration, then choose the application route and any screening questions.
Publish & manage response
Post the vacancy, review candidates and use application status tools to shortlist, reject, interview and hire.
Totaljobs pricing and product features can change. The £189 + VAT figure above reflects the Standard credit price supplied from Totaljobs' current product page; check the direct page before purchasing.
Tips for posting jobs on Totaljobs
Totaljobs' own recruiter guidance puts a lot of emphasis on structured advert data. These are the practical points worth getting right before you publish.
Choose one recognised job title
Start typing your title and use a suggested match where suitable. Avoid jargon, acronyms, symbols or combining several roles and seniority levels into one title.
Use the full postcode
Totaljobs says a full postcode can increase applications by up to 50% because it improves search, alerts, matching and Travel Time relevance. You can still hide the exact postcode from candidates.
Be specific about salary
Use an exact figure or a sensible, narrow range wherever possible. Totaljobs says showing salary can increase applications by up to 20%.
Structure the description
Introduce the business, explain the role, separate essential and desirable requirements, then finish with benefits and reasons someone should want to join.
Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves
Make genuine essentials obvious and keep desirable experience separate. This helps candidates self-select without turning the advert into an unrealistic wish list.
Screen only for true essentials
Use screening questions for requirements that materially affect suitability, such as a required licence, qualification or right-to-work condition.
Sell the employer as well as the job
Add a concise company introduction, culture, values, development opportunities and tangible benefits so candidates understand why the opportunity is worth considering.
Choose the right application route
Decide whether applications should come through Totaljobs, your own careers site or an offline process. Keep the route simple and set an acknowledgement email where appropriate.
Postcode and salary can materially change response
Totaljobs' recruiter guidance says using a full postcode can lift applications by up to 50%, while including salary can increase applications by up to 20%. Both also help candidates judge fit before they apply.
Totaljobs vs multi-board job advertising
Totaljobs offers substantial UK reach on its own. A multi-board campaign trades single-platform simplicity for broader exposure across several candidate audiences.
Advertising on Totaljobs direct
Best when Totaljobs is the specific audience you want and you are happy to create, manage and optimise the campaign inside its recruiter platform.
- Focused access to the Totaljobs audience
- Direct control of advert settings and upgrades
- Totaljobs candidate management tools
- Standard 6-week credit currently £189 + VAT
Multi-board job advertising
Use Totaljobs alongside other national, local and specialist job boards while keeping campaign and applicant management in one place.
- Reach several candidate audiences at once
- Include Totaljobs without buying each board separately
- Employer dashboard and hiring tools included
- Packages from £195 + VAT
| Feature | Totaljobs direct | Career Poster multi-board |
|---|---|---|
| Advertising route | Totaljobs direct | Totaljobs plus other selected job boards |
| Best suited to | Employers targeting one established national board | Employers wanting broader reach or channel diversity |
| Application management | Totaljobs Candidate Management System / selected apply route | Career Poster employer dashboard |
| Campaign optimisation | Managed by your team inside Totaljobs | One campaign spanning multiple channels |
| Specialist reach | Via Totaljobs' products/network where applicable | Can mix generalist, specialist and local boards |
| Starting cost | £189 + VAT for current Standard 6-week credit | Packages from £195 + VAT |
Is Totaljobs the right job board for your vacancy?
Totaljobs is broad enough for many UK vacancies, but the strongest route still depends on job type, salary, location, seniority, urgency and how niche the candidate pool is.
You want broad UK candidate reach
- Your vacancy sits in a high-volume area such as management, logistics, engineering or IT.
- You have a recognised, searchable job title.
- You can publish a clear salary and accurate location.
- You want a well-established national job platform.
- You are comfortable managing the advert directly for up to six weeks.
The vacancy needs more than one audience
- The role is highly specialist, senior or difficult to fill.
- You want sector-specific sites as well as a generalist board.
- You need to compare application quality from several sources.
- You are recruiting in a location with a tight candidate market.
- You prefer one workflow rather than managing multiple recruiter accounts.
Make Totaljobs one part of the campaign
- Advertise across Totaljobs and other relevant boards from one place.
- Use one employer dashboard for applications and recruitment activity.
- Access included hiring and AI recruitment tools.
- Choose the level of job advertising or recruitment support you need.
- Packages start from £195 + VAT.
Totaljobs is a strong generalist board; multi-board advertising is about reducing channel risk.
If your vacancy maps well to Totaljobs' audience, a direct advert can be enough. If candidate supply is uncertain, a wider campaign gives the role more opportunities to be discovered without betting the entire response on one source.
Advertising a Job on Totaljobs FAQs
Common questions about Totaljobs pricing, advert duration, application routes, its job-board network and advertising through Career Poster.
How do I advertise a job on Totaljobs?
Create a Totaljobs recruiter account, purchase or use a job credit, click create job ad, add the vacancy details, choose how candidates should apply and publish the advert. You can also include Totaljobs within a Career Poster multi-board campaign.
How much does it cost to post a job on Totaljobs?
The Standard job credit page currently shows £189 + VAT for a single advert lasting up to six weeks. Totaljobs can change its pricing or offers, so check the product page before purchasing.
How long does a Totaljobs advert stay live?
The current Standard job credit is designed for a vacancy advertised for up to six weeks. Other products or negotiated account packages may use different terms.
What should I prepare before creating the advert?
Totaljobs recommends having your recruiter account set up, company logo added, job title decided, job description written and salary defined before you begin.
Should I include salary on Totaljobs?
Yes where possible. Totaljobs' own guidance says including salary can increase applications by up to 20%, and candidates generally value clear compensation information.
Why does Totaljobs ask for a full postcode?
The full postcode powers location matching, job alerts and Travel Time features. Totaljobs says using one can increase applications by up to 50%, and you can choose to hide the exact postcode from candidates.
Can candidates apply on my own careers website?
Yes. Totaljobs supports an external or third-party application route where you enter the URL of your own careers site or ATS. Standard applications and offline application instructions are also available.
Can I use screening questions?
Yes. Totaljobs lets employers add screening questions to help separate candidates who meet essential requirements from those who do not. Use them for genuine must-haves rather than unnecessary barriers.
Is Jobsite part of Totaljobs?
Jobsite is part of the Totaljobs network. The network also includes specialist brands such as CareerStructure, CityJobs, eMedCareers, Just Engineers and RetailChoice.
Are CWJobs and Caterer included in the Totaljobs network?
CWJobs and Caterer are specialist sister brands in the wider Stepstone UK / Totaljobs Group portfolio. Totaljobs has historically described them as operating separately from the core Totaljobs network, so do not assume a standard Totaljobs advert automatically appears on them.
What jobs are a good fit for Totaljobs?
Totaljobs covers most UK sectors. Current high-volume categories include management, logistics, engineering, catering, IT, sales and construction. Performance still depends on the individual job, location, salary and candidate supply.
How can I improve a Totaljobs advert?
Use one recognised job title, a full postcode, a clear salary, concise formatting, distinct must-have and nice-to-have requirements, real benefits and a simple application route.
Can I advertise on Totaljobs through Career Poster?
Yes. Career Poster can include Totaljobs within a wider multi-board job advertising campaign, depending on the package selected and the vacancy requirements.
Is direct Totaljobs advertising or multi-board advertising better?
Direct posting is useful when Totaljobs is the specific platform you want. Multi-board advertising can make more sense when you want wider coverage, specialist routes or less dependence on one source of applications.
Does Career Poster manage applications?
Career Poster provides an employer dashboard for reviewing and managing applications, along with hiring tools that can support shortlisting and the wider recruitment process.
How do I get started?
Post directly through the Totaljobs recruiter product page if you only need Totaljobs, or compare Career Poster job advertising packages if you want Totaljobs included as part of a wider campaign.
Put Totaljobs to work as part of a wider recruitment campaign
Reach candidates through Totaljobs and other online job boards, keep applications in one employer dashboard and use a campaign built around the vacancy rather than a single advertising channel.
