Guidance on Advertising Job Openings

Hiring supervisors should consider advertising options that are most appropriate and cost effective for the position being posted.  Common advertising options to be considered include the following.

1. On-line Job Sites. On-line job searches have become the most common method that people look for jobs.  Three of the top rated sites are:
   1. Indeed.com is an American worldwide employment-related search engine for job listings launched in November 2004. As a single-topic search engine, it is also an example of vertical search. Indeed is currently available in over 60 countries and 28 languages. In October 2010, Indeed.com passed Monster.com to become the highest-traffic job website in the United States.    
   2. LinkedIn.comis a business and employment oriented social networking service. It is mainly used for professional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their resumes. LinkedIn has 500 million members in 200 countries. LinkedIn allows members to create profiles and “connections” to each other in an online social network which may represent real-world professional relationships.
   3. Glassdoor.com holds a growing database of millions of company reviews, CEO approval ratings, salary reports, interview reviews and questions, benefits reviews, office photos and more. Unlike other jobs sites, this information is shared by the employees. For employers, Glassdoor offers effective recruiting and employer branding solutions. They help promote employer brands to candidates researching them and advertise their jobs to ideal candidates who may not be aware of them.
2. Industry-specific Job Boards: Industry-specific job boards may be an effective way of targeting applicants in a particular field.  The following are some examples:
   • Texas Commission on Fire Protection (TCFP) Employment Postings – go to job site in Texas for fire positions.
   • International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Job Board – posts jobs for college graduates, great for RFC, TFC and Fire Training positions.
   • Texas A&M University (TAMU), Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Job Board – gets traffic from Natural Resources College graduates from across Texas.
3. Local Newspapers: Newspapers are a traditional means of advertising and may have limited impact on attracting applicants, since most people don’t subscribe to newspapers.  Consideration should be given to the position being advertised and the likelihood that viable candidates will see it in a newspaper.
4. Industry Publications: For certain professional positions, industry publications may be an effective means of reaching the target pool of applicants.  Consideration ought to be given to the position being advertised, the cost of advertising in the publication, and the longer posting period that may be required to accommodate the publication schedule.