Are Craigslist job ads worth it?
May 7, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views, Online recruiting, Web site
Craigslist and other online classified sites have become well known for providing an affordable way to advertise open jobs. But here’s one expert who says you’re better off using other tools.
Craigslist ads are free in many metropolitan areas and relatively cheap in others (ranging from $25 to $75). But blogger and recruiting expert Jim Stroud says Craigslist and similar sites are more time consuming than more expensive job sites — and sometimes even less cost-effective.
The reasons, oddly enough, are Craigslist’s own popularity and low- or no-cost approach. Sure, a lot of applicants view the site every day, but competing advertisers also post a lot of new listings every day.
Since listings are arranged in reverse chronological order, you could put up an ad, and within a day or two, it could be buried far down the list. In most markets, Craigslist ads don’t receive much response after the day they’re posted, Stroud says.
In areas where posting is free, the end result is lost time spent to re-post the ad regularly. But when Craigslist charges, the costs of re-posting can add up.
Have you used Craigslist to advertise open jobs? Was it worth your while? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.
View all the Latest StoriesTags: costs, Craigslist, online job boards
May 7th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
I have found that our decision to use Craigslist depends on a few factors:
1. Is the job entry-level? If so, we will probably source it locally, so CL makes sense.
2. Is the job specific to our industry (publishing)? If yes, then we are more likely to choose an industry-specific site simply because it will target the people we want.
I once had a colleague refer to CL as the unwashed masses. I think he was wrong, but there is a definite feeling that 80% or more of the resumes we receive will be under- or unqualified.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
Being that it’s free to post to Craigslist in our area, there is very little to lose. Plus, if we’re the only ones hiring in the area (in a particular category), our ad is less likely to get bumped down each day -provided that Craigslist really does scan for spam-type ads and delete them.
May 11th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
We have been very successful at hiring software developers via CL. And if I have to re-post and spend another $25 a week later, it is still much less expensive than any other site.
May 12th, 2009 at 9:11 am
I get great candidates via Craigslist. I love it, especially at the low cost. Every person I talk to under age 45 goes into Craigs when job hunting and as its benefits become more well known, all ages seem to participate.
Yes, I get MANY unqualified candidates but they are not difficult to cut from the mix.
May 12th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
I’ve never used Craigslist for online recruiting, but I get many, many unqualified resumes from other more expensive job sites, like Monster or CareerBuilder. That problem certainly isn’t exclusive to Craigslist.
May 12th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
I agree, Pat. We have gotten many unqualified resumes from let’s say Monster or Careerbuilder as well. We’ve had great success with CL. They just can’t be beaten when it comes to cost, and we have hired several good candidates. And I myself recently used CL for job hunting. I usually searched the last 30 days.
May 19th, 2009 at 12:42 pm
We too have used CL with much success. I would say we receive the most candidates from CL no matter if we’re hiring for Software Developers or Sales folks. We still receive resumes from folks that don’t meet the job skills/requirements but Karen is right, it’s easy to separate the unqualified candidates from the mix.
May 19th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Newspaper rates for online postings is through the roof and CL is $25. Not a waste of money or time.
May 20th, 2009 at 5:46 pm
The cost to place a small ad in a metropolitan newspaper for one or two days is absolutely astronomical. We started using Craigslist two years ago and have had nothing but success. In our area it costs $25 per ad and I start getting resumes immediately. Sure I have to wade through a few bad ones to get to the winners, but I don’t mind. The money I have saved our company on advertising in that time has been well worth it.
May 26th, 2009 at 10:07 am
I posted for months on Craig’s list. I’m the HR guy for a private-non-profit (warm and fuzzy, no less) human service agency. SUDDENLY, my listings became blocked and with every attempt I got a new nine digit ‘violation’ code which was not explained anywhere. I tried blogging and all the ways I know to try to contact an actual human person to explain…
Nothing.
I have associates who’ve used their personal e-mail(s) SUCCESSFULLY until THOSE were blocked. Actually, despite generating a lot of interest, I’m not sure we’ve ever hired anyone from them. Thus, I say #@%& ‘em. All the points made in the article are right, too.
Perhaps if I try advertising illegal activities…
May 26th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
I have used Craigslist for 3 different metropolitan areas that I am responsible for. In 2 of the areas (one paid) the responses were excellent and the other so-so. There were unqualified candidates but no more than Yahoo HotJobs, Monster or Career Builder.
Craigslist has proven a cost effective way to recruit for our business.
May 26th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
I always post openings on CL, and have always found qualified candidates. Yes, I get unsuitable responses, but it only takes seconds to determine that. My last six hires have come from CL — can’t beat the value for the money!