Why do so many job boards only advertise recruitment agency jobs?

From time to time, we get queries from our users asking us why we do not include more job boards in our search engine. There are some twelve hundred job boards in the UK, but we include only 91 in our job board search engine for the UK. So, why do we only include so few?

Quality, quality, quality

The truth of the matter is that too many job boards in the UK are of poor quality. They are simply poor job boards. Most of the time they don’t even meet website legislation and carry too few jobs to be of real interest to candidates. Employers are better off going elsewhere.  So, we don’t recommend them in our search engine.

But we also get criticism for not including job boards that seem to offer a compelling advertising option for recruitment agencies. These job boards have have lots of recruitment agencies advertising on them with lots of jobs. And yet we don’t include them?  Why?

Again, it’s about quality.  Just because a job board carries lots of jobs from recruitment agencies, doesn’t mean it’s a good job board. Most of the time, the only reason recruitment agencies are advertising on such sites is because these  job boards are letting them advertise for free — or if not for free then for very little money indeed.

Why would job board let recruitment agencies advertise for free?

Job boards need jobs. And recruitment agencies have lots of jobs. By having a recruitment agency on a site, the job board gets lots of jobs quickly. Even for established job boards, it’s not unusual for them to offer unlimited job posting for recruitment consultants for next to nothing.

The reason recruitment agencies advertise on such poor quality job boards is that they get a cracking deal. Whether it’s free or a couple of pounds per jobs posting, it makes sense for the recruitment agency to advertise.They might just pull in a candidate. And a candidate is worth lots and lots of money to them (between £3K and £20K). Indeed, candidates are what recruitment agencies sell.  So taking risks on dubious job boards makes sense for recruitment agencies. It’s a bet that might just pay off.

But it doesn’t make sense in the same way for employers. Employers always end up paying the full rate card price. And for what? A job board with limited traffic and appeal to candidates.  It’s money down the drain. So the next time you see a job board with thousands of jobs from just a few recruitment consultants, think about why they only have recruitment agency jobs.  And then, look for another job board.