How to Post a Job: A Step-by-Step Guide for Employers

Posting a job is easy. Posting one that attracts qualified candidates who actually want to work for you? That takes strategy. You need to know where your ideal candidates spend their time, what information makes them click “apply,” and how to stand out when they’re scrolling through dozens of identical-sounding listings.

This guide walks you through the entire process—from writing a job posting that gets noticed to choosing the right platforms and managing applicants once they start rolling in. 

TL;DR: How to post a job successfully

Posting a job that actually fills your open role comes down to clarity, visibility, and speed. Here’s what works:

• Write for your candidates, not company. Use job titles people search for (“Server” not “Guest Experience Specialist”). Include pay ranges if possible. Be specific about your schedule and qualification requirements, so candidates can self-select before applying.
• Post where your candidates are looking. Sites like Indeed and ZipRecruiter work for hourly roles, while LinkedIn suits professional positions. Facebook reaches local candidates. Your company website should always have current openings.
• “Free” doesn’t always work well. Indeed offers three free posts per month that stay live for 30 days. LinkedIn allows one free listing at a time. Facebook Business Page postings cost nothing. When you need to fill a role urgently, or you’re hiring for a competitive position, consider upgrading to paid promotion.
• Speed wins top talent. Review applications daily and respond to strong candidates within 48 hours. Set up simple systems now: sort applicants into yes/maybe/no categories, send automated acknowledgments when applications arrive, and schedule interviews quickly to keep momentum going.

{{banner-cta}}

How to post a job (step by step)

Getting applicants requires more than hitting “publish.” Follow these five steps to create a job posting that can attract the right candidate.

Step 1: Define the role and requirements

Before you write anything, know exactly what you’re hiring for. List the three to five core responsibilities this person will handle daily. Separate must-haves from nice-to-haves—too many employers scare off qualified candidates by disguising preferences as requirements.

Be honest about schedule expectations upfront. Will this person work mornings, evenings, weekends? Then nail down your budget by researching what similar roles pay using salary data from Glassdoor or Payscale.

Step 2: Write a clear, concise job posting

Your job title should be straightforward and searchable. Use titles candidates actually type into search bars—“Marketing Coordinator” instead of “Marketing Ninja.” 

Write a two to three sentence summary that gives the big picture. List responsibilities in order of importance and be specific about qualifications: “3+ years of restaurant experience” beats “experienced candidate preferred.” 

Include schedule details and pay when possible, then end with clear application instructions.

Step 3: Choose where to post your job

Different platforms work for different roles. Site like Indeed and ZipRecruiter cast the widest net for hourly positions. LinkedIn attracts white-collar professionals. Don’t forget to post the job on your company website as well—candidates who come directly are often more engaged.

Finally, post on your company’s Facebook and LinkedIn pages and ask employees to share with their networks. Consider tools like Homebase that let you post to multiple job boards with one click.

Step 4: Publish and promote the job

Share your posting everywhere potential candidates might see it: relevant Facebook groups, Nextdoor, and community job boards. Ask your team to spread the word—even a small referral bonus motivates people to share. 

If you need to fill the role quickly, consider paid promotion on job sites like Indeed or LinkedIn. Start with a small budget to test results. Update and repost if it’s been live for two weeks without activity.

Step 5: Review applicants and follow up

Set aside time each day to review applications. Don’t let them pile up because top talent moves fast. Create a simple system for sorting: strong candidates, maybe, and not a fit. Respond to strong candidates within 24-48 hours—the best people interview with multiple companies and accept the first solid offer.

What to say in a job posting

Your job posting needs to sell the opportunity while giving enough information for candidates to self-assess. Here’s what to include.

Job title

Your job title should match what candidates are searching for, not your company’s internal terminology. If the role has specific qualifiers that matter to candidates—you’re only hiring for weekend shifts, for example—include them in the title so candidates can self-select before they apply.

Role summary

Write two to four sentences about what the job is, what the person will do, and why it matters. Start with the basics: “We’re hiring a full-time barista for our busy downtown coffee shop.” Then add key responsibilities: “You’ll prepare espresso drinks, take orders, and create a welcoming atmosphere for our regulars.” Finish with what makes the role appealing: “You’ll work alongside a close-knit team and have opportunities to develop your coffee skills with ongoing training.”

Responsibilities

List 5-8 core tasks in order of importance. Use action verbs to start each bullet point: “Prepare menu items according to recipes,” “Greet customers and take orders,” “Maintain cleanliness and organization of workstation.” This format is scannable and clear.

Qualifications

Separate your requirements into “must-haves” and “nice-to-haves,” so candidates can accurately assess whether they should apply.

Must-have qualifications are skills or experiences someone absolutely needs to do the job. These might include “Valid driver’s license and clean driving record,” or “Food handler’s certification (or willingness to obtain one).”

Nice-to-have qualifications are bonus skills that would be helpful but aren’t dealbreakers. Label these clearly as “preferred” or “bonus” so candidates know they can still apply without them.

Schedule expectations

Be transparent about whether the role is full-time, part-time, or variable hours. State which days and shifts the role covers, and make sure you mention any scheduling flexibility or rigidity. “Fixed schedule” versus “flexible scheduling available” makes a big difference to candidates balancing school, childcare, or second jobs.

Pay range

Include salary information when possible. States with pay transparency laws now require it, but even when optional, ranges dramatically increase applications.

If you can’t provide an exact range, give candidates something: “Starting at $18/hour with performance-based increases” at least sets a baseline expectation. 

How to apply

Make the application process simple with clear instructions on how to apply and what to include. Let candidates know what happens next. Something simple like “We’ll review applications on a rolling basis and reach out to qualified candidates within 3-5 business days” sets expectations and reduces follow-up emails.

Where to post a job online

Different platforms work better for different roles, budgets, and timelines. Understanding where to post—and when to pay for visibility—helps you get in front of the right candidates without overspending.

How to post a job on Indeed

Indeed is the largest job board globally, making it a solid starting point for most roles. Employers can post up to three free jobs per month. Free posts appear in search results but lose visibility quickly as newer listings push them down. Sponsored posts stay at the top of search results for as long as you’re willing to pay. 

You can choose between Standard ($22/day on average) and Premium Sponsored Jobs ($36/day on average), with the Premium option offering some enhanced features to help reach candidates faster. You can also set up your own custom budget.

Sponsor when hiring for hard-to-fill positions, urgent needs, or competitive markets. Skip paid promotion for easy-to-fill entry-level roles or when you’re not in a rush. To get started, create an account, click “Post a Job,” fill in the details, choose free or sponsored, then publish.

How to post a job on LinkedIn

LinkedIn works best for professional roles where candidates are building their careers. It’s less effective for hourly positions or shift workers because those job seekers tend to search elsewhere.

LinkedIn offers one free job post per month. You can boost your job visibility with paid posts—your minimum daily budget is about $8 and you can expect to spend $110-$130/day on average.

Use LinkedIn for roles requiring professional experience: marketing managers, software engineers, accountants. Skip it for servers, retail associates, or warehouse workers. Paid promotion makes sense when competing for specialized talent, though it’s more expensive per application than Indeed.

How to post a job on Facebook

Facebook jobs work well for local, hourly, and entry-level positions—especially when you’re hiring for roles where your ideal candidate is active in your community: servers, retail staff, childcare providers, or home service workers.

If you’re an employer, you can create a job listing on Facebook through Marketplace, your Page, or the Meta Business Suite. Facebook Groups are also an option—search for job-focused groups in your area and share your posting there. Add photos or videos to your job post to show off your company culture.

How to post a job on Google

Google for Jobs isn’t a job board where you directly post listings—it’s a search feature that aggregates job postings from across the web.

When someone searches for jobs on Google, results come from job boards, company career pages, and other sources Google crawls. The easiest way to get your jobs on Google is posting on job boards that Google already indexes—Indeed, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, and Glassdoor integrate automatically.

You can also add structured data (schema markup) to your careers page, but you’ll need a developer to help with this. For most small businesses, using integrated job boards is simpler.

How to post a job on Upwork

Upwork connects businesses with freelancers and contractors—use it when you need project-based help, like with design work, website copy, software features, social media campaigns, or virtual assistant tasks, to name a few. Upwork isn’t too relevant for traditional employee roles requiring consistent in-person work or deep team collaboration.

To post a job on Upwork, start by creating a client Upwork account, click “Post a Job,” describe your project, and choose between hourly and fixed-price payment. If you want more visibility, you can choose to pay a flat fee to promote your posting as a Featured Job. 

How much does it cost to post a job?

Indeed allows three free posts per month. LinkedIn offers one free post at a time. Facebook postings are free. Your company website costs nothing beyond hosting.

Free listings appear lower in search results and get buried quickly. For competitive roles or urgent needs, you’ll need paid promotion. You can expect to pay at least $22/day with Indeed, or on average $110-$140/day with LinkedIn.

Depending on your market, expect to spend $100-$500 per role per day. Pay for promotion when hiring for hard-to-fill roles, urgent needs, or competitive markets. Skip it when hiring entry-level positions with plenty of local candidates or when free postings generate enough applications.

Watch out for these common job posting mistakes

• Vague job titles: Be specific—generic titles like “Team Member” or “Associate” don’t tell candidates what the job actually involves.
• Missing pay info: Leaving out salary costs you applications. Some states require pay transparency, but even when optional, including a range like “$18-$24 per hour depending on experience” can dramatically increase application rates.
• Overloaded requirements: A long responsibility list, or the lack of labels like “preferred” or “bonus” for nice-to-haves, can scare away qualified candidates who don’t match every item. If you’re willing to train someone with the right attitude, you can mention that.
• Unclear schedules: A detailed schedule like “Full-time, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm with occasional evening events” gives candidates the information they need to decide if it works for them.
• No follow-up process: Top talent moves quickly—if you take weeks to respond, they’ll accept offers elsewhere. Review applications daily and respond to strong candidates within 48 hours.

How to manage applicants after you post a job

Getting applications is just the start. How you manage applicants determines whether you land the best candidates or lose them to faster-moving competitors.

You may feel overwhelmed with the sheer number of applicants to go through. Having  a simple plan in place can make the task less intimidating: 

1. Block time each day to review applicants. 
2. Create a simple sorting system: strong yes, maybe, and no. Move strong candidates to screening interviews immediately. 
3. Send automated acknowledgments when applications arrive—a simple “Thanks for applying, we’ll reach out by [Date]” shows you’re organized.
4. Make scheduling easy by offering multiple time options or using self-service scheduling tools.
5.  Confirm interviews 24 hours in advance and stay in touch throughout your process—if you need more time to decide, tell candidates.

FAQs about posting a job

How do I announce a job posting?

Share on your company’s social media, in relevant Facebook groups, and through employee networks. Post in local community groups on Nextdoor. Email your existing network. Your own website careers page should always have current openings listed.

How do I post a job for free?

Post on Indeed (three free per month), LinkedIn (one free at a time), or Facebook Page/Marketplace/Groups. Check local workforce centers and industry-specific boards for additional free options. Your company website is always free beyond regular hosting costs.

What should a job posting include?

Clear job title, role summary, responsibilities in priority order, must-have versus nice-to-have qualifications, schedule details, pay range when possible, and simple application instructions. Add a sentence about your company culture to help candidates picture themselves there.

Conclusion

The employers who fill roles fastest aren’t the ones with the biggest budgets or the flashiest job postings. They’re the ones who know their audience, write clearly, post strategically, and move quickly once applications start coming in.

Start with free options and upgrade if needed. Track where your best applicants come from so you know where to focus next time. Remember that posting the job is just the beginning—your responsiveness after candidates apply matters just as much as the posting itself.

Ready to streamline your entire hiring process? Homebase helps you post jobs, track applicants, and manage your team all in one place.

{{banner-cta}}