Posting jobs on LinkedIn is a great way for companies to reach qualified candidates. LinkedIn has over 740 million members worldwide, with over 167 million members in the U.S. alone. With such a large user base, posting a job on LinkedIn gives employers access to a huge pool of potential applicants. However, one question that often comes up is: do you have to pay to post a job on LinkedIn? The short answer is: yes, you need to pay to post job listings on LinkedIn. But the details around LinkedIn job post pricing and packages are a bit more complex.
LinkedIn’s Recruiter Product for Posting Jobs
LinkedIn offers a product called Recruiter that allows companies to post jobs and access candidate data and profiles. Here are the main packages for LinkedIn Recruiter:
Recruiter Lite
– $99/month per user
– Lets you post 1 job at a time
– Access to limited profile data
– Can’t message passive candidates
Professional
– $119.95/month per user
– Post up to 25 jobs at a time
– Access more profile data like phone numbers
– Message anyone through InMail credits
Corporate
– Custom pricing based on headcount
– Post unlimited jobs
– Access to all profile data
– Unlimited InMails and messages
So at minimum, you’ll need a Recruiter Lite account at $99/month to post a single job. To post an unlimited number of jobs, you’ll need the higher-tier Corporate package.
LinkedIn Job Slots
In addition to the Recruiter packages, LinkedIn also sells job postings in bundles called Job Slots. Here are the options:
| Job Slots | Cost |
|---|---|
| 1 Job Slot | $195 |
| 3 Job Slots | $375 |
| 5 Job Slots | $495 |
| 10 Job Slots | $945 |
| 25 Job Slots | $2025 |
| 50 Job Slots | $3650 |
Each job posting is valid for 30 days. After it expires, you would need to purchase another job slot to keep the job posted. So this is a pay-per-job model rather than a recurring subscription.
For individual jobs, this is likely cheaper than a full Recruiter account. But for high-volume recruiting, a Recruiter subscription can be more cost-effective than purchasing multiple job slots.
LinkedIn Free Job Postings
LinkedIn does offer a free tier for posting jobs, but it is very limited. Here’s what you get with LinkedIn’s free job posting option:
– 1 free job at a time
– Posting lasts for 30 days
– Can only be used once per company
– Job appears in search results but not promoted/advertised
So the free posting is really meant for one-off uses, not as an ongoing solution. To continuously post jobs on LinkedIn, you’ll need to pay.
LinkedIn Premium Accounts
Having a LinkedIn Premium account enables some basic job posting capabilities, but with limitations. Here’s what you can do with Premium:
– Post 1 free job at a time
– Lasts for 30 days
– Renewable after expiration
A Premium account starts at $29.99 per month. So for occasional job posting, it may provide enough capabilities without needing Recruiter. But Premium lacks the recruiting and messaging tools that come with Recruiter packages.
Company Page Job Postings
LinkedIn Company Pages also allow posting jobs directly on the page itself. This is a feature available to all Company Pages, without any specific products needed. However, there are still limitations:
– Only 1 job post allowed at a time
– Lasts for 30 days
– Only viewable to people who visit the Company Page
So while this option is technically free, it has low visibility and can’t be renewed continually like Recruiter job posts.
Third-Party Job Posting Sites
Instead of posting on LinkedIn directly, another option is using third-party job boards that distribute jobs to LinkedIn. For example:
– ZipRecruiter
– Glassdoor
– Indeed
– Monster
These sites let you post unlimited jobs for a subscription fee, which they then syndicate out across their network including LinkedIn. This can be more affordable than LinkedIn’s own packages if you want large volume. The downside is you have less customization and visibility than posting directly on LinkedIn. But for some employers, these third-party aggregators provide adequate exposure.
Tips for Posting Jobs on LinkedIn
If you do decide to post jobs directly on LinkedIn (rather than just third parties), here are some tips to maximize your results:
Use Premium Listings
Pay extra to have your post ranked higher in results. This greatly improves visibility over free posts.
Leverage Your Company Page
Mention your Company Page prominently. Job seekers will visit your page to learn more.
Highlight Culture and Benefits
Don’t just focus on duties and hard skills. Emphasize soft skills, values, culture to attract candidates.
Include Salary Range
List the salary range. Many candidates ignore posts without pay info.
Check Back Frequently
Monitor your post’s performance and make adjustments to optimize response rate.
Conclusion
In summary, there is no way to post unlimited free job listings on LinkedIn. To use LinkedIn for ongoing recruitment, you’ll need to pay for one of their Recruiter packages or Job Slots offerings. The monthly Recruiter subscriptions provide the most flexibility for frequent hires, while the Job Slots work well for individual openings. For wider distribution beyond just LinkedIn, third-party aggregators are another option. But to get full value from LinkedIn itself, investing in some level of paid job posting is a must.