What is a job board?

Job boards are websites that employers use to advertise their available positions. These sites make it easy for job seekers to search for multiple jobs within their field and ideal location. Job openings posted on a board will typically include a description and some desired qualifications for the position. Using a job board is an opportunity for both employers and job seekers to find the right fit for them. 

With staffing shortages in the US in almost every sector and industry, employers are now trying to get creative with advertising their open job positions. That’s where niche job boards come into play. These specialized boards have a distinct advantage over general job sites like Indeed or LinkedIn since they provide access to more relevant and qualified talent.

Let’s take a look at the benefits of job boards for nonprofits in particular.

How nonprofits can benefit from using job boards

Creating a job board allows a nonprofit to provide better value to its audience. Nonprofits like member-based organizations, associations, and civic groups in particular are an ideal fit for creating and maintaining their own job boards. Here are a few of the benefits that these organizations tend to experience.

Engaging with community members

Job seeking and building relationships go hand in hand. Creating a job board enables your organization to engage and connect with others who can utilize your job board. Plus, helping community members also increases the value your organization provides. 

Gaining extra traffic

Looking to boost traffic for your nonprofit website? Creating a job board is a great way to catch attention from Google. After all, job searching is literally a search-based endeavor. Be sure that your nonprofit’s job board page is compliant and SEO-optimized, though. While it takes some time, it’s essential for the job board’s performance.

Attracting more sponsors

Having a job board on your site can be a great way for your nonprofit to attract new sponsors. Companies that visit these are more likely to sponsor or donate to an organization because they see value that’s provided. Job boards themselves are also an opportunity for sponsorship with job postings, which comes with extra revenue.

Earning extra revenue 

Another benefit is the opportunity to earn extra revenue. Offer an option for organizations to pay for a sponsored job post on your job board. Some sites use a revenue model that includes a $100-$500 cost for a 30-day posting. In addition, consider offering extra perks like an annual subscription for unlimited posts or access to a resume search. 

Examples of nonprofit job boards 

Some organizations are already taking advantage of the benefits of having their own job boards. These nonprofits tend to experience unique value for providing this service to their audiences. Take a look at some examples along with the distinct benefits for each organization.

• Silicon Slopes—Silicon Slopes is a nonprofit organization empowering Utah’s startup and tech community to learn, connect, and serve. They seek to make entrepreneurship and opportunity in Silicon Slopes open and accessible to all. They use their job board to help Silicon Slopes companies with hiring and as an added value to their sponsors (which get 50% discount for a job posting).
• Western University of Health Sciences—Western University of Health Sciences is an independent nonprofit health professions university. They created their self-service, online job board for alumni and students interested in employment opportunities, and for employers wishing to hire WesternU alumni. Their job board is also free.
• ARCodeKids—ARCodeKids is a non-profit organization focused on building awareness, expanding student participation and enabling new career pathways in computer science across Arkansas. They use a job board to increase awareness about technology-related jobs (internships, freelance and full-time) that are available in their state.

How to create a job board

If operating your own nonprofit job board sounds daunting, rest assured that there are tools to help. To begin the process, decide whether your team has the capacity and resources to create your own. Some larger nonprofits host their own personalized job boards on their websites. You’ll find that member-based organizations or associations are doing this given their community-centric nature.

However, there are plenty of job board solutions on the market to help your team take an easier approach. This will save time and energy compared to the effort it will take to build a board from scratch. To start, your nonprofit could test out the Job Manager plugin for WordPress. This lightweight plugin works as a good starting point for job posting functionality, but it will likely become challenging to maintain as it grows.

For a more reliable method, consider a SaaS solution like Smartjobboard. This service is user-friendly, customizable, and includes Google compliance and SEO optimization. Despite the monthly cost, it serves as a more cost-effective approach over time. After all, Smartjobboard runs on auto-pilot and frees up valuable time that your team can then dedicate to furthering your mission.

Going forward with your nonprofit job board

Once your organization starts using a job board, don’t forget the importance of promoting it. Word-of-mouth is still a viable marketing tactic, especially when it comes to an opportunity for growth. Include a link to the board on your nonprofit’s website if you opted to use an outside service or software. Make sure you also reach out to your community (perhaps via email) or post on your social media channels. Do what you can to get your audience involved—the more traffic and response you generate for your job board, the better.

Job searching is a challenge for job seekers, and employers often struggle to find the right candidates for their roles. Perhaps now more than ever, hiring efforts need a boost. Nonprofits can add value to the sector by using job boards as an outlet to help businesses and other organizations. And your organization’s next new hire just might come from a job board, too.

*This spotlighted blog post is courtesy of Smartjobboard