Written by Sally-Ann King | 3rd August 2023

There are thousands of job boards online where employers and hiring managers can post their job openings – from Indeed to TotalJobs, the list goes on. But many employers are unfamiliar with niche job boards, targeting specific groups of people, and the benefits of being on them.

They not only give job seekers a fair chance of being hired and accepted regardless of their age, religion, race, sexuality, gender or if they have a disability, but ensure employers and candidates are on the same page when it comes to equality, diversity and inclusion.

As well as protected characteristics, niche job boards support recruitment in specific industries or for specialised job functions and skills.

Research by Robert Walters found that 46% of employers don’t have a strategy in place to attract diverse candidates. The process of attracting and retaining a diverse workforce can be overwhelming for employers, but advertising roles on niche job boards can help widen the talent pool and increase applications.

What are the benefits of joining a niche job board?

Niche job boards are particularly useful for businesses that want to attract hard-to-find talent either because of the role, specialised position or because they’re trying to attract under-represented groups.

Some examples of talent pool focused job boards include Pink Jobs, for LGBT friendly job roles, Evenbreak, which specialise in connecting employers with disabled professionals, Investing in Women, an inclusive job board for women only and RetirementJobs, a job board for retired professionals looking to get back into work.

Industry-based job boards include Technojobs for people in IT and telecoms, Simply HR Jobs, Travel Job Search for people looking to work in travel & leisure and Natives, a job board for seasonal staff.

Here are some of the benefits of choosing to advertise on niche job boards:

Wider reach and visibility

Investing some of your recruitment budget into job boards can provide you with a significantly wider reach – it lets you tap into a network of job seekers actively looking for opportunities.

Niche job boards may have less traffic than general job boards or Linkedin, but you are more likely to be reaching your targeted group of candidates, significantly enhancing your chances of attracting them.

Reaching a broader range of candidates can also facilitate a more inclusive hiring process. A win for you as your business could benefit from the different perspectives and ideas that a diverse workforce brings.

Reaching a targeted, high-quality audience

By posting job openings on a niche job board, the business can reach a more targeted and relevant audience of candidates who are specifically interested in and qualified for the positions being offered.

Since niche job boards can attract candidates with specific skills or industry experience, the pool of applicants is also often more qualified and better suited to the business’s requirements.

Posting on a niche board also greatly reduces or eliminates unqualified candidates, especially those that either lack the sector-specific skills you are looking for) or that apply because of the pay or benefits but who lack a genuine interest in your company or role.

They send a positive message to job seekers

As well as advertising your vacancies, niche job boards send a positive message about what you value to candidates.

It can be used to show evidence of inclusivity and diversity within your company which can attract applications from people of differing backgrounds and experiences.

Where job boards let you create a company profile, this can highlight your company culture and vision, and take part in storytelling – which all attract qualified candidates.

Cost-effectiveness

Many niche job boards offer competitive pricing compared to larger, more general job boards and reduced rates for your first posts. Posting jobs on niche platforms can be a cost-effective way to reach a targeted audience without spending excessive amounts on recruitment advertising.

Faster hiring process

The focused nature of niche job boards means that businesses can expect to receive applications from candidates who are genuinely interested in the role and possess the relevant qualifications. This can streamline the hiring process, as recruiters can quickly identify potential matches.

While they are certainly not the only strategy you should use to improve diversity and inclusion within your organisation, niche job boards are a hugely valuable tool to increase visibility among job seekers and attract a diverse workforce.

If you have any questions or would like recruitment support, please get in touch with our team at [email protected]