When I first started hiring salespeople, the choices for advertising were greatly limited. We can only use newspapers, trade association publications and radio. It’s hard to be competitive in such a small playground.

Today, there are more online platforms to choose from. You can say we are living in exciting times but don’t rejoice just yet; most of these platforms are a total waste of time. Good thing that we constantly get feedback from our clients on which ones work well.

Let’s show you their top picks:

Craigslist – Yes, Craigslist is free or very inexpensive. But it’s at the top of our list because it works – and the price is right. There are things you need to do to get your ad relevant on this platform. And you MUST keep your ad at the top of the list without getting banned by Craigslist. Both RELEVANCE and TOP OF THE LIST are essential for Craigslist success.

ZipRecruiter – Our clients complain about their pricing and bad customer service, but ZipRecruiter works. They have a “boost” program that costs more but it’s supposed to get you more applicants. We hear mixed reports on this program but it’s worth considering in order to find out for yourself.

Indeed and Simply Hired – Tied on the 3rd spot, both Indeed and Simply Hired are aggregators that scrape other job boards. Clients have claimed that they got good results from Indeed. The sponsored ads go to the top of the list, but clients tell us they use the free job posting effectively. For $5 a day, you can run sponsored ads. Not bad at all.

Facebook – Facebook is huge! Facebook is everywhere and if you aren’t looking at Facebook then someone else is forwarding you things from Facebook. This platform is something you should use with the help of an expert. AHS has a module that puts Facebook to work for your recruitment.

These online platforms have their own advantages and disadvantages. The ball’s on your court now. You can select a couple of these platforms to start with and find out which one works well for your company.