12 Unusual Ways to Promote a Job Opening that Work

Are you really reaching your target audience on the same three websites? We asked 10 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:

“What is an unusual but successful platform for posting a job description?”

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Unusual Ways to Promote a Job Opening

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Geo-Fencing 

“Ever walked into a restaurant and your phone pops up with location and asks for review? Geo-fencing just took place. The best way to recruit great employees is to steal them. The best way to steal them is to Geo-Fence all of the competitors in your industry with great ads. Just make a squeeze page and set up re-targeting and you will have more great candidates than you can handle.” ~ Tommy Mello, A1 Garage Door Repair

2. Upwork 

“We just used Upwork for a side project that we were working on. There are freelancers for almost anything you could imagine, whether it be internet research, design, content writing, etc. Most freelancers on the site display their hourly wage, and you can choose to pay by the hour or set up project milestones.” ~ Brian David Crane, Caller Smart Inc.

3. The Front Desk 

“Our best employees are promoted from within, but when we hire from the outside it helps for new hires to have an understanding of how we operate. Instead of a “Help Wanted” sign in the window, we leave takeaways at the point of sale focused on the benefits of working for us, made for those who already buy in as clients. It’s also a great way to let everyone else know we treat our people well.” ~ Michael Portman, Birds Barbershop

4. Craigslist 

“It may sound strange, but there are job pages and even my own page where I have been able to find great candidates by posting a job description. Freelance and outsource companies like to use sites like Craigslist and there’s such a huge audience out there that may or may not be looking and be intrigued by the job description they see in their feed.” ~ Drew Hendricks, Buttercup

5. Instagram 

“I’ve posted job descriptions on Instagram and gotten an overwhelming response. It seems like you must go where people are spending the most time and regardless of whether they are actively seeking a job or not. I’ve had candidates that were motivated to switch jobs from seeing a video description on Instagram.” ~ Cynthia Johnson, Ipseity Media

6. The Website of Local Universities 

“Whenever we have a need, we always reach out to placement centers at local universities and they post the job on their website. This really helps us get several excellent resumes from local areas. There is no cost involved, and we have hired several bright candidates using this approach.” ~ Piyush Jain, SIMpalm

7. Periscope 

“We’ve put up video job descriptions about what we have open and our company and it’s been an engaging way to hear back from people too. We get lots of inquiries, video resumes and pitches back, which is interesting and provides a new dimension to the recruiting process.” ~ Zach Binder, Ranklab

8. Announcements at Public Events 

“When I’m speaking in front of a crowd at a public event, I’ve been known to announce what I’m looking for in a particular employee or partner. This way, I get the word out to a large number of people (and their online and offline networks) when I’ve already captured their attention. Using this strategy, I can also effectively advertise the value that I bring as an employer.” ~ Alexandra Levit, PeopleResults

9. Personal Facebook Pages 

“I have found that we get the best candidates when team members post job openings to their personal Facebook pages. I believe this process creates a validation system for both the company and the potential candidate. This platform extends the offer through credible friends and allows for easy and friendly references. It adds a personal touch while still reaching a large network.” ~ Justin Lefkovitch, Mirrored Media

10. Angellist 

“Angellist is an incredible hiring resource for startups and fast-growth companies. Companies can post jobs descriptions and candidates seeking jobs can also post their profiles and resumes, all for free. Angellist is good for finding engineering, marketing, operations and design talent. I’ve worked with teams that have hired 60 percent of their employees through Angellist.” ~ Adelyn Zhou, TOPBOTS

11. Looksharp and Social Media 

“We really like Looksharp for our internships and using Instagram to get people excited about the role. Posting job descriptions on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook allows you to share listings quick within a professional network or target relevant connections.” ~ Maren Hogan, Red Branch Media

12. Snapchat 

“Given the ubiquitous nature of Snapchat, utilizing the platform for job postings can be both fun and rewarding. As an example, posting a picture of a new MacBook Pro along with some core accessories — and captioning that post with verbiage that makes it clear that designers and developers who come work for your company get a new computer to use — can be an effective way to build job interest.” ~ Blair Thomas, First American Merchant