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5 Advantages of Niche Job Boards

5 Advantages of Niche Job Boards
As a job board tester, I use job sites day in day out, and I see many different types. Some people assume a job board is just a list of job offers, but they often have far more to offer than just jobs. The big categories are aggregators, national job boards, niche or specialist job boards and classified job boards. Even if there are benefits for each one, niche job boards have been gaining popularity recently for a number of good reasons. So today let’s look at what the 5 best advantages of a niche job board are.

1. The Blog

In 2019, a blog is part of the basic marketing tools used by online businesses. Not only can a blog bring in traffic so that more people hear about the job board, but it helps users (both jobseekers and recruiters) learn more about the job search. On a generalist job board, most articles will focus on general topics so that no reader feels excluded. The issue is that the information isn’t as useful. On the other hand, a niche job board has already narrowed down the type of candidates it hopes to attract, and it can therefore cater more specifically for them. For example, on CareersinAudit, all the articles revolve around auditing and risk. Instead of an article on general interview questions, you’ll get a customized list for that specific industry. The same is true for a niche job board for law professionals, for teachers or for medical staff.
By having access to articles written with a specific candidate in mind, it’s easier to prepare for an interview or stay updated on news in the industry. The niche job board can be more than a one-stop job listing, it can become a site you enjoy visiting regularly.

2. The Filters

Strangely enough, filters are underappreciated by many job board users. Yet, without them, the job search would be almost impossible. A keyword and a location search isn't always enough to find what you want, especially when you’re browsing rather than actively searching. For that reason, you need to know how to use the filters. The ones on a generalist job board may include the following:
  • Education
  • Experience
  • Industry/sector
  • Job title
  • Location
  • Publication date
  • Salary
  • Type of contract/ hours
On a niche job board, the options are often more creative for the specific industry and professionals who will utilize the job board. Some job sites include specific computing skills or professional skills in their filters. Language job boards always have a language filter. If you are on a niche job site for truck drivers, you’ll have a filter for the different licenses. If you're on a healthcare job board, you might have to filter by certain certifications or technical skills. The information in the filters can also become a required field for the candidate profile or the job post form. Even without a keyword, you can browse a refined number of offers from your field.

3. The Candidates

Niche job boards aren’t just great for jobseekers, they’re a goldmine for recruiters. Depending on the position you want to fill, you might choose to browse CVs through a job board. Unfortunately, you don’t really know what to expect from a generalist or aggregator. They could have millions of profiles, but none of them fit the open position. A niche job board targets a specific industry, so most of the CVs (if not all) are in the right field. This means you can purchase access to the candidate database without worrying about your money going to waste. In addition, this means that recruiters, hiring managers, and employers don't have to worry about sorting through hundreds of spam applications from unqualified candidates that shouldn't be applying to the job posting. This means that employers can save money and time by only receiving qualified candidates on niche job boards like HospitalCareers.

4. The Outreach

We mentioned how blogs help job boards and other online markets attract visitors. Another tool many sites use is social media. In order to reach the most people, the big job boards will post about topics relating to employment in a broad sense. The target audience is any recruiter and any jobseeker. Unfortunately, in doing so the blog can’t focus on one industry, neither can social media. A niche job board helps its followers stay on top of the industry and the current job offers through targeted outreach. Instead of receiving notifications about construction jobs and a new chain of restaurants when you’re a doctor, you’ll only see medical news and healthcare news. That means less clutter and more interesting topics! The tailored outreach for industry-specific professionals means that professionals can get the news and advice that is relevant to them when it matters most.

5. The Special Features

This is my favourite part of any job board: its special features. This refers to anything that doesn’t necessarily need to be on the site for the job search. It could be something as basic as job alerts, which many job boards do offer; or something a bit more usual like an interview simulator. Niche job boards can get very creative with their special features because they’re targeting candidate needs for specific industries.

There you have it! The top 5 advantages of niche job boards! Good luck for the job search! If you're interested in reviewing some of the best job boards for healthcare professionals and the benefits associated with each, take a look at our Best Job Boards for Healthcare Professionals blog post.

About the Author
As the job board tester and blog editor for the Jobboard Finder, Ali Neill works on job boards from all around the world and keeps a close eye on the recruitment trends. With a Master’s in French Comparative Literature Research and a Bachelor’s in English History and Language, Ali is interested in a wide range of subjects, including cognitive learning, data journalism and the future of work.
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