How to Create a Job Board Website for Professional Networking
“Your network is your destiny, a reality backed up by many studies in the newly emergent fields of social networking and social contagion theory. We are the people we interact with.” Keith Ferrazzi
Professional networking sites are much more than just job search tools. They not only connect professionals with organizations which are hiring but also help to find like-minded people who can make an impact on your life.
If you want to create a job board website that matches labor with demand - you are in the right place.
You will learn about the most prominent examples of job search networks, their key features, and benefits.
Online talent platforms potential. How they change the way people find jobs.
Online job boards have all the chances to inject new momentum into the jobs market, especially in countries with high unemployment (Greece, Spain) and big fluidity of the job market (USA).
According to the report by McKinsey, online talent platforms have all the chances to:
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Raise global GDP by $2.7 trillion
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Increase employment by 72 million full-time positions
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Give jobs to 540 million people (the entire population of the EU)
Wow, that’s a great potential. In addition, professional networking sites can:
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Fill information gaps about work opportunities
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Provide transparency in prices and requirements in the labor market
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Increase the participation of people in contingent work
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Shorten job searches and enable matches
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Increase the temporary and part-time segment of the labor force
Types of professional networking platforms
We can divide these applications into the following types
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Professional matchmaking platforms that connect individuals with traditional jobs
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Online marketplaces for part-time jobs
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Networking and talent management platforms
Here is how such platforms work in general:
For job seekers
- Sign up and show your skills
Depending on the platform, users can add their experience and skills in different ways. For example, on Nexxt you can create or upload your own portfolio.
The app Shapr makes this process much easier. You just enter details about your work experience, education, and interests and get matched with like-minded professionals.
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Search for a job using different filters or get matched with suitable companies
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Expand your network
Help your users grow their network by showing the profiles of people with similar interests. Take at look at how the platfom Xing improves its recommendations algorithm. It asks you to rate each recommended person by relevancy and make the list more personalized.
For companies
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Post job details
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Find candidates
Some platforms do it on your behalf. For example, on Zip Recruiter after filling out a customizable job description template, add pre-screen interview questions, and instantly get matched to the best candidates.
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Get quotes
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Compare and hire
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Write review
Not less popular are platforms that focus on a single niche and get a chance to become a leader in one industry. Here are the most catchy ones:
The largest skilled network for workers in construction, plumbing, welding, landscaping, etc. It allows users to:
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Partner with companies, organizations, and schools
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Upload pictures of the projects they’ve worked in (unlike most traditional job sites where you only upload a resume and maybe a profile picture)
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Upload licenses and certificates
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Сonnect with members of your trade organization
Sports network that matches users with like-minded athletes and helps you connect and grow your sports network.
The invite-only network for creative talents (artist gigs) that connects talents in films, games, VR/AR with organizations.
Read also: How to create a niche job search app
What makes such platforms different from Linkedin?
Based on answers on forums, things people don’t like at Linkedin are
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No real-time notifications
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Feed algorithm
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Random people sending you requests - too many shallow connections
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User experience
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Building a professional network takes a lot of time
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Incomplete profiles get overlooked
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Fake profiles
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Professionals who are are not active may be overlooked by recruiters
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The complicated process of search and hiring
Professional networking websites for job search strive to make the process of hiring easy, fast, and automated. Let's review their main features now.
Main job board website features
Here are our recommendations on job board marketplace development and features you can enrich it with.
Advanced search
Ensure that your users can look for a job by applying various filters. For example, there are the following filters on the Opportunity platform:
- By job title or keyword
- By skills
- By interests
- By gender
- By age range
Enable also a search by location. For example, on Bark, you can add location by travel time, radius or custom draw area.
Dashboard for companies and workers
For companies, where they can:
- Сreate a new job
- View existing jobs
- View and filter candidates
- Search the resume database, see viewed resumes, and saved searches
- Track statistics
- View reports about done job
For workers:
- Track job postings
- View the performance of their job applications and number of portfolio views
Alert when a new matching candidate appears
On ZipRecruiter you can create job alerts based on your criteria, resume, keywords, and location.
Zip Recruiter job alerts algorithm learns from your resume and search activity and imports keywords.
SmartRecruiter also adds such terms as a level of experience and type of employment. When a company posts a job that matches, Smart Recruiter sends an email alert to the candidates.
Notifications when your application was viewed
This feature will help candidates improve their job applications by tracking the statistics of their views. For example, Zip Recruiter alerts you each time your application is viewed + what employers have viewed it.
Candidate Retargeting
Allow companies to promote their jobs in front of people who have already shown interest in the position or look-alike audience.
A matching algorithm
The matching algorithm helps you find your business opportunities using information you enter into your profile: such as your industry, interests, and location. Let's see how it works on different platforms.
Uses such information in your profile:
- Industry, skills, location, company size
- Commonalities such as job interests, preferences
- Discovers hidden leads among your network
Match score algorithm that shows how likely a candidate is to fit with your company. They take job seeker preferences combined with what employees say about your company and you get one number on a 100 point scale that shows how the candidate matches your values.
Bulk messages
This feature allows you to send a match message to all your potential candidates or hiring companies. For example, in My opportunity members can send a bulk message to all their leads as well as send an e-mail blast to all Linkedin contacts.
One-click reply
A useful feature that lets you save a standard reply and send it when you’re pressed for time. For example Bark - a platform for finding local service providers has a simple tool called “one-click response” where you can craft your standard message and send it with a single click.
Auto follow up schedule
An option with the help of which a system automatically sends a follow-up message to a person who hasn’t responded within 72 hours after your intro message.
Wrapping Up
When choosing a functionality for your job board, remember one important thing - focus on benefits, not on features. Speak with your potential customers and try to find out how your product can make their life easier. This is a key to a successful value proposition and scalable product.