Review: ZipRecruiter For Employers

Whether you’re an experienced recruiter for a large organization or a solo multi-tasker, ZipRecruiter is most likely on your radar as a reliable platform for finding new talent. The large Applicant Tracking System (ATS) platform allows a wide range of recruiters to find exactly what they need with a variety of posting criteria. 

Some highlights in the ATS include the ability to create specific question sets for candidate screening, integration with social networks, the ability to post to many job boards efficiently, and the ability for unlimited users to access the platform without significant price differences. While ZipRecruiter is more pricy than many other sites out there, it provides incredible value when you need to fill a position quickly. We’ll break down the various plans to get a feel for what’s right for you or your team.

Note: If you’re a residential or home-based business looking for a nanny, personal assistant, or another such role, opt for a different platform than ZipRecruiter as it doesn’t allow you to post for a job in this category.

You Have a Small-Medium Business (1-5,000 Employees) 

ZipRecruiter separates its plans for small to medium and enterprise businesses. Smaller businesses have an option of multiple plans, while enterprise becomes tailored based on your business needs. We’ll be going through the smaller plans. The enterprise plan requires a one-on-one consultation with ZipRecruiter for a custom quote. Unfortunately, the free trial is only four days, so you must commit to either the monthly or the annual plan if you’re looking to hire.

Standard Plan

This basic, budget-friendly plan includes distribution to 100+ job sites. This means once you post on ZipRecruiter, your job application will also be up on websites like resume.com and job.com. None of these sites have the reach of ZipRecruiter or Monster, which ZipRecruiter does not post to. Still, all the new postings boost the chances of getting the right candidate who might not be browsing a site like ZipRecruiter. You can also boost your listing and have it posted on LinkedIn for an extra fee. 

If you’re new to the hiring process, ZipRecruiter shines with its access to 500+ customizable job description templates. It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, so you will have to do a bit of work to ensure you get the template you need for your posting. However, this is miles better than staring at a blank page, especially if you’re a small business that hasn’t done it before.

This basic plan, which starts at $249/month, comes with the ability to have one active job posting up, so if you’re looking to hire multiple positions you must boost the plan. Note that we say ACTIVE job post. You may post as many job positions as you’d like in a month, but you may only have one active recruitment up. Suppose you hire for one position at the beginning of the month. In that case, you may post a different job within the same plan period.

Premium Plan

In addition to distributing your job ad to 100+ job sites, your ad gets prime placement in job alert e-mails. You also receive access to ZipRecruiter’s resume database.

While browsing resumes is an extra step, it’s a useful feature on ZipRecruiter. You can search by practically any criteria you can think of, from specific keywords to education. This allows you to target candidates that might not have seen your particular job posting, but have the skill sets you’re looking for. Having a premium plan allows you to contact the job seeker and inform them of your position.

Enterprise Plan

Besides all the ZipRecruiter features we discussed, the custom enterprise plan includes ZipRecruiter’s AI to proactively reach candidates. It also allows ATS integration with your enterprise’s platform and a full team of dedicated specialists that manage the hiring budget. 

The pricing fluctuates based on the size of your company and your hiring needs. 

Pricing Based On Needs

A lot of ZipRecruiter’s pricing model relies on customization. You can get away with paying a base price ($249/month) if you don’t need any extra bells and whistles. However, if you require more eyes on your ad because of a very niche job requirement, you might pay extra to boost your ad. This upcharge also depends on the location of your job. Expect to pay an additional $300-$500 to post to a site like LinkedIn.

Posting a Job

1. Go to ZipRecruiter.com and click on “Post a Job” on the upper right-hand side. It will take you to a posting landing page asking you about your company. Select how many employees your company has to determine which plan fits your needs.
2. Create an employer account on the next screen by filling in your name, e-mail, and a password. Click “Get Started.”
3. Once you’re in the dashboard, hover over “Jobs” in the menu and click on “Post a Job.”
4. The screen will ask you for a job title, location, category, and type. You can input a precise location, a ZIP code, or type in “Remote” if you’re looking to fill a remote position.
5. In the job description, you can type your own specifications or try one of the many templates ZipRecruiter offers before customizing. This is also where you’ll put in any benefits the position offers, such as health insurance and 401K.
6. You can enter a specific compensation on the next page or simply opt for a pay range. ZipRecruiter offers a very nifty feature that shows average compensation for your position type and requirements in your zip code. This allows you to gauge how competitive your salary and position are compared to similar postings.
7. You’ll also have the opportunity to fill in your company description and a brief statement to potential employees. Providing a short company description and mission statement allows prospective job seekers to better align with your needs.
8. Before you go live with your posting, you must choose your free trial or plan. This is where it’s up to you whether you’d like to go with a free trial and starter plan or commit to the premium option.

Job Listing Optimization

You’ll spruce up your job posting after it goes live. You can boost it with additional advertising, posting to LinkedIn, and sharing on social networks. Aside from social network sharing, these cost extra, so keep that in mind if you’re on a budget.

You can also add additional custom screening questions if you have specific job needs and need to screen out unqualified candidates.

Applicant Tracking

This is the fun part! Once the applications roll in, you’ll receive e-mails notifying you of the new candidates. Head to your dashboard and click on “Candidates” to view the full list.

You will be able to set a status for each application, which is especially useful if multiple users are reviewing applications. Statuses include:

• Reviewed
• Rejected
• Phone screen
• Interview
• Offer Extended
• Hired

You will also be able to rate the applicants based on interest. This allows you to add custom labels and notes about each applicant.

The Takeaway

ZipRecruiter is excellent if you need an all-in-one ATS solution and a job board. It has a very wide reach and allows you to boost your post by posting multiple job search boards. All this comes at a high price that is worth it if you require a strong candidate. 

Where it lacks is that it doesn’t integrate with other large job boards like Monster. It also doesn’t allow you to post for domestic jobs. You can’t separate the candidate reviews by roles, meaning all applicants come to the same dashboard if you have multiple job postings up.

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