Where To Post

Location, Location, Location: The Best Place to Post Job Ads

Remember “back in the day” when we could post an ad on Craigslist for any position (except associate DVM) and be inundated with applications? Sadly, this is no longer the case. Not only is Craigslist antiquated, but it doesn’t feed the job engines that people now use when they are looking for work. The fact is that no one looks for jobs on Craigslist anymore.

Indeed is another typical job ad posting site that has become less effective as it has moved towards a “pay to be at the top” pricing structure. Job ads for smaller employers get pushed to the bottom as big players with deep pockets (we’re looking at you, corporate conglomerates!) pay large sums of money to take up the entire first page of listings on the site. While Indeed is still a useful place to post, it’s no longer the most-searched site for jobs.

So Where Do People Look For Jobs These Days?

One word: Google. Many people, but especially millennials and centennials, don’t go to a single website to find job listings anymore. They search Google for “barista jobs near me,” or “vet tech jobs near me.” People who have a really wide set of skills may even just search “jobs near me.”

How Does Google Jobs Work?

Google has made it extraordinarily easy for job seekers to find jobs that fit their needs with a quick search. For a simple example, go to Google right now and type in “receptionist jobs in (your city)” or “receptionist jobs near me.” You’ll probably see something like this:

Clicking “100+ more jobs” at the bottom brings the searcher to a page that offers a sneak peek of any job listing Google found in its search.

Google also allows you to filter the results. For instance, if you were in Portland, OR, and clicked “Animal Care” for a filter, you’d be given many local veterinary receptionist jobs near the Portland area:

Google makes the search even friendlier by allowing you to turn on a job alert at the bottom of the screen. This means that every time a new job is listed that Google finds, the user will receive an email alerting them of it.

OK, How Do I Post to Google Jobs?

You don’t, actually. Google Jobs pulls openings from job posting sites. It essentially works as a compilation service, so businesses cannot actually post a job directly on Google. Instead, jobs need to be posted to sites that feed Google Jobs. Guess which sites do NOT feed Google Jobs? Indeed and Craigslist!

Where Do I Need to Post, Then?

Google sources their listings from many job sites where you can (and should) post your opening. Here’s a shortlist of some of those sites:   

Is There Any Other Way (That Costs Less Money)?

Yes! If you are an iVET360 client and we created your practice website, we will include a robust Careers page as part of that site. Listings on this Careers page automatically feed into Google Jobs. This does mean, however, that you will need to keep track of the jobs you post on your Career page so that when the position is filled, the job posting is removed.

If you do not have a site created by iVET360, you can speak to your web developer about how to feed job ads from your website into Google Jobs.

Diversity Matters

As the workforce becomes younger, diversity and inclusion are becoming one of the most important factors that centennials and millennials look for in workplace culture. They are also mindful of microaggressions and biases that happen at work and are committed to working to change cultures to create an environment of belonging. In fact, we at iVET360 have not interviewed a single candidate recently that did not point-blank ask us about our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and how we work to make our culture inclusive.

We hear this frequently from hospitals as well. While it can be frustrating to answer these kinds of questions when interview time is already precious, it is critical to remember how important this aspect of workplace culture is to team members now. Considering the veterinary field is historically not a very diverse one, we want to make sure that our ads reflect that working in an animal hospital is accessible to everyone!

We recommend all job ads state the importance of diversity and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. We also highly recommend that hospitals post job ads on at least one job site that is specifically focused on diversity. Companies that post to these boards are seen as more welcoming to diverse candidates, which can increase the number of applicants to your position. While this page lists many different diversity-focused job site options, we recommend starting at diversity.com. While these sites do charge a fee for posting, it is well worth the cost to cast a wide net and attract applicants that don’t just fit your culture but can add to it.

Any Other Ways to Increase the Diversity of Applicants?

Absolutely! Here are a few ways to attract more candidates who may not have thought to apply:

• Reach out to any Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in your area. These schools usually have alumni careers pages where you can post an open position.

• Offer internships to targeted groups: Reach out to high schools, community colleges, and universities in your area and offer the opportunity to participate in an internship program at your practice. Internships can help introduce your practice and the veterinary field to people who may not have considered it as a place of employment before. As long as the internship is structured in a way that benefits the student more than the hospital, both parties win!

• Create a DEI page on your website: Because diversity and inclusion can be a difficult subject, we often don’t want to discuss it openly. This means that creating a DEI page on your website can set your hospital apart from your competitors in that you are welcoming to people of all backgrounds. This makes your practice more appealing to diverse applicants as a place where they would want to work.

And a final word about recruiting: don’t succumb to “warm body” syndrome if it takes longer than usual to find the right person. Yes, recruitment is difficult and it has been for a while. But we can tell you from working with thousands of veterinary practices across the country that finding the right person for the position is worth the wait.