ZipRecruiter Reviewed: Pros and Cons for Employers and Jobseekers

ZipRecruiter is one of the biggest job boards out there. Here is what our recruiters, coaches, and resume writers want you to know about the system.

Ziprecruiter is one of the biggest job boards out there. It has grown over the past 10 years by launching a system of connections with other job boards. Ziprecruiter may not be as big as Indeed, but it definitely has unique features worth checking out. We tested Ziprecruiter from an employer and job seeker perspective. Here is everything that our team of recruiters, career coaches, and resume writers want you to know about using Ziprecruiter to find and fill a job.

Ziprecruiter: Stats and Explanation

Ziprecruiter.com is a job board that allows employers to post a job and to have it pushed out to over 100 job boards. There are also premium publication and priority placement options for employers that are posting jobs on Ziprecruiter. Job seekers use the system to find and apply to jobs. There is a web and mobile version of Ziprecruiter for both employers and jobseekers.

Ziprecruiter reports that there are over 25 Million active monthly users on the system. It also reports over 40 Million email subscribers that include both jobseekers and employers. Ziprecruiter has not reported how many people find or fill jobs on their system publicly.

However, the recent revenue reports from Ziprecruiter are up. Ziprecruiter makes money from employers and its partners. The pricing for employers to post jobs on the system is a flat monthly rate for a number of job posts at any time. Employers can upgrade their packages for an additional fee. Employers also pay for contacts with candidates. Partners of Ziprecruiter pay for access to the jobs and candidates.

Ziprecruiter reports that there are 2.8 M employers posting 9M jobs each month. The pricing structure of Ziprecruiter incentivizes employers to post more than 1 job at a time. As a result, it means that the employers on the system are posting multiple jobs at a time.

With these basic stats on Ziprecruiter, let's hop into the pros and cons for the system for employers and jobseekers as seen by our team of recruiters, career coaches and resume writers.

PROS

There are some great features to Ziprecruiter for employers and people looking for jobs. The following are the top pros for people using Ziprecruiter.

Easy to Use

The interface for employers and job seekers is easy to use. It is one of the most intuitive job boards on the market. This makes it easy for employers to post a job and for jobseekers to search and apply to jobs.

Integrated With Other Job Boards

When an employer posts a job on Ziprecruiter, it gets sent out to over 100 other job boards. This gives employers massive reach for their job postings.

Jobseekers can also search for jobs on Ziprecruiter that are being pulled in from other job boards. This means that you don't have to search each job board separately. You can find all of the jobs in one place.

Pre-Screening Questions

Employers have the option to add pre-screening questions to their job postings. This is a great way to weed out candidates that aren't the best fit for what is really needed for the position or the team's culture.

Advanced Search Filters

The search filters on Ziprecruiter are very advanced. Employers can search for specific keywords, location, and other criteria. Jobseekers can also use the same filters to find jobs that they are interested in and qualified for.

You can also save searches on Ziprecruiter. This is a great way to be alerted when new jobs that match your criteria are posted.

AI-Matching

Ziprecruiter recently launched "Phil" the personal recruiter. This is the system's AI bot that is making recommendations for jobseekers based on their profile and preferences in the system. This can be a great tool to find the right jobs for jobseekers. This tool also helps employers to stand out for the right candidates if the keywords are a match for someone's profile.

Many Jobs

There are also a ton of jobs posted on Ziprecruiter. This volume of positions is great for jobseekers looking aggressively to find their next opportunity. Take the time to filter through these job postings and you may just find what you are looking for!

Clear Pricing for Employers

Ziprecruiter's pricing for employers is a monthly set fee. This enables predictability in terms of costs that some of the competitors can't offer. There are options to upgrade these postings to gain priority placement or visibility. But, these prices are all predictable to employers who want to find the right people for their open positions. And, the multi-pack pricing of jobs makes Ziprecruiter a great option for employers looking to fill several positions at a time.

Mobile Friendly

The mobile app for Ziprecruiter makes it easy for job seekers and employers to use the system. In fact, Ziprecruiter reports that most of its users come from mobile devices. Many people do not have a personal computer and the option to apply online effectively by a mobile device can be critical.

CONS

There are some drawbacks for employers and job seekers using Ziprecruiter as well. The following are the top cons found by experienced recruiters, career coaches and resume writers.

Profile Matters

Ziprecruiter works the best when it can filter the keywords in a candidate's profile. This means that the profile and not the resume are key on Ziprecruiter. A strong resume is important to pre-load the details into the candidate profile. But, after the profile is created, the resume isn't really used that much by Ziprecruiter. Instead, the candidate uses that resume (or others) to apply to jobs.

The analytics to employers once that candidate applies to a job is also frequently based on the candidate's profile. That same profile is viewed by employers when they are searching the candidate database to find people to invite to apply to their open jobs. This means that an outdated profile or one that is built the wrong way will ultimately hurt the person's search.

Must Know Keywords

Candidates and employers need to know the right keywords to use Ziprecruiter effectively. A profile that is set up without the right keywords will not get past the AI filters on the system. The same is true for employers, if you don't know the right keywords to configure the job, you won't see the right candidates for the position.

This means that starting with the right details is key for Ziprecruiter to work for you. Taking the time to do the research or to properly set up the features isn't worth it for everyone.

Not All Jobs are Posted on Ziprecruiter

Even though there are a lot of jobs posted on Ziprecruiter, not all jobs are. This is especially true of smaller companies or startups because of the pricing model of the system for employers. These employers may not be using Ziprecruiter or they may use other job boards instead. So, don't limit your job search to only Ziprecruiter (or any single job board for that matter).

ATS Integrations are Limited

Ziprecruiter is one of the biggest job boards, but it doesn't have all the same integrations with the applicant tracking systems (ATS) as its competitors. This means that the data on Ziprecruiter about open jobs and the applications may or may not make it to the ATS of choice of the employer. This can also translate into extra time spent to capture that information, delay in job postings, and even a loss of information by employers and job seekers.

Why does this matter? The ATS is what the employer uses to manage the open positions throughout the hiring process. So, after the number of candidates is closed, then the employer is less likely to be looking at information on Ziprecruiter. Instead, they are communicating and tracking people through the ATS. Thus, if the foundation of information isn't built the right way, then the scope of candidates in that search will be off.

Push with No Pull

Similarly, the Ziprecruiter system does not pull back the information once it is pushed out to all of its job board partners. So, if there is an error in the job posting or the information is no longer accurate (the position is filled, for example), then that old information continues to exist on the job boards. This can frustrate employers when they get calls about positions that are no longer open and it can cause job seekers to spend time applying for jobs that they cannot get.

Matching Requires Jobs on the Platform

ZipRecruiter is not for every search. The system is built for people that have the right keywords on their profiles so that they can match with the types of jobs that are posted on the system. This won't work for candidates who are trying to change careers. It also won't work that well for employers who are open to candidates with a broader background.

This also means that people looking to train potential candidates for those hard-to-fill jobs will see a limited number of applicants. Being creative with the keywords must be done carefully to avoid paying for matching to the wrong types of candidates. For example, including the word "bar" in a posting for an attorney because the person must be admitted to the applicable state licensure agency will frequently result in "bartenders" matching the job.

Employers are Narrow

As noted above, the pricing for employers on ZipRecruiter works best when the organization is looking to hire multiple people. This means that organizations that do not have a regular opening will not be on the system. It also means that organizations with limited budgets will not be on the system (i.e. start-ups, small businesses, non-profits, and government agencies).

Volume Isn't Fit or Qualification

The number of jobseekers on ZipRecruiter has increased over the years. This is good for employers because it gives them more choice. However, the volume of options does not mean that they are the best options.

As explained above, the profile must be configured properly for the candidate to stand out. Thus, the person with the best profile may not be the person that is most qualified for the job or the best fit.

Ziprecruiter is a great tool, but it is not without its drawbacks. These drawbacks can be frustrating for employers and jobseekers alike. Be sure to keep these pros and cons in mind as you continue your search.

Not sure where to start with your search or feeling stuck? The Contingent Plan team would be happy to help. Submit your information below to explore what we can do for you.