Beyond the Backlash
INSIGHTS AT THE INTERSECTION OF INCLUSION, RECRUITMENT, RESEARCH, AND GEN Z
VOLUME 6: Job Boards Are Not Digital
By Tracy Barac, CEO Fluency Advertising
In a world where nearly every aspect of consumer behavior has moved online, it’s surprising how many companies still treat recruiting like we’re stuck in 2010. Job boards. LinkedIn posts. Sponsored listings on Indeed. These tools have their place, but they’re built for job seekers that want to find employers and the best talent isn’t always looking, because postings don’t meet candidates where they are.
If you’re a Head of HR or Talent Acquisition, here’s the reality: you’re competing not just with other companies, but with attention itself. To win in today’s market, you need to meet candidates where they already are.
Job boards only reach people who are actively looking, which is a narrow slice of the talent market. Yet research shows that about 70% of the job seeker audience is actually passive, meaning they’re open to new opportunities but not actively browsing job listings. Even worse? Your listings are buried under hundreds of others, making it hard to stand out.
Enter: Digital advertising for recruitment.
Recruitment marketing isn’t new, but true digital advertising for recruiting is still an untapped frontier for many organizations. Companies like Fluency Advertising are helping companies reach candidates through the same powerful channels used to sell products and services, like streaming audio, connected TV, social media, and programmatic display. These ads can even be retargeted based on behaviors, skills, or interests.
Digital advertising for recruiting harnesses strategic brand placements that position your company as an employer of choice, not just another option in a sea of companies. When done right they don’t feel like job ads at all; they just feel like content. And in an era of content-first marketing, that’s exactly how you get someone to stop scrolling and think: “This company looks interesting.”
Imagine this:
- A passive candidate hears your 15-second recruitment ad on their favorite podcast.
- Later, they see your company featured on Hulu while binge-watching a show.
- They start recognizing your brand in social feeds.
- By the time they’re considering a move, you’re the first name that comes to mind.
That’s employer branding in action and it’s scaled, targeted, and measurable. These are the channels you should be using. And if you’re ready to modernize your recruiting funnel, start by asking:
- Are we only targeting job seekers, or are we reaching passive talent too?
- Is our employer brand visible outside of LinkedIn and job boards?
- Could we be using our existing marketing dollars to power recruiting campaigns?
Are you ready to meet talent where they actually spend their time? Fluency Advertising helps companies break out of the job board rut by using advanced targeting, creative storytelling, and performance tracking to get real hiring results from untapped channels most recruiters aren’t using yet.
Digital-first recruiting isn’t the future. It’s already here, and it’s working.