What a job portal is and how to use it in South Africa

Job portals, or job boards, are sites that can be used to advertise jobs or search for a job. With the aid of the internet, a job portal can greatly boost a person’s job seeking efforts and firms’ hiring process.

Using them effectively can translate into qualified candidates for your business at relatively low costs and is a free platform for job seekers. Below are a few tips to ensure you get the most out of job portals for employees and for job seekers in South Africa.

Job portals for job seekers

It is important for the candidate to find a job portal that will provide information on authentic and active job openings that are currently available. Search the internet for a job portal that is easy to use and has the correct search criteria for you.

Job portals are mostly free for job seekers; this gives you the benefit of posting your resume on multiple portals. Listing your profile is an easy, once-off process. Ensure all fields are filled in, as this will give you more visibility to potential employers.

Many portals request candidates to upload their resumes. This also helps employers shorten their list of potential candidates. If help is needed to create a resume, there are many online websites that can assist for free.

The option to receive job alerts is an invaluable tool which allows you to receive job listings that are specific to your search.

Job portals for employers

As an employer, Human Resources can account for up to 70 percent of total business costs. Therefore, the process of finding the right candidate for a position needs to be speedy and cost-effective. Choosing the right job portal is important, and this can be done by shopping around online.

Find popular job boards that have a large list of potential employees and which will bring you the most qualified applicants, as investing in those will bring you a high return on investment. Experiment with different job portals to find the ones that work best for you.

As an employer, your job description is your first contact with a job seeker. To entice job seekers to apply, create job listings that are informative and engaging. Candidates need to know where the job is located, what the primary duties of the role are and what skills you are looking for. Including this information in job listings will encourage qualified candidates to apply and helps you minimise applications from unqualified candidates. If you need help getting started with mapping out job responsibilities and requirements, check out useful job description templates.

Explain why you think you are a good employer and why someone would want to work for your company. This could include certain benefits and perks.

When recruiters post an employment advertisement, they can select particular skills they are looking for in an employee. Make it easier to find suitable candidates in less time by adding relevant criteria and explaining what the position entails. This allows recruiters to evaluate resumes to meet their minimum requirements, instead of filing through piles of unsuitable resumes to find suitable clients.

Benefits for all

Job portals offer candidates and recruiters an equal opportunity to seek out one another. For example, a recruiter might receive a resume that meets their requirements, and job seeker gets job alerts or notifications about job openings according to their preferences. In addition, automatic notifications will notify the recruiter and job seeker when a related job or a resume is published on the portal.