Listing Jobs on Monster.com

Get the most bang for your buck on the big-name job board

By Jeff Ostrowski

In the past decade, Monster.com has become nearly synonymous with the burgeoning business of recruiting workers online. To get your recruiting ad into this hot jobs marketplace, you'll need to master some simple tools and techniques. The basic tools to manage your Monster.com ads are:

An ad-writing tool that will give you suggested copy for your ad. You can quickly tweak the boilerplate verbiage to fit your needs.
An "auto-reject" function that weeds out applicants who don't fit your criteria for experience, education or location.
The "My Rating" column, which helps you manage applicants by showing your feelings about them.

Understand Monster's bulk discounts

Monster.com's pricing varies depending on how many ads you buy. Buying just one "any location" ad costs $395. But buy 50 or more, and the price drops to $145 each.
Try: Check Monster's pricing guide for volume discounts.

Check Monster's local rates

If you're not offering the kind of gig that'll spur a cross-country move, you can save some money with a local ad; and the bigger the market, the higher the rate. A single ad in a small city such as Anniston, Ala., Tallahassee, Fla., or Boise, Idaho, will set you back only $195. In mid-tier cities like Des Moines, Iowa, and Louisville, Ky., the price is $295. And in San Diego, Silicon Valley, Indianapolis and Miami, the rate for a single ad is $395. Volume discounts apply.
Try: For prices in your market, look at Monster's city-by-city list.

Make your ads clear, concise and honest

The good news at Monster is that it posts hundreds of thousands of job ads, guaranteeing a high volume of job seekers. That's the bad news, too. To make your ad stand out from the many others vying for job hunters' attention, be sure to spell out exactly what you're looking for.
Try: Get pointers on effective ad writing from Monster, CareerBuilder.com and Inc. Magazine.

Use Monster's hiring tips

Is HR director just one of the many hats you wear? Monster offers how-to articles on hiring and retention and a human resources newsletter.
Try: Visit Monster's online library of HR advice.

Once Monster has weeded out the best candidates for you, do a little sleuthing. Google and Yahoo! searches can turn up intriguing background. And if you really want some insight on a young candidate, check to see if they have pages on MySpace.com or Facebook.
Get creative with your ad copy. Ditch the jargon and the bureaucratic job ID numbers. Write catchy copy to make your ad stand out.
The Internet is a great tool, but don't forget that recruiting is a contact sport. If quality hires are important to you, be proactive. That means making phone calls to job candidates you've identified as a good fit to your team.