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ZipRecruiter combines an intuitive platform with AI-powered text generation and candidate matching features to help business owners post jobs and find candidates with minimal effort. We tested its easy-to-use tools to generate a job listing and received great matches we could screen and invite to apply almost immediately. The platform even automatically schedules video interviews. Overall, we found that using ZipRecruiter saved us a lot of time in the recruitment process, which is why we chose it as the best job posting site for reaching candidates fast.
During our test of ZipRecruiter, what really stood out was how quick and easy the platform made recruiting new employees. From start to finish, our reviewer Tom Anziano was able to put together a job description, post to over 100 job boards and receive candidate recommendations that matched our requirements, all in a matter of minutes.
With an intuitive job description builder, ZipRecruiter let us rapidly click through a series of skills and requirements related to our job opening and then generated a listing based on our responses. Once our post was up, ZipRecruiter immediately matched us with 61 relevant candidates so we could browse job seekers’ profiles and reach out to our top picks. We didn’t have to wait for potential applicants to find our listing thanks to ZipRecruiter’s AI-powered matching technology, which searched job boards and automatically invited relevant candidates to apply.
Beyond its core features, we found that almost every aspect of ZipRecruiter is set up in a way that requires very little time and effort—time-strapped small business owners won’t need to sift through job boards to find candidates. With ZipIntro, we designated time slots for video interviews and ZipRecruiter took care of the rest, inviting candidates and scheduling quick interviews, so we could focus on getting to know candidates rather than navigating the platform. We also appreciated that customer support responded almost instantly, and a searchable help center made troubleshooting painless. Even when running into challenges, we could get things sorted and back to recruiting right away.
ZipRecruiter provides a seamless user experience that even the most tech-averse small business owners should be able to master with minimal effort. We found the dashboard easy to navigate without onboarding or tutorials. Still, ZipRecruiter maintains an extensive help center which provides clear instructions for getting started.
One of our favorite aspects of the platform is that there are multiple ways to complete almost every task, so you can quickly perform an action without having to click through multiple sections. For example, we could easily create a new job post right from the home screen, from a quick link at the top of the left-hand menu bar or from the Jobs section. We found this flexibility made it even simpler to get things done quickly; it never took more than a couple clicks to navigate to the tool we needed.
We were especially impressed by ZipRecruiter’s automated job description builder. We didn’t have to spend time thinking about the correct job title or the right keywords that job seekers would search for. When we input our job opening, ZipRecruiter provided a list of the most relevant job titles that candidates actually search for. We then were asked a series of questions about the job opening with the most common answers already provided for us to add to the description with a single click. Plus, we could add our own responses if there were unique skills or requirements we wanted to include.
The only challenge we faced when testing the platform was that the process of editing the automated emails ZipRecruiter sends candidates after applying—this wasn’t as smooth as expected. We had to navigate to our user profile and then pass through two more steps to reach the field to edit auto-reply emails. We would have appreciated this functionality embedded directly in the Post a Job tab. However, we found a help center article that provided clear instructions and were able to complete the task in a few minutes after reviewing it.
ZipRecruiter also integrates with over 150 of the best HR software solutions and applicant tracking systems (ATS). Unfortunately, though, only users on the most expensive plans were able to connect ZipRecruiter with an external ATS.
We loved how quick and easy posting a new job was with ZipRecruiter. In under five minutes, we were able to create and publish our listing. The platform provided a list of job titles related to our input, ensuring our post aligned with the actual job titles candidates search for.
We were especially impressed by the AI-generated job descriptions. The platform asked us a few key details about the role and provided the most relevant responses. After only a few clicks ZipRecruiter created a custom job description from our responses. We tested it out with a marketing manager role and found that the description was thorough, although the copy was a bit generic. However, spending a few minutes editing for tone to match your company culture is a lot less time consuming than starting from scratch.
Most competitors also include screening questions, but we were impressed with how painless the process was with ZipRecruiter. You can choose from common questions related to work authorization, education, experience, certifications and criminal background checks, or you can add your own.
Adding these questions after posting our job was just as easy as setting them up from the start, which could be helpful for busy small business owners hoping to narrow the field of candidates once applications start rolling in. After posting a job, we added a required question asking candidates to mark years of experience and filtered out any applicants with less than five years in a previous management role.
During our test drive, we found the AI-powered candidate matching feature to be a highlight of the platform. Unlike many top competitors, ZipRecruiter includes access to this function across all plans, and even during the free trial. No matter your budget, ZipRecruiter will send the best candidates for the job your way.
Immediately upon posting our listing, we were matched with 61 candidates in our search radius. We could see an overview of their qualifications and their years of experience. ZipRecruiter also highlights engaged candidates, so we knew we were reviewing people actively looking for work. In the Candidates tab, we could even rate prospective applicants to help the platform better find the right person for the job.
While there were a few outliers, most of ZipRecruiter’s recommendations were in line with our job description. We could easily click to invite a candidate to apply and the platform would send out an automated message. We were impressed by how quick this process was, but we would have liked the ability to more easily edit the outgoing messages.
ZipRecruiter’s Resume Database is restricted to the Premium and Pro plans, so we weren’t able to try this feature during our trial. However, we were impressed by the wide pool of candidates, with ZipRecruiter claiming that over 56 million resumes are available, including 230,000 new job seekers added monthly.
You can filter resumes by a number of categories, including job title, skills, location, education and certifications. Unfortunately, though, businesses can only unlock the contact info of a limited number of candidates and have to pay extra to reach out to more people. ZipRecruiter makes it easy to contact potential hires that the platform matches you with, but we would have appreciated being able to easily contact more job seekers based on our own search criteria.
We found ZipRecruiter’s extensive reach to be one of its top selling points. When you create a job listing through the platform, ZipRecruiter automatically posts it to over 100 different sites, including Google Jobs and niche boards. The company claims that, through all channels, they have nearly 20 million monthly users, meaning there is a good chance your post will be seen by qualified candidates.
ZipRecruiter puts your job listing in more places than most of the competitors we reviewed. We especially liked that the matching technology automatically invites candidates to apply no matter the job board, helping you get more applicants faster. Plus, unlike many competitors, you aren’t charged per click or application, so even popular postings won’t break the bank.
We appreciated that ZipRecruiter made the next step in narrowing down potential candidates even simpler with the ZipIntro feature. All we had to do was quickly set up time slots and ZipRecruiter automatically invited top candidates for online video interviews. This tool gives time-pressed business owners a chance to screen better with face-to-face interactions without having to go through the hassle of contacting candidates and scheduling sessions.
We could review invited candidates and with one click cancel meetings with anyone who wasn’t the right fit. When we found a great candidate or just needed to cut things short, ZipRecruiter informed the people left in the queue and let us later review who we missed to see if we still wanted to reach out.
ZipRecruiter doesn’t list its prices publicly and states that pricing is based on the size and type of your business. To compare costs, you’ll either have to sign up for the service or speak to a sales representative.
When we tested ZipRecruiter, we were quoted a price of $24 per day per job slot, billed as a monthly subscription, for its Standard plan. ZipRecruiter quoted us at $35 per day per job slot for Premium, and $45 per day per job slot for Pro. Our quotes were based on a small company of under 10 employees looking to hire between four and 10 people. The platform also offered us the ability to boost our listing when creating a job post for three to 10 days at a cost of between $24 and $45. While these prices can help you get an idea of what ZipRecruiter charges, you should speak to a sales representative for an accurate quote for your business.
Most other job posting sites we reviewed do not offer ZipRecruiter’s flat monthly subscription pricing model. We like that this pricing scheme allows businesses to anticipate costs upfront and avoid costly bills for listings that attract a lot of attention.
ZipRecruiter lets you try most key features for free, but we thought that the two day trial period was a bit short. However, thanks to the user-friendly platform, we were able to test most features during that window, including swapping multiple job listings in our designated slot without incurring extra charges.
Here’s how ZipRecruiter’s three paid monthly subscription plans and add-ons break down.
Plan | Features | Pricing (quote based on <10 employees looking to hire between 4 and 10) |
|---|---|---|
Standard | Distribution to 100+ job sites, reusable job slots, dashboard, AI generation and candidate interaction | $24 per day per job slot (~$720 per month per job slot) |
Premium | Standard features plus Resume Database, multiple users, premium email distribution | $35 per day per job slot (~$1,050 per month per job slot) |
Pro | Premium features plus Traffic Boost credits and ATS integrations | $45 per day per job slot (~$1,350 per month per job slot) |
Beyond that, you can pay to add certain features to your plan, such as:
ZipRecruiter also offers an Enterprise plan with pricing tailored for businesses with more than 5,000 employees. Additionally, current users can opt to switch to the Hiring Pause plan at a reduced rate to maintain access to candidate information and past job post analytics, but it does not allow you to post new jobs or see more resumes.
ZipRecruiter prioritizes connecting you with candidates fast and that speed extends to the implementation process. Upon signing up, we were asked a few questions about our business and hiring needs. Then, before even entering the dashboard, we were walked through a series of prompts to create our first job post. The whole process took less than 10 minutes and we found it straightforward.
Before our post went live, we had to enter credit card info and select the level of service we wanted for the free trial. Businesses should be aware that once the trial period ends, plans convert automatically to paid subscriptions if you don’t manually remove job listings. After signing up, our post went live and we were immediately presented with a handful of candidates with ZipRecruiter’s matching technology. We were impressed that only a few minutes after getting started, we were already reviewing candidates without having to navigate through the platform.
ZipRecruiter doesn’t provide any onboarding assistance, but it does provide dedicated customer service reps for new accounts beyond their regular help channels. In our experience, reaching out wasn’t necessary thanks to ZipRecruiter’s frictionless platform. However, to unlock most of ZipRecruiter’s functionality, you’ll need to call their Trust and Safety team to verify that your business is legitimate. The team is available seven days a week, but not 24/7 like the customer support department. While we appreciate this added level of security, it added a small roadblock to an otherwise smooth implementation process.
In our experience, ZipRecruiter is just as fast providing customer support as it is matching you to excellent candidates. We reached out via the email form right from the dashboard and also used the live chat. In both cases, we received a response within minutes. However, we weren’t able to get answers to basic questions without first validating our account. Live chat agents are available from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST, while phone support can be reached 24/7.
ZipRecruiter also offers an extensive help center with searchable articles covering every aspect of using the platform. We found these articles to be incredibly helpful and many include images to make sure you can find exactly what you are looking for. For example, when we wanted to customize our auto-replies to new applicants, we searched the help center and immediately found an article that broke the process down into easy-to-follow steps.
There are a few limitations to be aware of when choosing ZipRecruiter as your job posting site.
To narrow down our five best job posting site picks, we took a close look at ZipRecruiter along with 17 other job sites, hiring platforms and applicant tracking systems. We researched materials provided by vendors, such as websites, help centers and tutorial videos. We also paid attention to the aspects that current users pointed out as pros and cons on third-party review sites, such as Trustpilot. In the case of ZipRecruiter, we then tested the platform’s features with a two-day trial.
While testing, we generated job descriptions, posted openings and reviewed recommended candidates. We also tried additional features and spoke to customer service representatives to gain a comprehensive view of the product.
We recommend ZipRecruiter for …
We don’t recommend ZipRecruiter for …
