Why Some Jobs Will Lack Performance on Job Boards (And What to Do Instead)

Sourcing is more competitive than ever. Job boards are powerful, but they aren’t always magic. The smartest recruitment strategies aren’t about pushing harder. They’re about knowing when to adjust the approach.

Every year, we have conversations that start the same way:

“The sponsored job isn’t performing.”
“We’re not getting enough applicants.”
“Will increasing the budget fix it?”

Here's the hard truth:

Some jobs will struggle on platforms like Indeed, ZipRecruiter, or LinkedIn, and it has nothing to do with the platform.

It comes down to market math.

When a role requires specialized licensure and multiple years of experience, is in a competitive or rural market, and the budget isn’t aligned with that reality, generating strong, qualified applicant flow becomes extremely difficult.

Common job board adjustments include:

• Increasing budget to match competitiveness
• Enabling quick apply to reduce the steps to apply
• Expanding to broader or nationwide targeting
• Leveraging matched candidate outreach
• Strengthening job messaging and differentiators

These are smart optimizations - but sometimes they still aren’t enough.

That’s when we guide clients toward alternative strategies that may require more internal effort, but not necessarily more budget. 

What are the alternatives?

1. Direct license-based sourcing – Search state licensing boards by credential and location, then cross-reference professionals on platforms like LinkedIn to build targeted outreach lists.
   
   
2. Strengthen Google for Jobs visibility – Improve indexing and organic presence so candidates are driven to your career site instead of paid job boards, as 73% of job seekers start their job search on search engines. This one always sounds daunting and expensive for clients, but we promise we can help at a fraction of your monthly job board investment.
   
   
3. Diversify your budget – If you’re not connecting with candidates at every stage of their journey, you’re losing them. Diversifying your budget to stay top of mind is more than just posting a job on a job board; it includes strategies such as employer brand awareness, social media presence, and a career website that speaks to your culture.
   
   
4. Research where professionals actually look – In California, for example, many school-based SLPs rely on EdJoin. Platforms like Reddit and niche forums often reveal where talent is searching.
   
   
5. Activate internal thought leadership – Identify healthcare leaders within your organization, develop LinkedIn content under their profiles, and promote it strategically to build brand awareness among licensed professionals. 

The Bottom Line 

Sourcing is more competitive than ever. Job boards are powerful, but they aren’t always magic.

If the budget doesn’t align with market demand, or the candidate pool is geographically and license-restricted, no amount of tweaking will create supply.

The smartest recruitment strategies aren’t about pushing harder. They’re about knowing when to adjust the approach.

Let Wicresoft help you in developing a recruitment marketing strategy designed to adapt to market realities and deliver stronger results.