What is a job board

As soon as we talk about recruitment or online job searching, job boards inevitably come up in the discussion. They are where a large share of job offers are concentrated, where candidates refine their searches, and where companies test the market. Yet behind this term that everyone uses, the reality remains unclear for many people.

Laying the groundwork to recruit better, or to find a job more effectively, starts with understanding what a job board really is, what it is used for, and how it fits into today’s recruitment landscape.

The job board: in practical terms

A job board is a web platform that allows companies to publish job openings and candidates to browse them and apply.

Historically, it is the digital version of newspaper classified ads. Or the Yellow Pages of employment, if you prefer.

Today, these platforms have become sophisticated search engines, equipped with matching algorithms and employer branding features.

In short, it is a place where two sides meet:

Supply: job postings published by recruiters
Demand: applications from job seekers or people looking for missions or projects

How does it work?

The system is based on a dual dynamic:

Recruiter side

The company purchases space (per posting or via a subscription) to publish its job ad. On some platforms, it can also access a CV database to proactively search for profiles without waiting for candidates to apply.

Candidate side

Access is generally free. Candidates use keywords and filters (location, salary, contract type) to find opportunities, upload their CV, and create email alerts to be notified of new job postings.

The different families of job boards

Not all job sites are created equal. For an effective recruitment strategy, it is crucial to distinguish between three main categories:

Generalist job boards:

These are the heavyweights of the sector (Meet My Job, Indeed, LinkedIn Jobs, etc.). They cover all industries, all roles, and all geographic areas.

Advantage: Very high traffic, making it possible to reach a broad pool of candidates.
Drawback: A volume of applications that can be difficult to manage and often less qualified or less relevant.

Specialist or niche job boards:

These platforms focus on a specific industry (hospitality, healthcare, IT), a targeted population (executives, students, freelancers), or a specific geographic area. For example, Mister Horeca, a key platform for hospitality and food service roles in Belgium, or BeDevs, dedicated to recruiting developers, data analysts, and other tech profiles in Belgium.

Advantage: A smaller but much more targeted and qualified audience.
Drawback: A higher cost per click or per posting relative to volume (though not always).

Aggregators:

They function like search engines (e.g., Google for Jobs, Optioncarriere). They do not always host job ads themselves but scan the web (company career pages, other job boards) to centralize listings.

Public employment services:

These are managed by regional authorities and provide access to a large pool of candidates while ensuring a certain level of transparency and legal compliance. Among the best known:

Brussels: Actiris, talent.brussels
Wallonia: Le Forem
Flanders: VDAB

These sites allow you to publish job offers to a diverse audience, ranging from active job seekers to candidates who are less visible on private platforms.

Advantage: Free or low-cost visibility to a large audience.
Drawback: Profiles can be very diverse, and candidate qualification may be less targeted than on specialized platforms.

Why job boards remain essential

Even though networking, referrals, and LinkedIn have taken on a major role, job boards remain essential for several reasons.

First, they concentrate a large share of actively searching candidates. For many people, the first reflex is still to type a job title and a city into a job search engine.

Second, they give companies a fast way to test the market, measure the attractiveness of a role, and generate a volume of applications in a short time.

However, their role has evolved. They have become employer branding tools, where organizations work on their image through dedicated pages, office photos, team testimonials, and sometimes more transparent information about salaries and working conditions.

In Summary

A job board is a meeting point between companies that are hiring and candidates who are actively looking for opportunities. When used thoughtfully, it is an effective lever to gain visibility and feed a talent pipeline.