How do I advertise a job in Ireland? (2025 guide for employers)

Where to advertise a job in Ireland — what actually reaches candidates

Most employers start with a job board. That's sensible, but it's only half the picture. The main boards — IrishJobs, Indeed, Jobs.ie — are where active jobseekers look. They're people who've decided to move. They're updating their CV, scanning alerts, applying in batches.

That's about 30% of the Irish workforce.

The other 70% are passive. They're employed, not looking, but open to the right approach. You won't reach them on a job board because they're not there. To reach passive candidates, your advert needs to appear where they spend time: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and search results when they research employers.

That's what a multi-channel advertising package does. It syndicates your role across the boards and runs targeted social and search campaigns aimed at people who match your criteria but aren't clicking "apply" today.

What advertising packages cost in Ireland

We offer two flat-rate packages. No commission, no percentage of salary, no extra charge if you hire someone great.

Both are one-off fees. You keep every CV. You manage the shortlisting and interviewing. If you want someone else to do that part, that's managed search — a different service, which we'll come to.

Free options and their limits

You can post a job for free on some aggregators and on your own website. If you have a strong employer brand and a large social following, that might work. For most employers, a free post gets buried. You're competing with hundreds of other roles, and the platforms' algorithms favour paid listings.

Free posts also don't reach passive candidates. They sit on a single page and wait for traffic that may not come.

When to add managed search

Advertising works well for roles where the skill set is common and the salary is competitive. For harder roles — niche technical, senior management, anything where the candidate pool is small — advertising alone often isn't enough.

Managed search means a recruiter actively sources candidates, screens them, and presents a shortlist. Our fees are flat by salary band:

These are total fees. No percentage, no placement bonus. And if we don't fill the role, you get a 100% refund.

How long advertising takes

Across the roles we've filled and published in full, the median time to fill was 53 days. The middle half fell between 22 and 69 days. The fastest was 20 days; the slowest was 137.

Advertising-only roles tend toward the faster end if the role is straightforward. Managed search adds sourcing time but reaches candidates you wouldn't find otherwise.

What you need before you post

A good advert needs:

• A clear job title that someone would actually search for ("Software Engineer", not "Code Wizard")
• Salary or a salary range. Adverts with salary get far more applications. Irish candidates expect it.
• A short paragraph on what the company does and why someone should care
• 4–6 bullet points of key responsibilities
• 4–6 bullet points of must-have skills or experience
• A sentence on working arrangements (remote, hybrid, on-site, location)

We format and optimise every advert we post. If you're posting yourself elsewhere, keep it under 700 words and avoid internal jargon.

Irish job boards compared

A Premium or Premium Plus package puts your role on the first three and adds LinkedIn for passive reach. That's broader coverage than posting to any single board.

Next steps

If you know the role and just want it live, post a job directly. If you want to talk through whether advertising or managed search makes more sense, call us on (01) 575 5347. We'll tell you straight if a free post on your own site is enough — and we'll tell you if it isn't.

For a fuller breakdown of hiring costs beyond advertising, see what it costs to hire someone in Ireland. If you're weighing advertising against using an agency, read how long it takes to fill a role in Ireland.

Frequently asked questions

How do I advertise a job in Ireland for free?

You can post free listings on Indeed, on your own company website, and on social media. The trade-off is visibility: free posts rank below paid ones and won't reach passive candidates. If you have a strong employer brand or a large following, free can work. Most employers find it slow.

Which job board is best for advertising in Ireland?

IrishJobs.ie has the strongest reach for professional roles. Indeed gets the most traffic overall. Jobs.ie works well for service and retail. The best approach is to use a package that syndicates across all three and adds social media for passive candidates.

Do I need to include salary in a job advert in Ireland?

You don't legally have to, but you should. Adverts with salary get significantly more applications. Irish candidates increasingly expect transparency, and the EU Pay Transparency Directive is pushing in that direction. If you can't state an exact figure, give a range.

How much does it cost to advertise a job in Ireland?

A single-job posting on a major Irish board typically costs €200–€500 for 30 days. A multi-board package with social promotion runs €499–€599. If you use a contingency recruitment agency, the market rate is 15–25% of first-year salary — far more than an advertising package, but the agency does the shortlisting and outreach.

Frequently asked questions