Stop wasting money on job boards: a smarter way to hire

The smarter alternative to job boards is an AI-driven recruitment marketing platform that targets the right people, retargets without cookies, and continuously optimises campaigns to deliver better candidates faster.

Recruitment budgets are under pressure. Too much cash goes into job boards that don’t deliver quality. If you’re feeling that squeeze, start here: how to reduce recruitment marketing costs without losing performance. It shows how teams reallocate spend into AI-led campaigns and get better results.

The message is clear: job boards alone are no longer enough.

The pain: wasted spend on static listings

Traditional job boards are fixed-fee or pay-per-click models with little control. Ads sit passively, relying on active job seekers to stumble across them. There’s no optimisation, no retargeting, and limited reporting.  

For HR leaders under pressure, this means high spend with no guarantee of quality, an inability to reach passive or diverse talent, and poor insight into what’s working.

For a side-by-side view of why, see our Gaia vs Indeed job board performance comparison.

The solution: AI recruitment marketing that works harder

Instead of pouring money into job boards, AI recruitment marketing platforms like Gaia deliver performance-led campaigns across every major channel. This gives hiring teams control, reach, and real-time optimisation they can’t get elsewhere.

How it works:

  • Targeting: Ads are shown only to candidates most likely to be a good fit.
  • Cross-channel reach: Campaigns run across Google, Meta, TikTok, LinkedIn, Reddit and more, not just one site.
  • Real-time optimisation: AI shifts spend towards the best-performing channels daily.
  • Cookie-free retargeting: Keeps candidate pipelines warm while staying compliant.
  • Fast apply UX: Mobile-first flows cut drop-offs and boost conversions.

The outcome: better hiring results, less waste

Moving budget away from job boards and into AI-led recruitment marketing means lower cost per hire, faster hiring, and more diverse reach. Employers using Gaia report faster fills, reduced spend, and stronger pipelines. It’s why global brands and public sector organisations alike are shifting budget out of job boards and into smarter recruitment marketing.

Real-world proof

“Gaia’s precision targeting helped us reach the right talent faster, not just more applicants.”
Read the full Babcock case study to see how they saved £80,000 with a £200 CPH and £23.45 CPA.

What this means for hiring leaders

It’s time to treat job boards as just one input, not the core strategy. By reallocating budget to AI-led recruitment marketing, TA teams can cut wasted spend, attract more relevant candidates, and deliver faster, more predictable hiring outcomes. That’s the smarter way to hire.

Want to see the numbers for yourself? Book a quick demo and we’ll show you the proof.

FAQs

Why are job boards failing?

They rely on static listings that attract only active job seekers, with no optimisation or retargeting.

Can AI recruitment marketing replace job boards completely?

Not always. Some job boards still have niche value, but the bulk of spend delivers better results through AI-led campaigns.

How much spend can typically be reallocated?

Employers often shift 30–70% of job board budget into AI-driven recruitment marketing, depending on role type and volume.

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