Job portals put to the test: reach, effort, and real results

The job market is changing—and with it, job boards of all sizes. For companies, this means that choosing the right channel for recruiting is becoming more complex. While some platforms are upgrading their technology and strengthening their market position, others are falling behind. Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to be a game changer—but not always to the advantage of employers.

Winners: Platforms with a clear profile and technological advancement

Large platforms such as Indeed and specialized providers such as StepStone continue to hold their own. They are investing specifically in technology and user guidance—particularly in AI-based suggestion mechanisms and more efficient matching logic.

The aim is to match applicants with suitable positions more quickly—and vice versa. Employers benefit from improved reach and, in some cases, significantly optimized candidate quality.

Indeed is evolving from a traditional job board to an integrated recruiting platform—including application tracking and interview scheduling.

Specialized job boards in medicine, technology, and nursing are also popular because they precisely target specific audiences and bring together qualified professionals with a genuine interest in the field.

Losers: Platforms such as LinkedIn – irrelevant for employers

Other providers are becoming less and less important—especially general job boards without a target audience focus, AI logic, or reach. Here, the high volume of applicants often leads to an enormous amount of time spent on selection—while quality declines.

LinkedIn, once considered a beacon of hope for active sourcing, is increasingly coming under criticism.

From the perspective of many employers, the platform is not selective enough—sourcing is often vague and not very effective. Instead of clearly addressable skilled workers and employees willing to change jobs, the platform is dominated by self-promoting profiles of freelancers, coaches, and consultants. This makes it difficult to approach candidates directly and reduces the platform's usefulness as a recruiting channel – especially for small and medium-sized businesses and for specialist positions with fixed employment prospects.

AI as a topic for the future: opportunities – but also new challenges

Tomorrow's job boards will rely even more heavily on AI, with far-reaching implications for everyday recruiting:

• Intelligent search and recommendation functions are designed to improve matching—based on skills, experience, and even soft factors.
• Automated pre-qualification and semantic analysis of resumes and job profiles reduce manual effort and can speed up processes.
• At the same time, however, there is a growing risk of filter bubbles and black-box matching, where good candidates fall through the cracks because they are not formatted in an “AI-compliant” manner.

For companies, this means that if they want to continue to reach suitable talent, they must choose their channels wisely—and be prepared to adapt their processes regularly.

Our tip: Combine strategy with experience

Kontrast Personalberatung GmbH has been supporting employers in all industries for many years in choosing the right channels and making professional use of modern recruiting methods.

We combine active sourcing by people, strategically placed job advertisements, and direct contact with the candidate pool—so that you are not dependent on chance, but can find the right talent in a targeted manner.

Get in touch with us—we support your recruitment efforts with expertise, market experience, and the right tools.