A job ad can have no placement fee, a fixed price for a period, or a sponsored budget that pays for interactions. Recruiting software may add a subscription. Before comparing amounts, write down the country, duration, and service each quote covers.
Compare the thing you are buying
| Route | What the charge covers | What to establish first |
|---|---|---|
| Direct organic listing | Publication without a media fee, where eligible | Account conditions, limits, and available exposure |
| Fixed-duration placement | A specified product for a specified period | Duration, included channels, renewal, and tax |
| Sponsored campaign | Paid promotion under a budget | Chargeable action, spending controls, and stopping rules |
| Recruiting subscription | Software access and included distribution | Billing period, active-job allowance, and paid extras |
An organic listing included in a paid subscription still has a software cost. A sponsored ad sold through a tool can carry an additional media charge. Neither should be presented as an all-inclusive free service.
Indeed’s German pricing explanation describes variable sponsored costs and different chargeable actions. LinkedIn’s pricing page likewise distinguishes free listings and budgeted promotion. These direct-purchase conditions should not be assumed to apply unchanged through an intermediary.
For a German placement, inspect Stepstone’s current employer offer rather than carrying a historic price into the budget. A quote or a price shown after selecting a product is still a price you can compare; an unverified range is not a substitute.
Build a budget for your vacancy
Keep cash expenditure and staff time visible in separate rows. Your internal hourly estimate belongs in the economic comparison, even though it is not a supplier invoice. Record any annual commitment in full rather than treating the advertised monthly equivalent as a cancellable monthly price.
The following figures are invented examples for arithmetic, not Join prices, board quotes, recommended budgets, or expected outcomes. All amounts exclude tax for comparability.
One occasional vacancy
Suppose you allow €180 for media, €30 for one month of software, and four hours of administration valued at €25 an hour. Cash expenditure is €210. Including €100 of internal time gives an economic cost of €310. If no media is purchased, remove that line; if the software is an annual contract, replace the monthly assumption with the actual commitment.
Several vacancies at once
Assume three vacancies, each with a €200 media allowance and a €30 monthly software charge. Eight hours of shared administration at €25 an hour add €200. Cash expenditure is €690; the total including time is €890. This model assumes per-vacancy software pricing. A company-wide licence needs one shared line instead.
These totals buy a campaign and the work around it. They do not predict a hire.
Compare costs against completed applications
Cost per click divides media spend by clicks. Cost per started application uses application starts. Cost per completed application uses submissions. Cost per qualified application requires the hiring team to define and apply job-relevant criteria consistently before counting.
Keep the numerator and period consistent when comparing channels. A provider’s billed application start can be useful for reconciling an invoice, but it does not establish how many suitable people completed the process. With no qualifying applications, there is no meaningful cost-per-qualified-application figure to report; show the spend and zero count separately.
Use the country guides for Germany or Spain to choose relevant channels, and the Indeed and LinkedIn profiles to inspect each route. If the current ad gets views but no completed applications, work through the diagnostic checks before expanding the budget.
When the offer is clear and the form works but relevant people rarely see the ad, test paid reach with a spending limit and an end date. Review completed applications and their relevance before extending the campaign.
Decide what to purchase
Join earns revenue from recruiting software and paid placements. That is why we separate the subscription from advertising spend here. The pricing page shows the billing options; optional paid placements are additional. Multiposting explains distribution. Check the channels available to your vacancy and account before treating any board as included.
You can try Join free to assess the workflow. A trial is not a promise of free premium advertising.
Before approving a purchase, record the chargeable unit, campaign dates, maximum commitment, renewal behaviour, tax treatment, and extras. Name who will stop or extend the campaign. Recheck live prices when you buy: a useful budget records its assumptions clearly enough to update them.
