Are you looking to create a job board website? We’ve got you covered! Given that this is a very specific requirement, you’ll not only need a good WordPress job board plugin, but an appropriate theme which fits the product you’ll be using.
You’re in good hands though.
As a team of web designers, we’ve implemented such a scenario multiple times, so we’ve done the research, found the best (and the worst) tools and themes you can use and will be listing them below.
(Of course, the bad ones, have not been included ;-))
But why is such a combination important? While themes might be abundant in this industry, niche-specific themes tends to be fewer. Even more so, ones which are popular and reputable are even more of a rare beast.
And you probably know what it feels like to work with a low-quality theme. What is supposed to take a few hours, ends up taking hours or even days, plenty of frustration and in all probability, loss of profitability.
With the help of the below list, with a relatively detailed review of each item, you can quickly scan what each product offers, such that you can make the choice of the best WordPress job board plugin / themes for your needs.
If you have used web job boards and found them wanting, follow this guide to create your own.
You’ll need a WordPress install, a little effort, one of the job board plugins below, a career-related WordPress theme, and you could be well on your way to creating a fine end-result in just a few hours, without breaking the bank.
Don’t forget to find suitable WordPress hosting plan. Opt for a good VPS-based account, to ensure you have sufficient resources to power your website.
We often see reviews of job board plugins and reviews of career WordPress themes separately, but rarely see the two together. In our, single comparison page you’ll get everything you need to create your very own jobs board. All you’ll need is a domain and hosting, some content to flesh out your new job site and you all ready to begin helping the world find work!
We have collated 9 job board plugins for WordPress and 9 related themes.
Each represents the best out there in terms of design, responsiveness, ease of use and beginner friendliness. They will all require a slight learning curve but what else in life doesn’t?
Use one, but check them all out before you do, they are all worth checking out – we made sure of that!
Contents
9 Best WordPress Job Board Plugin Options
There are a number of job board plugins for WordPress but we consider these nine the cream of the crop. They are:
- Job Board Manager
- WPJobBoard
- WP Job Hunter
- WP Job Manager
- JobSearch
- Simple Job Board
- Apply Online
- Job Board
- JS Jobs Pro
Let’s take a look at them in detail one-by-one.
1. Job Board Manager
Job Board Manager is another free plugin that punches above its weight. Available directly from WordPress.org, this looks to be a very barebones plugin but once you install it and see all the features, you quickly realise it is anything but. This is a fully featured job board with everything you need to start offering jobs right away.
The plugin installs quickly and plays nicely with others. It has numerous five star reviews, uses the same creation process as these others and will have you listing jobs in minutes. It is well supported too with videos, documentation and a demo site so you can see what you’re getting into before you install it onto your own site.
Price: The core download is Free, yet, just like most other listings, addons are currently at $99. Once again, our feeling is that some of the addons are standard functionality, so be prepared to fork-out for these.
2. WPJobBoard
WPJobBoard is a premium WordPress plugin that delivers all the essential features you expect with a couple you wouldn’t. It works with most WordPress themes and most other plugins, uses a simple drag and drop functionality and installs as easily as any other plugin.
Creating a job ad uses exactly the same principles as writing a blog post. Create a new job, give it a title, category, description, related requirements and post. You can view and edit the same as a blog post and change every element of how the post looks and feels.
Price: At $97 for a single use, the plugin isn’t the cheapest but it is everything you need to set up a job board. A demo is available is on the site.
3. WP Job Hunter
WP Job Hunter is a job board and a little more. The core WordPress plugin allows you to create roles manually and post them on your website. It installs and integrates like any other plugin, uses the standard blog post creation process to create roles and lets you control every aspect of the process from listing to expiry.
WP Job Hunter also scrapes from other job boards like Indeed, Simply Hired, CareerJet and others. This is ideal when you’re first starting out to avoid that empty look you’ll get when you’re drumming up customers for your own board. Plus, the job boards use the affiliate model to pay you per click if you set that up.
Price: $30, probably one of the cheapest options here.
4. WP Job Manager
WP Job Manager is another job board plugin for WordPress worth checking out. It works in a similar way to WPJobBoard in that it uses the standard CMS creation process to work. You can create, edit, view and schedule jobs, add categories and supplementary information and create a good looking job board.
Where WP Job Manager differs is in its price. This is free and open source. It doesn’t look quite as polished as some of the other premium plugins but the core functions are almost identical. If you want to dip your toe into this project before committing money, this plugin is one way to do it.
However, if you require any addons, these come at a cost. Bear in mind that stuff such as Appling for a job, tags, and plenty of other “basic” functionality is not available with the free download. Support is also paid.
Price: Core (Free, sort of), support and add-ons are priced between $19, to $599, with most being around the $49 mark.
5. JobSearch WP Job Board
JobSearch WP Job Board is a premium plugin that is everything you need to create a professional looking jobs board. It uses the standard WordPress plugin installation and creation process, has a lot of design options, some powerful tools and can integrate into WPBakery and other plugins.
Features include the ability to apply with Facebook, scrape existing jobs from Indeed, perform geographical searches, receive job alerts and all those things you expect from a commercial jobs board.
Price: $46 and includes six months support and future updates.
6. Simple Job Board
Simple Job Board is exactly that except it means simple without lacking in features. It’s not as fully featured as some of these but everything you need to get up and running is present and correct. It installs seamlessly, enables you to create jobs quickly, integrate the job board into an exciting theme and utilise shortcodes to use.
The core plugin is free but there are premium additions if you like. It will create basic job listings that include everything necessary but things like CAPTCHA, location filters, email applications and other goodies cost extra. Each addon is $15 so the cost could soon mount up. Even without these, Simple Job Board is good at what it does.
Price: Free, but each addon is $15, we believe you’ll need at least 3 to 4 addons.
7. Apply Online – N/A
Apply Online is more a plugin for adding a jobs page to an existing website rather than creating a whole website around it. Nevertheless, it’s a fully featured plugin that includes everything you need to begin advertising roles on your site. The plugin installs quickly, integrates seamlessly and will work with existing themes.
Apply Online is a bit like Simple Job Board. The core plugin is free but extra features cost from $15 each. They include ads, application status, email notifications, CAPTCHA and application tracking. While this can wind up expensive, these extras are all optional as the base plugin gets the core work done.
Updated: The plugin is no longer available as of June 28, 2019
8. Job Board
Job Board is a barebones plugin for WordPress that still gets the job done. It works seamlessly within WordPress, seems to play nicely with other plugins and lets you create roles the same way you would a blog post. It includes all the basics such as employment type filters, location filtering and direct applications and will work within your existing theme.
Job Board doesn’t have the more advanced features such as scraping or social media applications but for a free plugin, it offers plenty and works well enough.
9. JS Jobs Pro
JS Jobs Pro is my final suggestion for a job board plugin. It’s another premium plugin but goes further than these others. As well as providing the functionality of a plugin, the price also includes a theme to go with it. So JS Jobs Pro is essentially a full job board wrapped up in a single package.
It includes the usual functions plus Facebook applications, user accounts, LinkedIn functionality, PayPal integration and a resume builder. If you’re serious about creating your jobs board, you get everything you need ion this one package. It isn’t cheap though, at $79 per year for basic, $129 for standard and $179 for professional membership, but you do get a lot for your money!
9 Best WordPress Job board Theme Choices
You’re going to want an attractive theme to run your new job board and these nine deliver just that. Each uses a predefined template that you can customise to suit your exact needs. Each is responsive, works with most WordPress plugins and makes setting up your own jobs board as breeze.
Some of these themes come with their own jobs board plugin and a couple use plugins mentioned earlier on this page. You can use that included plugin or try one of the above. Either way, they should work perfectly with just a little configuration.
These job page WordPress themes deliver everything you need for your own jobs board. They are:
- Divi with Job Recruiter Layout Pack
- JobCareer
- Recruitment Agency
- JobsDirectory
- Jobify
- JobSeek
- WorkScout
- Neve
- Astra
1. Divi with Job Recruiter Layout Pack
Divi with Job Recruiter Layout Pack uses a design template from the excellent Elegant Themes. It’s a fully functional recruitment template with multiple page types, including a jobs board, compatibility with job board plugins and an ease of use that only Elegant Themes can deliver.
The theme is purposely simple and uses a strong blue colour to highlight key areas. You can change that to suit your own branding of course but the design is a very attractive, yet simple one that would suit any colour.
2. Astra Pro
Astra is another free WordPress template, though we would always recommend you opt for the Pro version. This one has a range of predefined designs to suit a range of uses and can be quickly configured to match your brand. It is fully WordPress compliant so will work with any of those job board plugins and any other plugins you care to use.
We do love this theme, in fact, we’ve fully reviewed it here.
The premium version of Astra priced at $59 which includes more templates, training, one-to-one support and unlimited installations. Like Neve, the core theme is well designed but will take more work to set up than a few others we’ll mention here.
Price: Free is always a good price though, and at 59 bucks, the Pro won’t break the bank.
3. JobCareer
JobCareer is a ThemeForest template for WordPress that includes its own job board plugin. You can also use your own if you like. With a selection of designs to choose from, all using great aesthetics, a straightforward front-end page builder and a huge range of features, this is definitely a theme to consider.
At just $69, it’s not bad value given the amount of features it includes. From video CVs to email alerts, job alerts, Indeed job scrapers to Apply with LinkedIn, this is a fully featured job board platform with everything included.
4. Recruitment Agency
Recruitment Agency is another design theme from ThemeForest. It uses an attractive flat design with lots of on-page features such as job search, filtering, listings, featured jobs and SEO and design features too. You can configure it to suit any industry and any brand look with some simple customisation features in the page builder.
Like JobCareer, pricing is competitive at $64 and includes most plugins you need to use in order to create your job site. You can then use one of the job board plugins above if you prefer.
5. JobsDirectory
JobsDirectory is a simple but effective job board theme for WordPress from Templatic. This design is less about the aesthetics and more about smooth operation and no-nonsense page appeal. It includes jobs listings, category pages, employer outline page, customisation options and a range of design elements to help you fit to your brand.
JobsDirectory is also responsive and designed to work equally well on desktop or mobile. It is priced at $99 and includes a single use, payment gateway, full theme source code and everything you need to set it up.
6. Jobify
Jobify is another job board design from ThemeForest. This is another top quality theme that uses flat design, attractive colours and page elements but keeps things simple. There are dozens of options but the default is a credible example of how to set up a jobs board.
The theme comes with a jobs board plugin but will play nicely with those listed above. It’s a single purchase of $59 that includes everything you need to set up your own job site bar domain and hosting.
7. JobSeek
JobSeek is a barebones design from Themeforest that provides a simple, easy to navigate jobs board. It is no less an option than the more design-oriented themes here as what it does, it does very well. It’s more suited to a standalone jobs board than a wider careers website but can serve both with some work.
The quality of the design and navigation is excellent, the theme includes everything you need to set it up and has been designed with WP Job Manager in mind. It will likely work with any of the other job board plugins too though.
8. WorkScout
WorkScout is another simple jobs board template from ThemeForest. It also is designed around WP Job Manager but should work with other plugins too. The design is similar to JobSeek but is marginally better if I’m completely honest. There is more design on each page and the navigation and filtering seems slicker in use.
The quality is excellent and the role filters such as job type, salary range and tags is already built in. Configuration is simple enough with some practice and the inclusion of Google Maps to display job locations is a neat touch. At $59 for a single use licence, it’s a good deal too.
Visit WorkScout on Themeforest
9. Neve
Neve is a free ThemeIsle template that has the flexibility to be turned into any website you like. It will require more work than these job-specific templates but in return, you get the template for free. The Neve theme installs quickly and works with the latest version of WordPress. It should work seamlessly with the job board plugins above and make short work of building a job website.
The design is modern and responsive and looks good even in its default form. The downside of Neve is that you have more work to do yourself to brand and arrange your website into the form you’re looking for. If you know the basics of WordPress template layout, that shouldn’t take too long though.
Creating Your Job Board Website
If you’re new to WordPress, all this talk about themes and plugins might be confusing but it isn’t once you know how.
Typical installation of these products is typically very straightforward and it takes less than five minutes to install and activate a theme and a plugin. WordPress has come a long way in making itself more accessible and installing themes is a prime example of that.
Using a WordPress Job board theme
Once you’ve installed a theme, there are two ways to set up your site. Many of the above products allow you to import a full-blown working demo. This would include a full job board site, including demo data, with jobs, different career categories, and everything else you need to create a job board site.
To activate a WordPress theme, select Appearance from your dashboard, upload your theme .zip file, wait for it to appear in the Themes window and select Activate.
You will need to configure your new theme to work properly. Make sure you it integrates into your existing page elements and site settings but it should work. Alternatively, you can import one of the ready demo sites. In that case, all you need to do is tweak the imported data, to suit your specific scenario.
Different themes will have different options. They will likely show a Customize button within the Themes window in your WordPress dashboard or provide their own side menu option where you can configure it. Live editors will show how your website will look before you commit while standard editors will require you to save before you can see what it looks like.
The one thing to remember when you activate a theme on a live site is that it changes how it looks for everyone. You would be much better off using something like Xampp to install WordPress on your computer, or creating a test or staging site, setting up the theme there and importing to your web host it as a completely finished website. That way you don’t interrupt service for your visitors as you essentially load an entirely new website at once.
It doesn’t matter if you’re setting up a brand new website though as you won’t have any visitors as yet.
Using Job board plugins
Plugins are much easier to use as their effect on your website is less fundamental. You can activate and deactivate plugins at will and as long as you’re not using a cache or design plugin, all that will change is that you will no longer seen the function that plugin provided.
In the context of a job board plugin, you would typically create a space on your home page for featured jobs and an entirely separate page to act as the job board. It’s a very straightforward way to add features to a website. Most plugins will include a page element for front-end page builders or shortcodes for other templates. Either way, adding the jobs board to your website is just a case of setting it up how you want it to look and adding it onto the page.
The only extra thing to consider is registration for premium themes and plugins. As these cost money, the provider wants to make sure you paid so will require you register the software and perhaps input a code either into the theme or onto their website. It takes a second but verifies your purchase and perhaps enables the support function to work.
So there you go. A single summary page that contains everything you need to set up your own jobs board. Good luck with it!
Conclusion
With the help of one of the above mentioned, free or paid, WordPress job board plugin, you can come up with your own careers page or job site. We suggest trying learning everything on test site, then recreate everything on a live site. This ensures a clean, bug-free site. The career or hiring focused themes will help compliment your choice of plugin, with imagery and visuals associated with the careers and recruitment niche.
Let us know in the comments below, what parts of creating such a website you find most challenging and we’ll share our experience with you.
