What does an employer need to post a job online?

The process of hiring new employees used to be significantly more complicated than it is in today's landscape. Previously, employers had to decide where to physically advertise a job opening and then wait days or weeks for applications to arrive before sorting through the responses. The shift to online hiring that has occurred over the last couple of decades has dramatically shortened that process, though. An employer can now create a listing and start reaching potential candidates almost immediately, whether they're looking for someone locally or casting a much wider net.

But while hitting publish to push an online job advertisement is a relatively simple task, there are still numerous tasks that need to be checked off the list before the job listing goes live. Employers still have to determine exactly what they're hiring for, decide what they're willing to pay for the role and confirm how applicants will be evaluated during the hiring process. And as more states and cities adopt rules governing pay transparency and hiring practices, the information that's included — or left out — of a job posting matters even more than it once did.

That can leave new business owners, small employers and even experienced hiring managers with a deceptively simple question: What do you actually need to post a job online? While the specifics can vary depending on the hiring platform, the position and where the job is located, there are several important pieces to have in place before you accept any applications.

What employers need to post a job online will depend partly on the website they're using and partly on applicable federal, state and local employment laws. In general, though, employers should be prepared with the following information:

Most online job boards require employers to create an account before publishing a listing. That generally means providing basic information such as the employer's name, contact details and, depending on the platform, information that can be used to verify the business.

Verification can be particularly important because fraudulent job listings have become a concern for applicants and job platforms alike. An employer may therefore be asked to verify an email address, company website or other business information before a listing is approved.

Employers should also decide how much company information to include in the advertisement itself. A short description of the business, its industry and what it does can give applicants useful context and help distinguish a legitimate opportunity from a vague listing.

Employers should also have the basic parameters of the job established before creating the listing. That typically includes the job title, responsibilities, location and whether the position is full-time, part-time, temporary, contract, hybrid or remote.