The verdict in three sentences
For a 150-employee company in Dublin hiring 25 people per year, each role handed to a recruitment agency costs 8,000 to 12,000 EUR, or 15 to 20% of annual gross salary. A custom careers site at 6,000 to 14,000 EUR, connected to an ATS (1,500 to 4,000 EUR integration), targets 30% direct applications and pays for itself in year one. The site does not replace recruiters on rare profiles, it keeps them for the roles where they truly add value.
Why the current Join Us page hires nobody
In most SMEs, the careers page is a generic paragraph and an email address. Jobs are posted on Indeed or LinkedIn, but a candidate who clicks through to the company website finds no up-to-date openings, no team and no working conditions. In a tight market for technical, sales and operations profiles, that candidate goes back to a larger, better-presented employer.
An effective careers site shows what candidates actually look for: roles, salary ranges, hybrid work options, employee video stories, the onboarding path and an application form that takes under 3 minutes on mobile.
| Element | Basic careers page | Employer branding careers site |
|---|---|---|
| Job openings | Static list or missing | Synced with the ATS in real time |
| Salary ranges | Not shown | Shown per role |
| Team content | None | 6 to 10 employee profiles and videos |
| Mobile application | Email with CV | Form in under 3 minutes |
| Job SEO | None | JobPosting structured data, role pages |
| Source tracking | Impossible | Source of every application measured |
| Candidate response time | Variable | Automatic acknowledgment and status tracking |
The detailed 2026 budget
The cost of a careers site depends on the number of role pages, video production and integration with your recruiting tool (Teamtailor, Workable, Welcome to the Jungle, Flatchr or another).
| Item | Range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Careers site (design, development, 8 to 15 pages) | 6,000 to 14,000 EUR | Role pages, culture, benefits |
| ATS integration (job feed, form) | 1,500 to 4,000 EUR | Depends on the tool's API |
| Video shoot of 6 employee profiles | 2,500 to 6,000 EUR | One to two shooting days |
| ATS subscription | 1,500 to 6,000 EUR/year | Order of magnitude by vendor |
| Maintenance and updates | 80 to 250 EUR/month | Hosting, security, small changes |
For a 150-employee company, a complete project usually lands between 10,000 and 20,000 EUR in year one, excluding an existing ATS subscription.
Cost per hire before and after
The calculation below uses 25 annual hires, with an agency charging an average of 10,000 EUR per role, paid job ads at 1,500 EUR per hire and a 1,000 EUR referral bonus.
| Channel | Before: hires | Before: cost | After: hires | After: cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recruitment agencies | 15 | 150,000 EUR | 8 | 80,000 EUR |
| Paid job ads | 5 | 7,500 EUR | 5 | 7,500 EUR |
| Employee referrals | 5 | 5,000 EUR | 4 | 4,000 EUR |
| Direct applications via the site | 0 | 0 EUR | 8 | 15,500 EUR (site, ATS, video in year 1) |
| Total | 25 | 162,500 EUR | 25 | 107,000 EUR |
| Average cost per hire | 6,500 EUR | 4,280 EUR |
With 8 direct hires out of 25, or 32%, the 30% target is met and savings exceed 55,000 EUR in year one. In following years, only the ATS subscription and maintenance remain.
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Mini case study
Niamh, HR director of a 150-employee manufacturing company near Dublin, mostly hires maintenance technicians and sales reps. She invests 9,500 EUR in the site, 2,500 EUR in ATS integration and 3,500 EUR in 6 videos, a total of 15,500 EUR. After 12 months, 7 out of 24 hires come directly from the site. At 10,000 EUR per avoided agency hire, gross savings reach 70,000 EUR, a 4.5x return on the investment. She also cuts the average time to hire from 52 to 38 days on roles filled directly.
FAQ
How much does a careers site cost for an SME?
Plan 6,000 to 14,000 EUR for the site and 1,500 to 4,000 EUR for ATS integration. With videos, a complete project lands between 10,000 and 20,000 EUR.
What share of direct applications is realistic?
A target of 25 to 35% of hires through the site is realistic within 12 months for an SME active on LinkedIn. It depends on role attractiveness and the SEO of role pages.
Should we show salaries?
Yes, job ads with a salary range receive significantly more applications. The EU Pay Transparency Directive, due for transposition by June 2026, points in that direction.
Does the site replace recruitment agencies?
No, it keeps them for rare or executive profiles. In the example, agency hires drop from 15 to 8 per year.
How long until the site goes live?
Plan 6 to 10 weeks, video shoot included. ATS integration takes 1 to 2 weeks depending on the tool.
Let's scope your project. Send us your hiring volume and current agency costs, and we will price the careers site, the ATS integration and the expected 12-month return. Detailed quote within 48 h. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
