The verdict in three sentences
A 900-employee construction group in Toronto that outsources part of its hiring to agencies spends 6,000 to 9,000 CAD per role. An employer brand careers site with jobs synced from the ATS costs 20,000 to 45,000 CAD and launches in 8 weeks. Over 12 months, cost per application falls by a factor of 3 on average, and a dozen hires that no longer go through agencies more than repay the project.
What a construction careers site includes and what it costs
In construction, candidates are site superintendents, project managers, foremen, skilled trades, estimators and apprentices. They browse jobs on mobile, often from the job site, so the site must be fast and applying must take under 2 minutes.
| Component | Essential version | Full version | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| EVP strategy and workshops | 2,500 CAD | 5,500 CAD | Employer promise, target trades |
| Design and trade pages | 5,000 CAD | 10,500 CAD | One page per job family |
| ATS sync (Workday, BambooHR, Greenhouse) | 4,000 CAD | 9,000 CAD | Always up-to-date jobs, no double entry |
| 2-minute mobile application | 2,500 CAD | 5,000 CAD | Optional resume, call-back request |
| Employee videos and portraits | 3,500 CAD | 9,000 CAD | Shoot on 2 to 4 sites |
| Job SEO and Google for Jobs | 1,700 CAD | 4,000 CAD | JobPosting structured data |
| Apprenticeship and referral section | 800 CAD | 2,000 CAD | Tracked referral bonus |
| Total | 20,000 CAD | 45,000 CAD | 8 weeks |
Maintenance and hosting run 250 to 500 CAD per month, plus 800 to 2,500 CAD per month of sponsored job distribution if you want to accelerate hard-to-fill roles. In euros, the build budget equals roughly 13,000 to 30,000 EUR.
Agency, job boards or careers site: the comparison
| Channel | Cost per hire | Cost per application | Average time to fill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruitment agency | 6,000 to 9,000 CAD | Not applicable | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Paid job boards | 1,200 to 2,300 CAD | 40 to 70 CAD | 5 to 8 weeks |
| Careers site without traffic | Variable | 45 to 60 CAD | 8 weeks or more |
| Careers site, SEO and Google for Jobs | 500 to 1,100 CAD | 12 to 22 CAD | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Referrals via the site | 800 to 1,500 CAD bonus | Very low | 3 to 5 weeks |
These are 2026 orders of magnitude for regional construction groups. Site superintendent roles remain the hardest to fill, and that is where authentic content (pay ranges, projects, career paths) makes the difference.
Mini case study
Rachel, VP of People at a 900-employee general contractor in Toronto, makes 90 hires a year, 25 of them through agencies at 7,500 CAD on average, so 187,500 CAD. She invests 36,000 CAD plus 400 CAD per month, so 40,800 CAD in the first year. If the site lets her hire 12 of those 25 roles directly, she saves 90,000 CAD, minus about 9,000 CAD of sponsored distribution. Net first-year gain: 40,200 CAD, and close to 76,000 CAD in following years.
FAQ
Need a professional website?
Kolonell builds websites that attract clients, optimized for the Sénégalese market. Free quote in 2 minutes.
Is a careers site useful if we already post on Indeed and LinkedIn?
Yes, they complement each other. Your site captures brand traffic and Google for Jobs, and applications there typically cost 12 to 22 CAD versus 40 to 70 CAD on paid platforms.
Should we display salaries on job ads?
Ontario's pay transparency rules, in force since 1 January 2026 for employers with 25 or more staff, require a pay range on publicly advertised jobs. Ads with pay often receive 20 to 30% more applications.
How long before we see results?
Jobs appear in Google for Jobs within 1 to 2 weeks. The drop in cost per application can be measured reliably after 3 to 6 months.
Can the site handle several subsidiaries and branches?
Yes, with filters by entity and city. Allow 2,500 to 5,000 CAD more for 5 to 10 subsidiaries with dedicated pages.
How do we measure ROI?
Track each application's source in the ATS, cost per hire and time to fill. A monthly dashboard is included in the full version.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your annual hiring volume, your ATS and your hard-to-fill trades, and we will propose a careers site, delivered in 8 weeks. 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.
