The verdict in three sentences
For a 600-employee mid-sized company in Berlin struggling to hire technical profiles, a careers site rebuild should be budgeted at EUR 15,000 to 30,000 excl. VAT in 2026. The investment pays back quickly when the site halves the cost per application, from EUR 70 on job boards to roughly EUR 35 for direct applications. The project fits in 8 weeks if ATS integration and GDPR compliance for CVs are scoped in the very first meeting.
What you are actually buying: the cost lines
An employer brand site is not a "Join us" page with three PDF job ads. It is a recruiting tool that must convince a developer or engineer, approached several times a week by better-known competitors, to apply to you. Here is a typical 2026 budget breakdown, an order of magnitude observed for mid-sized European employers.
| Cost line | Essential version | Full version | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| EVP strategy and site map | EUR 2,000 | EUR 4,000 | Workshops with HR and managers |
| UI design and mockups | EUR 3,500 | EUR 6,500 | 8 to 15 responsive templates |
| Development and CMS | EUR 5,000 | EUR 9,000 | Job family pages, filters, DE/EN |
| ATS integration (job feed + applications) | EUR 2,000 | EUR 5,000 | APIs for Personio, Teamtailor, SAP SuccessFactors |
| Video testimonial shoot | EUR 1,500 | EUR 4,000 | 4 to 8 employees, short edits |
| GDPR, accessibility, QA | EUR 1,000 | EUR 1,500 | Consent, retention period, WCAG |
| Total | EUR 15,000 | EUR 30,000 | Excl. maintenance (EUR 150 to 400/month) |
The most underestimated line is ATS integration. Without it, HR retypes every job ad twice and applications arrive by email, outside any tracking. With it, a job published in the ATS appears on the site within 15 minutes and every application comes back with its source.
Careers site versus job boards: the calculation that convinces leadership
The CFO always asks the same question: why pay EUR 20,000 when job boards work? Because job boards charge for every bit of visibility, and a candidate who arrives through your own site converts better and costs less.
| 2026 indicator | Job boards only | With rebuilt careers site |
|---|---|---|
| Cost per application | EUR 70 | EUR 35 |
| Visit-to-application conversion | 3 to 5% | 8 to 12% |
| Clicks to apply | 6 to 9 | 3 |
| Mobile form abandonment | 60% | 25% |
| Share of qualified applications | 20% | 35% |
| Average time to hire a tech profile | 75 days | 50 days |
| Vendor dependency | High | Low, owned traffic |
The 3-click candidate journey is the most profitable lever: job ad, apply button, CV upload or LinkedIn import. Every field removed from the form gains a few conversion points, especially on mobile, where more than 65% of visits come from.
GDPR and the 8-week timeline: the two non-negotiables
CVs are personal data. European data protection authorities generally accept retention of up to 2 years after last contact for an unsuccessful candidate, with explicit consent. The site therefore needs a separate consent checkbox, a clear privacy notice, automatic deletion and EU hosting for attachments. In Germany, involving the works council early also avoids late blockers.
| Week | Deliverable | Sign-off |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | EVP workshops, candidate personas | HR director |
| 2 to 3 | Site map, key mockups | HR and communications |
| 3 to 4 | Testimonial shoot | Managers |
| 4 to 6 | Development, ATS connector | IT |
| 7 | QA, GDPR, accessibility | DPO |
| 8 | Go-live, source tracking | Leadership |
Mini case study
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Claire, HR director of a 600-employee industrial company in Berlin, hires 40 people a year, 15 of them technical. She receives an average of 30 applications per role, so 1,200 applications a year paid EUR 70 each through job boards: EUR 84,000 a year. After a rebuild at EUR 22,000 excl. VAT, half of the applications come through the site at EUR 35. Annual cost: 600 × EUR 70 + 600 × EUR 35 = EUR 63,000, a EUR 21,000 saving in year one. The project pays back in just over 12 months, not counting the 25 days saved on each technical hire.
FAQ
How much does a careers site cost for a mid-sized company in Berlin in 2026?
Expect EUR 15,000 to 30,000 excl. VAT depending on job family pages, ATS integration and videos. Maintenance of EUR 150 to 400 a month covers updates and security.
Do we need to change ATS to rebuild the site?
No, in 90% of cases the existing ATS exposes a usable API or XML feed. The connector costs between EUR 2,000 and 5,000 depending on complexity.
Are video testimonials really useful?
Yes, a job page with a video from a future colleague keeps visitors about twice as long. Four videos of 60 to 90 seconds are enough to start, for EUR 1,500 to 4,000.
How long can we keep the CVs we receive?
The common guideline is up to 2 years after last contact, with the candidate's consent. The site should automate deletion to avoid a non-compliant backlog.
Is the 8-week timeline realistic?
Yes if testimonials are filmed in week 3 or 4 and IT provides ATS access by week 2. Delays almost always come from internal sign-offs, not development.
Let's scope your project. Send us your annual hiring volume, your ATS and your hardest-to-fill roles: we will price an employer brand careers site between EUR 15,000 and 30,000 excl. VAT, 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.
