The verdict in three sentences
For an IT recruitment agency, the website pays off when it turns every opening into a page indexed in Google for Jobs and every application into a clean record in the ATS. The 2026 market budget for a European build sits between 7,000 and 13,000 EUR excluding VAT for the site and job board, plus 1,500 to 4,000 EUR for the ATS connector; agencies in New York commonly see higher USD quotes for the same scope. Plan 6 to 8 weeks, including a full week of sync testing.
Why an in-house job board rather than only multiposting
Tech agencies typically post on LinkedIn, Indeed, specialist boards and niche communities. Each platform charges for visibility, and candidates compare ten agencies on the same assignment. A job board on the agency's own site captures candidates who search directly for "React developer Brooklyn" or "DevOps remote New York" in Google, with no commission and no paid slot.
The condition: every opening must carry schema.org JobPosting markup, with salary, location, work mode and expiry date. Without that markup, the opening does not appear in Google's job panel. In New York, salary ranges are also a legal requirement in job ads since the city's pay transparency law.
| Distribution channel | Estimated 2026 annual cost for 60 active openings | Candidates exclusive to the agency | Brand control |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinkedIn Jobs (sponsored) | 6,000 to 15,000 EUR | Low | Low |
| Specialist board (company page + ads) | 8,000 to 14,000 EUR | Medium | Medium |
| Indeed (sponsored) | 3,000 to 8,000 EUR | Low | Low |
| Free community boards | Free to 2,000 EUR | Low | Low |
| Job board on the site + Google for Jobs | 7,000 to 13,000 EUR in year one, then maintenance | High | Full |
The job board does not replace the platforms, it reduces dependency. A realistic goal is to raise the share of direct applications from 10% to 30% within twelve months.
What the budget covers, line by line
| Item | Content | 2026 market price (EUR excl. VAT) |
|---|---|---|
| Design and corporate pages | Home, practices (data, cloud, cybersecurity), team, contact | 2,500 to 4,000 |
| Job board | List filterable by stack, city, remote, salary; opening page | 2,000 to 3,500 |
| Google for Jobs markup | JobPosting, expiry handling, openings sitemap | 600 to 1,200 |
| Application | CV upload, privacy consent, automatic acknowledgement | 800 to 1,500 |
| Client company area | Hiring request form, simple assignment tracking | 1,100 to 2,800 |
| ATS connector | Import of openings, push of applications to Bullhorn, Recruitee, Greenhouse or similar | 1,500 to 4,000 |
| Maintenance | Updates, backups, sync monitoring | 150 to 400 per month |
The ATS connector is the most variable item. A modern, documented API such as Recruitee's or Greenhouse's connects in 4 to 6 days. An older ATS without a public API requires an XML feed or a scheduled export, which takes twice as long.
Typical 6 to 8-week schedule
| Week | Step | Decision point |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scoping, ATS audit, API access | Choice of sync method |
| 2 | Mockups for home, openings list, opening page | Founder approval |
| 3 and 4 | Development of pages and job board | Mid-point review |
| 5 | ATS connector and JobPosting markup | Tests on 10 real openings |
| 6 | Application form, privacy, automatic emails | Approval by founder or privacy lead |
| 7 | Full acceptance testing, Google Rich Results test | Bug fixing |
| 8 | Go-live, submission of openings sitemap | Indexing follow-up over 15 days |
On privacy, European guidance (CNIL) recommends not keeping a CV more than two years after the last contact without the candidate's consent, and US state privacy laws push in the same direction. The site should therefore push the application to the ATS and then delete it from its own database, or apply an automatic purge.
Mini case study
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Thomas, founder of a fictional 6-consultant tech recruitment agency, spends 22,000 EUR a year on sponsored ads for 60 active openings. He places 45 candidates a year with an average fee of 9,000 EUR.
He invests 11,500 EUR in a site with job board and 2,800 EUR in a Recruitee connector, i.e. 14,300 EUR, plus 250 EUR per month of maintenance (3,000 EUR a year). If the share of direct applications rises from 10% to 30%, he cuts sponsored ads by a third, saving about 7,300 EUR a year. Add a single extra placement from a direct candidate, 9,000 EUR in fees: the project pays for itself in about 13 months.
FAQ
Is Google for Jobs free?
Yes, appearing in Google's job panel costs nothing. You need valid JobPosting markup and expired openings removed within 24 to 48 hours, otherwise Google may deindex all the site's openings.
Do we have to re-enter openings on the site if they are already in the ATS?
No, the connector imports openings published in the ATS every 15 to 60 minutes. Consultants work in a single tool.
How many openings make a job board worthwhile?
From 20 to 30 active openings, traffic from Google for Jobs becomes significant. With 60 openings, an agency can aim for 1,500 to 3,000 monthly visits to opening pages after six months.
Is a WordPress site with a jobs plugin enough?
For fewer than 15 openings without an ATS, a plugin at 100 to 300 EUR a year may do. Beyond that, ATS sync and precise expiry handling justify a custom build.
Is the 6-week timeline realistic?
Yes if the ATS has a public API and content is ready by week 2. Plan 8 weeks with an ATS lacking an API or a brand design to create.
Let's scope your project. Tell us your ATS, number of active openings and current channels: we will price the site, the connector and a 6 to 8-week schedule. 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.
