How Does ZipRecruiter Make Money?

ZipRecruiter is a job board platform that syndicates vacancies across similar sites, primarily monetizing the service as a subscription, from a base price of $249 per month going up depending on the features offered within the subscription tier. With a service called ZipAlerts, the company also makes money with a PPC model.

Business Model Element	Analysis	Implications	Examples
Value Proposition	ZipRecruiter’s value proposition includes: – Job Matching: Providing job seekers with personalized job matches based on their skills and preferences. – Employer Services: Offering employers a platform to post job listings, manage applicants, and reach a large pool of potential candidates. – Ease of Use: Creating a user-friendly experience for both job seekers and employers. – Efficiency: Streamlining the hiring process for employers and helping job seekers find opportunities quickly. ZipRecruiter appeals to job seekers and employers by simplifying the job search and recruitment process.	Attracts job seekers by offering personalized job matching. Engages employers with an efficient platform for posting jobs and managing applicants. Provides an easy-to-use platform for a positive user experience. Streamlines the hiring process, benefiting both job seekers and employers. Offers a comprehensive value proposition for the job market.	– Personalized job matching for job seekers. – Employer services for posting jobs and managing applicants. – User-friendly platform for a positive experience. – Streamlined hiring process for efficiency.
Customer Segments	ZipRecruiter serves the following customer segments: 1. Job Seekers: Individuals actively looking for employment opportunities. 2. Employers: Businesses and organizations seeking to fill job vacancies. 3. Recruiters: Professionals or agencies specializing in talent acquisition. ZipRecruiter caters to a diverse range of users within the job market ecosystem.	Attracts job seekers seeking employment opportunities. Engages employers looking to fill job vacancies efficiently. Offers services to recruiters specializing in talent acquisition. Connects users across the job market for broader reach and impact. Diversifies customer segments for a comprehensive platform.	– Job seekers actively seeking employment. – Employers with job vacancies to fill. – Recruiters specializing in talent acquisition.
Distribution Strategy	ZipRecruiter’s distribution strategy includes: – Online Platform: Operating a web-based platform accessible to job seekers and employers. – Mobile App: Offering a mobile application for on-the-go job searching and recruitment. – Partnerships: Collaborating with other job-related platforms and websites to extend reach. – Digital Marketing: Utilizing online advertising and promotion to attract users. ZipRecruiter ensures accessibility through its online platform, mobile app, partnerships, and digital marketing efforts.	Provides convenience through a web-based platform and a mobile app. Expands reach through partnerships with other job-related platforms. Utilizes digital marketing for user acquisition and engagement. Implements a multi-channel distribution strategy for accessibility.	– Web-based platform for job seekers and employers. – Mobile application for on-the-go access. – Collaborations with job-related platforms. – Digital marketing efforts for user acquisition.
Revenue Streams	ZipRecruiter generates revenue through the following streams: 1. Employer Subscriptions: Earnings from employers who pay for premium subscriptions to access enhanced features for job listings and recruitment. 2. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Listings: Income from employers who pay for each click on their job listings. 3. Job Boosts: Revenue from employers who pay to have their job listings featured prominently. 4. Resume Database Access: Charging employers for access to the platform’s resume database. 5. Applicant Tracking System (ATS): Providing employers with an ATS for a fee. ZipRecruiter’s primary revenue sources include employer subscriptions, PPC listings, and job boosts.	Earns revenue from premium subscriptions offering enhanced features. Generates income from employers paying for clicks on job listings. Capitalizes on employers paying to feature their job listings prominently. Charges employers for access to the resume database and ATS. Diversifies revenue streams with employer-focused services. Ensures financial sustainability through multiple income sources.	– Earnings from premium subscriptions for employers. – Income from employers paying for clicks on job listings. – Revenue from featuring job listings prominently. – Charges for access to the resume database and ATS.
Marketing Strategy	ZipRecruiter’s marketing strategy involves: – Digital Advertising: Running online advertising campaigns to attract job seekers and employers. – SEO and SEM: Optimizing the platform for search engines to increase visibility. – Brand Partnerships: Collaborating with other brands and organizations for mutual promotion. – Content Marketing: Providing valuable content related to job search and recruitment. ZipRecruiter focuses on digital advertising, SEO/SEM, brand partnerships, and content marketing to attract and engage users on its platform.	Increases platform visibility through online advertising. Enhances search engine presence for organic user acquisition. Collaborates with brands and organizations for mutual promotion. Provides valuable content to engage and educate users. Implements a comprehensive marketing strategy for user acquisition and engagement.	– Online advertising campaigns for user acquisition. – SEO and SEM optimization for search engine visibility. – Collaborations with brands and organizations. – Content marketing to engage and educate users.
Organization Structure	ZipRecruiter’s organizational structure includes: – Executive Leadership: Responsible for strategic direction and decision-making. – Development Team: Overseeing software development, platform maintenance, and user experience enhancements. – Sales and Customer Support: Engaging with employers and assisting with their recruitment needs. – Marketing and Content Creation: Promoting ZipRecruiter’s services and creating valuable content for users. ZipRecruiter maintains a structured approach to efficiently deliver its services and support its user base.	Led by executive leadership for strategic direction and growth. Employs teams dedicated to software development and user experience. Focuses on sales and customer support for employer engagement. Promotes services and creates content for user education and engagement. Maintains an organized structure for efficient platform operation.	– Led by executive leadership for strategic direction and growth. – Teams responsible for software development and user experience enhancements. – Focus on sales and customer support for employer engagement. – Marketing and content creation for user education and engagement. – Organized structure for efficient platform operation.
Competitive Advantage	ZipRecruiter’s competitive advantage stems from: – Personalized Job Matches: Offering job seekers personalized job matches based on their skills and preferences. – Employer Services: Providing employers with an efficient platform for job listings and applicant management. – User-Friendly Experience: Creating a user-friendly platform that appeals to both job seekers and employers. – Diverse Revenue Streams: Ensuring financial stability through multiple income sources. – Comprehensive Marketing: Attracting and engaging users through a multi-channel marketing strategy. ZipRecruiter’s strengths in job matching, employer services, user-friendliness, diversified revenue streams, and marketing make it a competitive player in the online job marketplace.	Distinguishes itself with personalized job matching for job seekers. Engages employers with an efficient platform for recruitment. Offers a user-friendly experience for a positive user journey. Ensures financial stability through multiple income sources. Implements a comprehensive marketing strategy for user acquisition. Enjoys a competitive edge in the online job marketplace.	– Personalized job matching for job seekers. – Efficient platform for employer recruitment. – User-friendly platform for a positive user experience. – Diversified revenue streams for financial stability. – Comprehensive marketing strategy for user acquisition. – A competitive edge in the online job marketplace.

Table of Contents

Origin story

ZipRecruiter was founded in 2010 by Ian Sigel, Joe Edmonds, Will Redd, and Ward Poulos to provide a reliable and effective platform for recruiters and jobseekers.

Ziprecruiter is one of the hundreds or possibly thousands of online job boards.

However, a recruiter who posts a new position on ZipRecruiter will then have that position syndicated across more than 100 similar websites.

For businesses, this removes a lot of the time and expense associated with the recruitment process.

Once the job advertisement is live, recruitment officers can easily peruse the list of applications and profile information through a dedicated portal.

Proprietary technology also allows recruitment managers to scan through a resume database and invite suitable candidates to apply.

ZipRecruiter revenue generation

ZipRecruiter is unique among job board providers in that it offers flexible and lucrative pricing plans.

Indeed, the subscription-model is how the company makes the bulk of its money.

From a base price of $249 per month, Ziprecruiter then works with each business to customize a plan according to its unique needs.

Extra charges apply according to:

How many job advertisements the business post every month.
The location and/or industry of the business.
The number of resume downloads required.
The number of employees forecast to use the ZipRecruiter interface.

ZipRecruiter offers Standard, Premium, and Enterprise plans, with the latter two plans including extra features such as dedicated support, premium job placements, and access to a larger database.

Prices toward the Enterprise end of ZipRecruiter packages are available upon request. In general, the more frequently a business wants to advertise the deeper its pockets must be.

Software

In 2017, ZipRecruiter acquired software provider JobBoard. This allows third-party businesses the opportunity to use the platform to create their own dedicated job board.

With near-instant access to 8 million jobs, ZipRecruiter charge handsomely. The Professional plan starts at $549/month with Enterprise pricing available upon request.

Similar to ZipRecruiter platform subscriptions, pricing will depend on the number and frequency of jobs posted and how many team members require access.

ZipAlerts

Job seekers who use ZipRecruiter can be sent targeted job advertisements via email, provided they meet certain criteria.

ZipAlerts is a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising program allowing recruitment managers to target suitably qualified individuals in their inbox.

Each time the individual clicks an ad, the business doing the advertising has to pay ZipRecruiter a small fee. Ultimately, the exact fee amount is dependent upon the location and type of job advertised and the demand for jobs in the particular industry.

Key takeaways:

ZipRecruiter was created in 2011 to provide an effective and reliable platform for both job seekers and hiring businesses.
ZipRecruiter offers flexible and tailored pricing plans which provide a point of difference in the job search industry. This is particularly true for medium to large enterprises who can work with dedicated account managers to tailor a plan according to their unique needs.
ZipRecruiter also makes money by selling software to businesses who want to start their own job boards. The company also collects a fee by allowing recruitment managers to target suitable candidates through email PPC advertising.