In this report, Appcast analyzed 2017 pay-for-performance recruitment media from over 400 companies across every major industry. What's in the Report? -Apply rate by device, industry, and geography -Average cost-per-click bid by device, industry, and geography -Impact of device and length of job titles and descriptions on application conversion rates -And much more!

1. 2018 Recruitment Media
Benchmark Report

2. Contents
Introduction
What’s in the Report?
Section I: Conversions - Apply Rates
Section II: Pricing - Cost-Per-Click Job Ad Bids
Section III: Job Content - Titles, Descriptions, Benefits, & Ratings
2
3
4
8
11
For this study, we analyzed 2017 pay-for-performance recruitment media buying
from over 400 companies across every major industry. To clarify, we did not
assess duration-based or slot-based job advertisements in this report. Only
recruitment media paid for on a cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-applicant (CPA)
basis were factored into this study.
About this Report:
I.
II.
III.
IV.
V.
1 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report

3. Introduction
In today’s saturated digital world, recruitment professionals are faced with the major
challenge of reaching the essential talent they need to help drive their organization forward.
Today, online job advertising consumes roughly 30% of overall recruitment budgets and is
becoming a topline priority as the talent landscape becomes increasingly competitive. The
introduction of new job advertising sources and models in the marketplace and a renewed
focus on recruitment marketing tactics have highlighted the need for greater transparency
of advertising spend and performance. As recruiters continue to allocate more of their
budgets toward job advertising, understanding the performance of spend is becoming
more and more crucial to drive a better ROI.
This report cuts through the noise and provides benchmark data on job advertising
performance. The report will help you identify the sweet spots and optimizations needed to
target candidates by device, by function, and in specific geographical markets.
2 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
By reading this report, you will have access to data including:
Breakdown of job ad clicks and applies by device
Apply rate by device, industry, and geography
Cost-per-click bids by industry and geography
Optimal performing length of job titles & job descriptions
Apply rate by avg. Glassdoor rating & number of benefits listed in job ad

4. We analyzed data from 50 million clicks
& 3.7 million applies in 2017.
Our research was based on recruitment media from over 400 companies who
marketed their job ads on a pay-for-performance basis - cost-per-click or
cost-per-applicant - and have compared our findings to our prior year’s research.
WHAT’S IN THE REPORT?
3 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
Conversely, the number of applications being
completed on a desktop computer or laptop
declined by 2.2% from 2016 to 2017.
Key Findings - 2016 to 2017:
The percent of applies on a mobile device increased
5.5% from 2016 to 2017. We believe this indicates
that employers have prioritized improving their
mobile application process and capturing more
candidates on mobile.
2017
50 Million Clicks 3.7 Million Applies
69.6%
30.4%
55.2%
44.8%
DesktopDesktop
MobileMobile

5. Apply rates illustrate the number of candidates who click on a job ad that also
end up applying. A higher apply rate indicates stronger applicant flow.
What is an Apply Rate?
Section I
Conversions: Apply Rates

6. Apply Rate on Desktop, 2016 - 2017
2016 2017
Desktop apply rate fell 11%, while
the unemployment rate also declined.
We observed a decrease in the desktop apply rate from 10.6% in 2016 to 9.5% in
2017. Similarly, the unemployment rate in the US decreased by 10%, as we’d presume
that candidates were more selective in applying to jobs.
APPLY RATE ON DESKTOP
4 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
10.0%
9.0%
8.0%
7.0%
6.0%
10.6%
9.5%
-11%

7. Apply Rate on Mobile, 2016 - 2017
2016 2017
Key Tip:
Mobile apply rate increased 18% as
candidates applied more on mobile.
The mobile apply rate increased from 4.3% in 2016 to 5.1% in 2017. As the percent of
applications being completed on mobile is increasing, candidates are more willing
and able to apply for jobs from their phones or tablets.
APPLY RATE ON MOBILE
5 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
Improve your mobile apply rate to convert more
candidates by i) reducing the number of questions in
your mobile application, ii) enabling candidates to
upload a resume from their phone, and iii) ensuring
the average apply time is 5 minutes or less.
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
4.3%
5.1%
18%

8. 2017UnemploymentRate
Apply Rate
6.0%
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
2.0% 3.0% 4.0% 5.0% 6.0% 7.0% 8.0%
MN
IA
SD
ND
MA
UT
VT
HI
NH
ME
IN
KS
TN
CO
MO
AR
AL
LA
NY
MS
GA
KY
FL
NM
MDWY
NJ
PAWA NV IL
OH
CA
DE NC
CT
ID
APPLY RATE BY STATE
WI
TX
RI
WV
AZ
NE
OR
SC
VAMT
9.0%
Apply Rate by State
6 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
As competition for talent varies by market,
understand how this will impact your recruiting
strategy. Adjust your strategy and bid up in more
competitive markets to gain access to the talent
that you need.
Key Tip:
Consider the market and unemployment trends in
the areas of your job openings and where you are
actively recruiting. This may give insight into the
difficulty of finding candidates in your geographic
area. Lower apply rates make competition much
stiffer in particular markets.
States with lower unemployment
rates had lower apply rates.
There was a noticeable correlation between state-level apply rates and
unemployment rates. For example, while the apply rate in Minnesota was
exceptionally low (2.53%), its unemployment rate was also low at 3.5%.

9. Industries with hourly jobs, which are often broadly distributed
across geographies, had higher apply rates.
The highest apply rates were found for jobs in Retail (11%), Sales (9%), Customer Service (9%), and Restaurant (8%).
7 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
10.0%
9.0%
8.0%
7.0%
6.0%
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
1.0%
0.0%
Retail
ApplyRate
SalesCustom
erService
RestaurantAdm
in
/Clerical
H
RBiotechnology
/
Pharm
aceuticalConstructionTransportation
AccountingM
anufacturing
/
Production
Technology
M
arketing
H
ealthcare
Engineering
Legal
Banking
N
on-ProfitCom
m
unications
Industry
APPLY RATE BY INDUSTRY

10. Pricing
With a CPC job advertising model, advertisers pay every time
a candidate clicks on a job listing from a search results page.
What is Cost-Per-Click (CPC) Recruitment Media?
Cost-Per-Click Job Ad Bids
Section II

11. Cost-Per-Click Job Ad Bid, 2016 to 2017
Key Tip:
$0.60
The average CPC price increased 22%,
indicating signs of market competition.
The average CPC bid increased from $0.55 in 2016 to $0.67 in 2017. This suggests
that employers bid higher in 2017 to reach and obtain candidates in what was an
increasingly competitive marketplace.
COST-PER-CLICK JOB AD BID
8 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
With the strength of the job market today and
competition for applicants, the average cost-per-click
and cost-per-applicant are increasing. This makes it
even more important to effectively manage job
advertising sources and make the most of limited
recruiting budgets.
$0.50
$0.40
$0.30
$0.20
$0.10
2016 2017
$0.55
$0.67
22%

12. By industry, CPC bids also increased
where competition is generally stiffer.
For the second year in a row, the industry with the highest average CPC bid was Transportation ($0.94),
a function with high-churn and turnover requiring these employers to actively advertise in high volumes.
COST-PER-CLICK JOB AD BID BY INDUSTRY
Industry
9 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
$1.00
$0.90
$0.80
$0.70
$0.60
$0.50
$0.40
$0.30
$0.20
$0.10
$0.00
Transportation
Cost-Per-ClickJobAdBid
H
ealthcare
Sales
M
arketing
Engineering
RetailCustom
erService
TechnologyM
anufacturing
/
ProductionAdm
in
/Clerical
Banking
Accounting
H
R
Restaurant
ConstructionBiotechnology
/
Pharm
aceutical
N
on-Profit
LegalCom
m
unications

13. Average CPC bids differed on
a state-by-state basis.
Cost-Per-Click Job Ad Bid by State
$0.97
$0.86
$0.79
$0.73
$0.84
$0.70
$0.48
$0.75
$0.75
$0.54
$0.67
$1.05
$0.62 $0.70
$0.64
$0.88
$0.71
$0.73
$0.77
$0.76 $0.97
$0.90
$0.87
$0.87
$0.58
$1.41
$0.28 $1.41
$0.88
$0.80
$1.05
$0.60
CT
CO
CA
AR
DE
IN
IL
ID
HI
IA
AZ
AK
AL
GA
MD
ME
LA
MA
KY
FL
$0.60
$0.67
$0.79
$0.71
$0.92
$0.62
$0.72
$0.57
$0.66 KS
$0.78
$0.76
$0.84
$0.67
$0.73
$0.67
$0.71
MN
MS
NV
NE
MT
NH
MO
$0.43
$0.68
$0.71 NJ
$0.73
$0.54
$0.70
$0.88
$0.76
ND
NC
NY
OH
NM
PA
RI
OR
OK
$0.75
$0.56
$0.58
$0.87
$0.70
$0.88 SC
$0.87
$1.05
$0.86
$0.74
WI
WV
WA
VA
WY
VT
TN
SD
TX
UT
$0.77
$0.71
$0.97
$0.76
$0.48
$1.41
$0.61
$0.75
$0.64
$1.05
MI
$0.75
$0.77
$0.67
$0.80
$0.60
$0.90
$0.76
$0.92
$0.75
$0.97
$0.71
$0.71
$0.67
$0.68 $0.57
$0.67
$0.66
$0.74
$0.56
$0.61
$0.60
$0.71
$0.76
$0.43
Key Tip:
COST-PER-CLICK JOB AD BID BY STATE
10 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
Consult average state CPC prices for budgeting
purposes and to understand how you can bid
appropriately to drive the most traffic to your open
jobs.

14. Job Content
Section III
Read Section III to understand the impact of job titles,
descriptions and how the use of symbols impacted apply rates,
as well as the advantages of describing benefits in your job ads
and cultivating a strong company Glassdoor rating.

15. Apply Rate by Length of Job Ad Title
1-3 words 4-7 words 8-11 words 12-15 words 16+ words
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
8.0%
7.0%
6.0%
2.0%
9.0%
ApplyRate
Key Tip:
Shorter job ad titles led to
higher apply rates.
In 2017, the average job ad title contained 7 words. The highest apply rate was for
titles with 1-3 words, with a gradual decline in apply rate for titles that were longer.
IMPACT OF JOB TITLE LENGTH
11 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
Keep titles to essential words only. Jobs with
shorter titles have higher apply rates.5.0%
4.9%
7.6%
3.6%
2.9%

16. Apply Rate by Number of Symbols in Job Ad Title
0 symbols 1 symbol 2 symbols
2.0%
4.0%
3.0%
5.0%
6.0%
8.0%
7.0%
Key Tip:
An Example:
4.3%
CTA
6.7%
CTA
Using 2+ symbols in job ad titles caused
the apply rate to fall by ~30%.
Character symbols such as %, $, &, and ! did not support a higher apply rate than
titles without any symbols.
IMPACT OF USING SYMBOLS IN JOB TITLES
Exciting Opportunity in Group Sales
@ a Travel Company - $100K+
ACME 34 reviews - Boston, MA
INCLUDING SYMBOLS
EXCLUDING SYMBOLS
Group Sales and Accounts Manager
ACME 34 reviews - Boston, MA
12 / 16
ApplyRate
Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
Limit the use of symbols in your job titles. There is
significant candidate drop-off on jobs that have more
than 2 symbols in the job title.
3+ symbols
Study Details: This analysis was driven from 552,743 sponsored jobs with unique job titles from Appcast’s
database.

17. Apply Rate by Length of Job Description
0
words
ApplyRate
Job descriptions with 300-800 words
performed best, with an 8-9% apply rate.
We observed a slight bell curve in 2017, as the highest performing job descriptions
were between 300-800 words. Job descriptions less than or greater than that range
saw lower apply rates.
IMPACT OF JOB DESCRIPTION LENGTH
5.0%
4.0%
3.0%
8.0%
7.0%
6.0%
10.0%
9.0%
2.0%
11.0%
100
words
200
words
300
words
400
words
500
words
600
words
700
words
800
words
900
words
1000
words
1100
words
1200
words 13 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
Keep your job descriptions concise, while still offering
enough information about the position. Emphasize
exciting benefits offered and provide honest detail
about what it’s like to work at your company.

18. Key Tip:
14 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
In today’s ultra-competitive job market, it is important
to emphasize what benefits you offer; it helps motivate
candidates to apply.
20.0%
15.0%
10.0%
5.0%
0.0%
7.4%
8.0%
11.5%
17.1%
22.5%
Mentioning benefits in job ads radically
motivated candidates to apply.
There was a direct correlation between apply rate and the number of benefits listed in
a job description. Benefit types assessed for this study included medical insurance,
employee discounts, travel perks, and office benefits.
ADVANTAGES OF DESCRIBING BENEFITS IN JOB ADS
Apply Rate by Number of Benefits Mentioned in a Job Ad
0 benefits 1+ benefits 2+ benefits 3+ benefits 4+ benefits
Study Details: This analysis was driven from 552,743 sponsored jobs with unique job titles from Appcast’s
database.
ApplyRate

19. Apply Rate by Glassdoor Profile Rating
<2 GD Rating 2-3 GD Rating
Key Tip:
Companies with higher Glassdoor
profile ratings saw higher apply rates.
Organizations with a higher Glassdoor profile rating attracted more candidates
on job ads than those with a lower one.
ADVANTAGES OF A HIGH GLASSDOOR RATING
Findings based on a beta research project conducted by Appcast comparing the average click-to-apply rate
with Glassdoor ratings across 300+ organizations. 15 / 16Appcast's 2018 Recruitment Media Benchmark Report
Stay up to date with your Glassdoor rating, respond to
reviews and do your best to instill a positive culture
throughout your organization. When advertising your
open jobs, your Glassdoor rating will affect the number
of candidates that choose to apply.
4.0%
3.0%
2.0%
6.0%
5.0%
7.0%
1.0%
0.0%
3-4 GD Rating 4-5 GD Rating
4.2%
4.8%
6.4%
6.7%
ApplyRate

20. About Appcast
Exchange Brand Clickcast Solutions for Job Sites
Appcast is on a mission to revolutionize recruitment advertising. As a team of recruiting industry
veterans, technologists, & data scientists, we believe that data and software can help employers,
staffing firms, job sites, and agencies alike dramatically improve recruitment advertising outcomes.
Interested in more job advertising resources? Visit our website to access our content library.
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job sites.
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Promote your recruitment brand message
to specific communities of candidates
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Improve the ROI of your performance job
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algorithmic bidding.
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Discover how Appcast’s plug-and-play
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