Job Posting Strategy

---
name: job-posting-strategy
description: >-
  Complete job posting and distribution strategy for B2B SaaS companies —
  where to post by role (engineering, sales, marketing, CS, product, design),
  job board comparison, posting templates, sourcing channels, and expert
  recruiting strategies. References Betts Recruiting, SaaStr, YC, and
  Bridge Group data. Use when hiring for any role and determining where to
  find the best candidates. Triggers on: "job posting", "where to post jobs",
  "job boards", "recruiting strategy", "sourcing candidates".
license: MIT
compatibility: Claude Code, Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Goose, Hermes, Jesse, Windsurf, Zed
metadata:
  version: "1.0.0"
  author: LeadMagic
  category: founder-led
  tags: [hiring, recruiting, job-boards, sourcing, talent-acquisition, job-posting]
  related_skills: [gtm-recruiting, gtm-role-descriptions, first-hires-playbook, hiring-by-role, hiring-contractors, hiring-agencies, sales-team-building, employment-compliance]
  frameworks:
    - "Betts Recruiting — SaaS go-to-market hiring specialists"
    - "Bridge Group — SaaS sales hiring benchmarks and compensation data"
    - "YC — Hiring advice (Sam Altman, Michael Seibel)"
    - "SaaStr — Jason Lemkin on hiring and recruiting"
    - "Pavilion — Revenue leader hiring standards"
    - "Molly Graham — Giving Away Your Legos (team scaling)"
---

# Job Posting Strategy

## Overview

Where you post determines who applies. Posting "Software Engineer" on Indeed
gets 500 resumes — 3 are qualified. Posting on a specialized community gets
10 applicants — 7 are qualified. The mistake: spraying the same job post
across every board and wondering why the pipeline is noise. This skill covers
exactly where to post for each role, ranked by signal-to-noise ratio, with
expert sourcing strategies.

## When to Use

Trigger phrases: "where to post jobs", "job boards for [role]", "how to find
candidates", "recruiting channels", "sourcing strategy", "job posting
template", "where to hire engineers", "best job boards for SaaS"

## Authoritative Foundations

### Betts Recruiting
The leading GTM recruiting firm for SaaS companies. Key insight: "The best
candidates aren't on job boards — they're in your network, your investors'
networks, and communities where they're already active. Job boards are for
filling the pipeline, not finding your unicorn."

### Bridge Group — SaaS Sales Hiring Data
Annual benchmark reports on SaaS sales hiring: average time-to-fill, source
of hire, compensation by role and stage. Essential data for realistic
hiring expectations.

### YC — Hiring Advice
"Don't hire until it hurts. The best people aren't looking for jobs — they're
already doing great work somewhere. Your job is to find them and convince them
your thing is the thing they should be doing." — Sam Altman

## Job Boards and Channels by Role

### Engineering

| Channel | Signal/Noise | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| **GitHub** | High | Find people who build in your stack — search for projects using your tech | Free |
| **Hacker News "Who's Hiring"** | Very High | Monthly thread (1st weekday). Top tech talent. Free to post. | Free |
| **YC Work at a Startup** | High | Engineers looking for early-stage startups | Free |
| **Stack Overflow Jobs** | High | Developers actively or passively looking | $249-499/post |
| **Wellfound (AngelList)** | Medium-High | Startup-minded engineers | Free-$199/mo |
| **LinkedIn Jobs** | Medium | Broadest reach, highest volume, requires filtering | Free-$495/post |
| **Indeed** | Low-Medium | High volume, low signal — use only if other channels exhausted | Free-$499/post |
| **Triplebyte** | Medium-High | Pre-screened technical talent | $/hire |
| **Dice / Hired** | Medium | Tech-focused, good for mid-level | $/post |
| **RTC (Reddit)** | Medium | r/forhire, r/remotejs, r/pythonjobs — niche, engaged | Free-$100 |

**Best strategy for engineering:** GitHub search + HN "Who's Hiring" + Wellfound.
DO NOT post on Indeed/LinkedIn as your primary channel — you'll be buried.

### Sales (SDR, AE, VP Sales, RevOps)

Write the JD first with `gtm-role-descriptions` (role template, org placement,
transparent OTE/quota). Then distribute here.

| Channel | Signal/Noise | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| **LinkedIn** | Medium-High | Primary platform for SDR/AE. Sales Navigator for passive sourcing. | $495/post |
| **Pavilion (Revenue Collective)** | Very High | VP Sales, CRO, experienced AEs — member referrals beat job boards | Member referral |
| **Betts Recruiting** | Very High | GTM roles across SaaS — Comp Engine, unicorn offers | 20-30% of first-year comp |
| **It's Destiny Recruiting** | Very High | Founding GTM teams (pre-seed–B); inclusive bench; passive sellers | ~25% base contingency |
| **RevGenius** | High | SDR/AE/RevOps at all stages — active Slack community | Free |
| **SaaStr** | High | Bootstrapped SaaS founders, GTM operators, VP-level network | Community referral |
| **Modern Sales Pros** | High | Sales ops, enablement, RevOps strategy | Free (Slack) |
| **RevOps Co-op** | High | RevOps, Sales Ops, GTM systems roles | Free (Slack) |
| **RepVue** | Medium-High | Candidates research your comp before applying — publish honest ranges | Company profile |
| **Compgauge** | Medium | Comp transparency; pairs with RepVue for sales talent research | Company profile |
| **Revenue.io / Selling Power** | Medium | Sales methodology community; good for enablement-minded AEs | Content + network |
| **Bridge Group reports** | N/A (benchmark) | Set realistic OTE/quota before posting — not a board, essential prep | Free reports |
| **Indeed** | Low | High volume, low signal — skip for specialized sales roles | $ |

**Best strategy for sales:** `gtm-role-descriptions` → `gtm-recruiting` (active
sourcing + offer close) → LinkedIn + RevGenius for IC; Pavilion + Betts + It's
Destiny Recruiting for founding teams and inclusive benches; investor network
for VP+. Candidates on RepVue/Compgauge compare OTE to attainment — misalignment
kills accept rate.

### Marketing

| Channel | Signal/Noise | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| **LinkedIn** | Medium-High | All marketing roles | $495/post |
| **Demand Curve** | Very High | Growth marketers, demand gen | Community referral |
| **Exit Five (Dave Gerhardt)** | Very High | B2B marketers — newsletter + community | Member referral |
| **Superpath** | High | Content marketers | Community referral |
| **Marketing Twitter/X** | High | Find people sharing great work — DM them | Free |
| **We Work Remotely** | Medium | Remote-first marketing roles | $299/post |

**Best strategy:** Community sourcing > job boards. The best marketers share
their work publicly. Find them. DM them.

### Customer Success

| Channel | Signal/Noise | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| **LinkedIn** | Medium-High | All CS roles | $495/post |
| **Gainsight Pulse Community** | Very High | Experienced CS professionals | Community referral |
| **Customer Success Network** | High | CS leaders and practitioners | Community referral |
| **CS Angel** | High | CS mentorship community with job board | Free |
| **Support Driven** | High | Support and CS professionals | Free (Slack) |

### Product & Design

| Channel | Signal/Noise | Best For | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Dribbble** | Medium-High | Designers — review portfolios before contacting | Free-$15/mo |
| **Behance** | Medium | Designers — portfolio-based | Free |
| **Layers** | High | Design community with job board | Community referral |
| **Lenny's Newsletter Community** | Very High | Product managers | Member referral |
| **Mind the Product** | High | Product managers | Free-$499/post |

## Job Posting Template

For GTM roles (SDR, AE, VP Sales, RevOps, CSM, Demand Gen), use the full
templates in `gtm-role-descriptions` — includes org context, comp plan, and
quota math. The constraint-first skeleton below works for all roles:

**The "constraint-first" job post (works across all roles):**

```
TITLE: [Role] at [Company] — [Stage, e.g., "Hire #8, shape our GTM function"]

WHY THIS ROLE EXISTS:
We're at $X ARR growing X% MoM. The constraint preventing us from
reaching the next stage is [specific constraint]. You'll own solving that.

WHAT YOU'LL DO (5-7 bullets):
- Own [specific outcome, not "help with"]
- Build [what function or system] from [current state] to [target state]
- [Measurable responsibility]
- [Measurable responsibility]
- Hire and lead [team] as we scale (if applicable)

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE (12 months):
- [Specific, measurable outcome]
- [Specific, measurable outcome]
- [Specific, measurable outcome]

WHO YOU ARE:
- You've [specific experience] at a company from [stage range]
- You're [trait that matters for this role — e.g., "builder over manager"]
- You [skill or mindset — e.g., "write code, not just review it"]

NICE TO HAVE:
- [Experience] in [industry/domain]
- [Specific skill or background]

COMPENSATION:
- Salary range: $[X] - $[Y] (transparent — required in many states)
- Equity: [X%] (4-year vest, 1-year cliff)
- Benefits: [health, dental, 401k, PTO, remote/hybrid policy]

HOW TO APPLY:
[Simple process: email/submit portfolio/short form. No 45-minute Taleo forms.]
Include: [resume + specific thing that filters for quality — e.g., "your
favorite product and why" or "a piece of work you're proud of"]
```

**Job post anti-patterns (what NOT to say):**
- "Rockstar / Ninja / Wizard" — cringe, filters out serious candidates
- "7+ years of experience required" — arbitrary and exclusionary. Focus on
  what they've BUILT, not how many years they've existed.
- "Fast-paced environment" — code for "we're disorganized"
- "We work hard and play hard" — code for "no work-life balance"
- "Must have degree from top university" — filters out non-traditional talent
- Gendered language: "dominate," "aggressive," "nurturing," "supportive"
  (use gender-neutral alternatives — tools like Textio can audit this)
- "Recent grads welcome" paired with "15 years experience" — inconsistent
  and confusing

## Sourcing Strategy (Beyond Posting)

**The best candidates aren't applying to job boards. Here's how to find them:**

1. **GitHub (engineering):** Search for repos in your stack. Look at active
   contributors. Check their profiles. DM them: "I saw your work on [project].
   We're building [product] in [stack]. Would you be open to a conversation?"

2. **LinkedIn (sales, marketing, CS):** Use Sales Navigator. Filter by current
   role at companies 1-2 stages ahead of you. "I've been following your work
   at [company]. We're hiring our first [role] — would love to connect."

3. **Communities (all roles):** Join the communities where your target role hangs
   out (see lists above). Participate. Don't just post jobs — build reputation.
   Then: "We're hiring — posted in #jobs but wanted to mention it here since
   this community has the exact kind of talent we're looking for."

4. **Investor network:** Ask your investors: "Who's the best [role] you know
   who'd be a fit for our stage?" Investor referrals have the highest
   conversion rate of any channel.

5. **Backchannel references:** When you find a candidate, don't just check
   their provided references. Find people who worked with them but AREN'T
   listed as references. "I see you worked with [candidate] at [company].
   I'm considering them for [role]. Would you be open to an off-record
   conversation?"

## Output Format

```
HIRING PLAN — [Role]

TIMELINE: Post by [date], screen [week], interviews [week], offer by [date]
COMP RANGE: $X-$Y + X% equity

PRIMARY CHANNELS (ranked by expected quality):
1. [Channel] — [why]. Expected: [X] qualified candidates
2. [Channel] — [why]. Expected: [X]
3. [Channel] — [why]. Expected: [X]

SOURCING OUTREACH:
- Target: [X] candidates/week via [channel]
- Template: [customized per channel]

JOB POST: [link to live post]

DIVERSITY: Ensure post is gender-neutral (audited via Textio or similar).
Post to diversity-focused channels: [list].
```

## Implementation Checklist

- [ ] Job post uses "constraint-first" format (why this role exists + what you'll own)
- [ ] Compensation range included (transparency, required in many states)
- [ ] No "rockstar/ninja/wizard" language
- [ ] No gendered language (audit with Textio or manually)
- [ ] "Years of experience" replaced with "experience building X" where possible
- [ ] Primary channels are role-specific (not sprayed across all boards)
- [ ] Sourcing outreach templates ready for passive candidates
- [ ] Backchannel reference strategy documented

## Quality Check

Before delivering, verify:

- [ ] Output matches the user's stated request
- [ ] Named frameworks or sources are reflected in the recommendation
- [ ] The deliverable is specific enough for an agent to execute
- [ ] Any assumptions, risks, or dependencies are explicit
- [ ] No unsupported claims, invented facts, or private/internal references are included

## Common Pitfalls

1. **Spraying every job board.** Same post on LinkedIn + Indeed + Monster +
   Glassdoor + 10 niche boards. 500 unqualified applicants. Team spends
   40 hours screening. Fix: 2-3 highest-signal channels per role. More
   channels = more noise, not more signal.

2. **Years of experience as primary filter.** "7+ years experience" filters
   out the 5-year engineer who built 3 successful products. Years ≠
   capability. Fix: Describe what they've BUILT or ACHIEVED, not how long
   they've existed.

3. **No compensation range.** Candidates assume the worst. Strong candidates
   don't apply. You're fishing in a shallow pool. Fix: Include salary range
   in every posting. It's required by law in many states anyway.

4. **Passive job posting (post and pray).** Post goes up. Nobody applies.
   Post sits there. Nobody applies. Fix: Posting is 20% of the work. Sourcing
   (outbound to passive candidates) is 80%.

5. **Generic job post.** "We're looking for a talented engineer to join our
   dynamic team..." Every company says this. Zero differentiation. Fix:
   Constraint-first format. Why this role exists NOW. What they'll OWN.

## Execution Artifacts

- `references/framework-notes.md` — Named frameworks and reference tables
- `templates/output-template.md` — Deliverable shell for agent output
- `scripts/check-output.py` — Lightweight deliverable validator

## Related Skills

- `gtm-recruiting` — Active sourcing, offer negotiation, Betts & It's Destiny partnerships
- `gtm-role-descriptions` — GTM JD templates, org charts, comp benchmarks (Betts, Bridge Group, RepVue)
- `first-hires-playbook` — First 10 hires, compensation, interview design
- `hiring-by-role` — Role-specific interview questions and evaluation
- `hiring-contractors` — Freelance talent, IP assignment
- `hiring-agencies` — Agency selection and management
- `sales-team-building` — Sales team structure and compensation
- `employment-compliance` — Legal requirements for hiring