Advertising is pull. Database searching is push. Most hiring problems come from using the wrong one for the role in front of you — or, more commonly, using only one of them.
When a job advert is the right call
- Well-known, high-volume roles: warehouse operative, care assistant, driver, admin.
- Employer brands people recognise and want to work for.
- Roles where you genuinely want a wide pool and can screen at volume.
- Budgets where a £150–£400 advert is easier to sign off than a subscription.
When database searching wins
- Niche or technical roles with a small candidate population.
- Urgent cover where you can't wait two weeks for responses.
- Roles you've already advertised without success.
- Anywhere you need control: you decide who you approach, rather than accepting whoever happens to apply.
The honest comparison
An advert costs less upfront and needs less of your time, but you're at the mercy of who's browsing that week. Database searching costs more in attention and gives you far more predictability. For anything above roughly £30,000, or anything with a specific ticket or qualification, predictability usually wins.
What good teams actually do
- Post the advert on day one, so passive interest can come to you.
- Run a database search on day two rather than waiting. Don't let the advert be your only plan.
- Contact 20–30 well-matched CVs personally in the first week.
- Review on day seven: if the advert has produced nothing, double down on sourcing.
Cost per hire, not cost per tool
Judge both against the same number: what did this hire cost in total, including your time and the weeks the seat sat empty? We've put UK figures in pounds on our recruitment costs page.