Job Board vs. Staffing Agency: What’s Right for Healthcare Recruiters in 2025?

Recruiters and staffing agency professionals are asking the same question more than ever: Do I post on a job board or partner with a staffing agency?

With clinician shortages projected to reach over 124,000 physicians in the U.S. by 2034 (AAMC) and nursing turnover rates holding steady at 22.5% (NSI Nursing Solutions), the pressure is on recruiters to fill openings quickly — while keeping costs in check.

The reality is, job boards and staffing agencies each serve a purpose. The best recruiters know how to leverage both strategically.

The Case for Job Boards

Job boards remain the go-to starting point for many recruiters because they are:

• Cost-Efficient: A single posting can cost between $200–$500 (Indeed, ZipRecruiter) versus staffing fees that average 20–25% of first-year salary.
  
• Fast to Deploy: Roles can be posted in minutes and start generating applicants the same day.
  
• Scalable: Recruiters can advertise multiple openings across geographies at once.
  
• Control-Oriented: Recruiters pick and choose candidates to engage, instead of relying on an agency to screen.
  

But job boards also come with challenges — unverified credentials, high applicant noise, and wasted recruiter hours sifting through unqualified leads.

The Case for Staffing Agencies

Staffing agencies, especially in healthcare, bring a white-glove, high-touch approach. Recruiters often turn to agencies when:

• Roles are urgent: Critical openings in ICU, psychiatry, or telehealth need filling within weeks.
  
• Talent is scarce: Agencies tap passive candidates recruiters can’t find on boards.
  
• Credentialing is complex: Agencies handle licensing, credentialing, and compliance.
  
• Geography matters: Rural or underserved areas often need agency relationships to attract clinicians willing to relocate.
  

The trade-off? Higher costs, less control, and slower time-to-market compared to posting directly.

Hybrid Recruiting: The Winning Strategy

The most effective recruiters in 2025 are not choosing one over the other. They’re blending both:

1. Start with a specialized healthcare job board (like DirectShifts) to access verified, active candidates.
   
2. Layer general job boards (Indeed, ZipRecruiter) for additional visibility.
   
3. Bring in a staffing agency if critical roles remain unfilled or demand exceeds recruiter bandwidth.
   

This approach balances speed, quality, and cost-efficiency.

Where DirectShifts Fits

Here’s where DirectShifts is changing the game for recruiters:

• Job Board + Staffing in One → Unlike other platforms, DirectShifts offers a healthcare-exclusive job board and end-to-end staffing support.
  
• Verified Candidates → Licenses, credentials, and work eligibility are pre-checked before recruiters engage.
  
• Nationwide Reach → From top-tier markets like New York and California to rural regions, recruiters gain access to candidates across all 50 states.
  
• Data-Driven Efficiency → DirectShifts uses AI-powered matching to reduce recruiter screening time by up to 40%.
  

This hybrid solution means recruiters don’t have to choose between job boards and agencies — they get the benefits of both.

FAQs: Job Boards vs. Staffing Agencies

Q1. Which is faster — job boards or staffing agencies?
Job boards deliver applicants instantly but require screening. Staffing agencies take longer upfront but can place passive, hard-to-find candidates.

Q2. What’s the cost difference?
Job boards: $200–$500 per posting on average. Staffing agencies: 20–25% of salary (or higher for locum tenens). DirectShifts offers flexible options to reduce recruiter costs.

Q3. Which is better for healthcare recruiters — job boards or agencies?
It depends on the role. For common positions (RNs, NPs), job boards are efficient. For hard-to-fill specialties (psychiatry, cardiology), agencies provide deeper sourcing. DirectShifts offers both.

Q4. Do staffing agencies also use job boards?
Yes. Many agencies post on job boards, then resubmit candidates. Recruiters can skip this middle step by using healthcare-focused platforms like DirectShifts directly.

Q5. What are the best healthcare staffing agencies in New York?
Top names include AMN Healthcare, Cross Country, and DirectShifts. DirectShifts is unique in offering both staffing + job board access in one ecosystem.

Q6. How do recruiters maximize ROI?
Track cost per hire across both channels. A balanced strategy (job boards first, agencies as backup) usually delivers the best ROI.

✅ Key Takeaway: In 2025, it’s not about job boards vs. staffing agencies. It’s about using both intelligently. Recruiters who start with specialized job boards like DirectShifts and escalate to staffing support when needed are filling roles faster, cheaper, and with higher-quality candidates.