Of the four pillars of recruitment marketing, your career site can be the hardest to get right. But with a little effort, it can be a resource for people who are looking for jobs or advice on their careers. Review these suggestions and make any changes required to grab the attention of job seekers.
Ensure your website is job-seeker friendly. When you look at staffing websites, you may note a lot of them seem to focus entirely on potential clients. It’s understandable; after all, the client pays the bills. But without a robust talent network, you don’t have anything to offer. It should be easy for candidates to navigate to your job postings, but that doesn’t mean a job board should be all you have to offer.
Include candidate-focused blogs. There is no shortage of places online to look for jobs, but you’ll attract and keep job seekers if you make your website a resource for them. Search engine-optimized (SEO) blogs and long-form articles can drive candidates to your website. Be sure that it’s easy for people already on your site to search for jobs or find your blog. They should view your site as the place to go when they have questions about eye-catching resumes, effective answers to tough interview questions or how to tell if an opportunity is right for them.
Provide clear calls to action. Calls to action (CTAs) are how you give candidates directions around your site. They answer questions like “What should I do next?” or “How can I learn more?” For candidates, the answer is often “apply now,” but it could also be “check out our benefits” or “refer a friend.” The quickest solution for a job seeker who finds a website confusing is to hit the little “x” in the upper right corner and start a new search on a competitors’ site. Review your website to see where a reader is likely to have questions and provide CTAs for direction.
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Don’t make users scroll. If you have a lot of information you’d like to share, there’s no reason not to include it. Be sure the content is clear, concise, well-written and organized with plenty of subheads. The information on your page should be skimmable with essential information “above the fold” (i.e., visible without scrolling down). Place a job search CTA at the end of the first paragraph or even put a search widget in the banner area. Some candidates may want to scroll the whole page to get to know the company, team or benefits, but those with a cut-to-the-chase mindset will get frustrated if they must scroll to the footer to apply.
Know your website. A website isn’t a “set it and forget it” tool. Review it regularly to ensure it is relevant and answers the questions site visitors are likely to have. You should be able to walk a candidate through the hiring process. Your homepage should be up-to-date and include content geared toward job seekers. For example, while the Covid-19 pandemic is still with us, most candidates are no longer making decisions based on the safety measures employers are taking. The information may still be valid and helpful, but it may not need to be right on the front page.
Ask a friend to apply. You should, of course, walk through the search and application process yourself, but you know what you’re doing and what to look for. Ask a friend or family member to navigate the site to find and apply for a job. Ask them to time how long the application takes to complete and how easy it is to locate what they need. Use this information to streamline the process for job seekers.
Looking for more ideas to up your recruiting game? Staffing Brain Fuel is packed with free resources (eBooks, articles, webinars and more) to help you accelerate your growth by filling more job orders.
