In almost any job search, candidates are not only looking to job boards, but visiting specific company websites. Job seekers tend to have a list of “dream companies” they would like to work for. If you’re company is on that list, you better believe that candidate is going straight to your website to find you career page.
The company career page is the heart of any employment brand. Think of the career page as your company’s biggest employment branding advertisement to sell candidates and promote job openings. Whether you are backed by a technical staffing company, or have your own in-house HR department, employment branding and the company career page are extremely important in attracting candidates. By strongly promoting your employer brand on your career page, you will likely notice an uptick in applications and an overall improvement in the quality of candidates.
Just as you would your home page, ensure your careers page is in tip-top shape to receive the attention of top-tier talent. The functions and benefits of a company’s career page are clearly understood, but are you getting the most out of the real estate?
Top Tips for Optimizing Your Company Career Page
So are you looking to give your career page a makeover, but not so sure where to start? Check out the list of tips below:
1. Make the Career Page Easy to Find
This first step is obvious, but you would be surprised where some companies place (or hide) the link to their career page. “Careers” or “Jobs” should be visible to the candidate as soon as they arrive on the homepage. If they have to spend time searching for the page, you’re already off to a bad start. ERE Media makes a great point in stating that if a candidate has to click more than once to find the career page, you run the risk of losing out on that candidate.
2. Add a Clear Call to Action
Make it clear where to find open positions within the company. Use buttons to click right to your hiring portal. The candidate is there for a reason. If the candidate seeks out positions at your company, and the openings are hard to find, you again run the risk of that candidate dropping off. Use clear calls to action, such as “Search All Jobs” or “Apply Here,” as buttons to capture attention. If possible, take it a step further, and add an internal jobs feed right on the careers page.
3. Sell Your Organization
Why should a candidate apply to your company? What makes your brand unique? Answer these questions in a catchy and concise introduction. Describe your organization’s services, mission, and goals. Give readers a sense of your company culture. Share how do you do things differently from similar companies. The overall objective is to make sure that the prospective candidate leaves your careers page with a solid understanding of what you do and what sets you apart.
“40% of adults demonstrate more engagement with visual information than plain text.”
4. Use Branded Video Marketing
Create short clips that outline the details about your company and its culture. A fun example of a company career page video is a ‘day in the life’ at your organization. Shadow an employee through their work day, while gaining opinions and insights on their work life. Whichever angle you choose, include staff interviews. We continue to preach, candidates are far more likely to trust peers or other employees over senior leadership. Keep the videos to a minute or so each, and interview employees from various positions. Have employees outline typical duties and what they love the most about their jobs and the company.
5.Create In-House Images vs. Stock Photos
Images are great and a necessity for your careers page. Use interesting images. Try to avoid relying too heavily on outdated stock photos. Going down the stock photo route? Be really selective and choose only the most engaging photos. If you have the resources, consider taking your own photos. Using candid photos from company events and outings will speak to prospective candidates. “This company look so fun, I’m going to apply” is the goal!
6. Organize Career Page Content
The website, especially the careers page should be easily accessible. Open positions in multiple departments? List out open jobs by department. Organizing the content on the careers page will only continue to reel in the candidate. See how long page sessions are on your careers page. If you find the average amount of time is brief, then it may be time to re-optimize and re-organize the content on your careers page. Also, are candidates applying to your positions? Application rates are, of course, another key indicator of your career page’s organization.
7. Ensure Mobile Friendliness
If Mobilegeddon didn’t get your attention, we don’t know what will. People own smartphones. Furthermore, people use those smartphones – a lot. At this point, the careers page needs to be mobile friendly, let alone the website. The job search has gone mobile, so take your candidate search mobile. Don’t expect an influx of candidates or even website sessions if your website and careers page is not mobile friendly. You’ve been warned!
