A company is only as good as its employees, but there are companies that are having difficulty with getting the right applicants to fill their vacancies. A lot of it has to do with the ever-changing employment landscape. The qualities that job seekers look for in a career are quite different from years ago, as are the different channels that individuals visit to search for career opportunities. In order to attract the top talents and convince them to apply for a role in your company, you should invest your resources in the channels where you can make yourself more noticeable to potential candidates—including your company website.
The internet age and the accessibility of information online provide job applicants with the necessary tools to not only look at job opportunities but also research prospective employers. You should revisit your website and make sure that it not only markets your products to consumers but also works as a great recruitment tool for quality applicants.
First impressions matter
It is important to make sure that a structure has a stable foundation before you begin to build on it. Make sure that you have the basics covered. Your website design should make it easy for anyone who visits your site to know the most important information about your company in a few (or none at all) clicks. Having a website that’s not overwhelming but designed to inform and engage can be seen as a reflection of how the company does business.
Be clear about what your company is.
Your “About Us” page should include your history, mission and vision, company values, portfolio, and locations. This is the basic information that should be easily found on your website and is a good initial indicator of whether the job seeker could be a good fit for the company. To help applicants learn more about your company, you should have a page for different resources like press coverage, awards and recognition, and leadership profiles. Also, consider adding a section for company blogs that allows applicants to learn more about who you are as a company through engaging and relevant content. In addition, make sure that your website developer incorporates a recruitment or careers page that applicants can click on should they be interested in applying. Covering the basics should help save time for you and the job applicant that wants to know more about your company.
Build your employer brand
Much like how your marketers use marketing tactics to increase brand awareness and solidify your brand’s identity, HR practitioners should also market your company in the same way. Convince potential applicants that you should be their top-of-mind employer during their job search. And what better platform to do this than your own company website?
Make sure to highlight your company’s top qualities as an employer. This means going beyond the company’s mission and vision, which are both important indicators of how you run your business but should be supplemented with information that top talents are looking for nowadays. It’s important to set clear expectations from the start of what future employees will get to experience, from the start of the application process to onboarding and subsequent tenure.
Part of building your brand as an employer is talking about your company culture. One of the most important things you can highlight about your company’s culture is its diversity. Having a diverse workforce can show that your company sees cultural differences, not as a challenge but something that should be embraced. It shows that your company puts value on different perspectives and knowledge. Ensure that you are highlighting something that is a genuine part of your company culture, as this helps applicants envision themselves and what they’ll be experiencing as an employee of your company.
You can also consider getting current employees involved in marketing your employer brand. Have a section on your website where visitors can read feedback from employees about the company, their work, and their overall experience with your company. This helps applicants see the employer from the perspective of current employees, and not just the employer’s perspective.
Provide great user experience
According to a study conducted by Career Builder, 73% of job seekers name the job search process as one of the most stressful things in life. And while that may be true due to a number of things, you can make adjustments to your website to help job seekers with their search. A good first step is to check that you have a website that’s not only working but working well.
Regularly test your website’s performance to make certain that each site visit will run smoothly.
Having an informative and easy-to-navigate website not only attracts prospective buyers but potential employees as well.
Take your time to discuss the goals for your website with your internal IT team or a developer, so they can lay down the scope and create the sitemap that will turn your company website into the powerful recruitment tool it can be.
Lastly, the website design should not only provide a great user experience but also a secure one. Make sure to build trust with those who visit your website, including future applicants, by investing in data security and ensuring that your site is protected from any data loss.
In conclusion, you should treat potential job candidates as consumers looking for a product or service. The website should act as a recruitment tool that will inform and engage with your target audience. Just as it can increase brand awareness and drive customers to purchase your product, your website can help you build your employer brand and increase the chances of the right candidates applying for a place in your company.
