What does your careers site say about your employer brand?

Candidates often check multiple sources for information about your company and culture, but the number one source of information – and the most powerful platform for marketing your employer brand – is still your career website.

88% of candidates say it’s at least somewhat important in their job search, and 93% say it’s important to be informed about all aspects of a company.

That makes it more important than ever in attracting top talent – 75% of hiring managers say it’s easier to attract quality candidates when they know about your organization, and 76% of recruiters say attracting those top candidates is their #1 challenge.

10 things to remember when creating or updating your careers site:

1. Introduce yourself. When candidates visit your careers site, who you are and what you value should be immediately apparent. It’s easy to take for granted that visitors already know about your company, but they may have found you through a position search rather than a company search. This is a great opportunity to hook them by sharing something purpose-driven about your company.
2. Share your vision and mission. Like your introduction, this section should be concise, bold and visible on the landing page of your careers site. Sharing your vision and mission gives you the opportunity to go a little deeper to the heart of your company and the reasons employees may feel proud to work there.
3. Talk about the future. In addition to a purpose-driven, aspirational vision, it’s also important to share what the company is actually planning in the short and long term. Does your company have an aggressive retail store opening plan? Is it implementing a new subscription program? Are new factories under construction? Sharing some specifics will help assure candidates of the health of the company.
4. Include specifics about culture. If your company provides lifestyle perks like child care, lunch, birthday PTO or access to a gym, you’ll definitely want to share that on your careers site. Each of those things are valuable and help candidates find value in positions beyond the salary. For example, if employees have organized game nights, happy hours, community engagement or volunteer activities, it’s important to illustrate this on your site so candidates know how your company fosters community.
5. Make job listings easy to navigate. Even if candidates are sold on the company and culture, if they get to the job search portion of the site and it’s overwhelming to navigate, you risk losing them. If your analytics reveal that visitors are spending time on the site but aren’t actually converting to applicants, it might be time to give your website a refresh.
6. Write clear, concise, meaningful job descriptions. Job descriptions are often so long and detailed that applicants find it difficult to zero in on the information that’s going to tell them whether or not they’re a good fit for the position. Try to use bullet points to concisely communicate pre-requisite skills and position requirements, and be sure to include some information about how this role fits into the bigger picture of the company. Take a deep-dive here to optimize for Google Jobs as well.
7. Share a day in the life. Once a candidate has identified that they have the skills for and interest in the role, they’ll also want to know that the day-to-day is something that works for their personality. This is where employee video testimonials and day-in-the-life tours come in. Use video and authentic photography of real employees in real situations – show what it’s like to work there. Use employee storytelling, with employees at multiple levels sharing what they love about your organization.
8. Show them growth opportunities. Don’t just talk about career paths – show what they look like (like we did on the Macy's College website). Once a candidate has identified the role and culture is a good fit, they’ll also want to know whether positions in the company are stagnant or if there are opportunities for growth. Outline how employee check-ins and reviews are formatted and highlight recent promotions.
9. Build a talent community. Talent communities help your company nurture top leads who may be interested in working with you but, for whatever reason, are unwilling to take the leap right now. Offering a talent community further shows a commitment to fostering community and investing in your employees. Learn more about why talent communities are meaningful to your company.
10. Make applying easy and mobile. Like the job search process, the application process should be quick and easy. Creating a painless application process reassures candidates that the company has refined, easy to navigate processes. Because 89% of job seekers say they plan to search for jobs via their mobile device, ensuring that the application process is just as easy on mobile as desktop is a huge win for your careers site.

Having a careers website that authentically communicates your employer brand is essential in recruiting the right talent for your company. Partner with Sanger & Eby to rebuild or create a careers site that saves you time and money while communicating your value.