With national unemployment at its lowest level in six years and employee confidence at a new high, now is the time for employers to get serious about how they're appealing to job seekers — particularly though the careers page. Beyond just a list of open positions, a careers page is an opportunity to highlight your company's people, culture and what sets it apart from other businesses. Here are six essential elements of a killer company career page:
Job hunting has become an increasingly mobile activity, so be sure to optimize your career page for mobile devices — no one likes squinting at tiny text on a small screen. A recent study showed that 78 percent of job seekers would apply to a job from their mobile device, if they could do so simply. For inspiration, check out Whole Foods’ mobile jobs site, which makes it easy to filter openings by location, department, position type and custom search terms.
When it comes to communicating your story and what makes your company one of a kind, it’s better to show than tell. Evernote, a note-taking software provider, has nailed this by featuring a professionally produced, engaging video called "Life at Evernote" on its career site. The video is short, lively and features testimonials from Evernote’s CEO and other staff, giving candidates a glimpse into what it would be like to work there.
Easily digestible lists of information dominate news streams because they work. Listicles offer businesses an easy opportunity to pitch candidates on X reasons why they should join their company. Deloitte, for example, features a post on its careers page that outlines the top 10 reasons to join the consulting firm, highlighting perks such as work/life balance, benefits and development opportunities within the company.
Being proactive about providing useful information proves your recruiting team is listening. If the team tends to receive a lot of similar questions from candidates, answer them on a FAQ page. Design consulting firm IDEO has a comprehensive FAQ section that covers details of IDEO's recruitment process, cover letter protocol, internship timelines, company culture and what makes a candidate stand out to the recruiting team.
Just like potential customers, you want potential new hires to come from every channel, not just through direct search. Include keywords in job titles, descriptions and other career page copy and make sure your pages are optimized for search engines. Also, make social media links and buttons clear and visible so visitors can easily share job postings with other candidates. Airbnb does a great job of this: Its careers page is clearly visible on the home page, and clean, compelling copy — with smart keywords — describes jobs in each department. Social media buttons appear at the bottom of nearly every page.
Today's job seekers look closely at what a company stands for — they want to know about the culture, personalities of its leadership and employees and what the work environment is like. Showcase your brand's unique vibe with engaging and fun photos that paint a picture of what day-to-day life is like at your company. Ride-sharing app Lyft's career page shows off the company's quirky culture with playful pictures of its staff, as well as highlighting perks like Bagel Wednesdays and the dog-friendly office.
