In today’s competitive job market, your career site is the most important recruiting tool that helps capture the attention of potential candidates and entice them to apply.Some of the best careers sites we reviewed have 11 common characteristics. In this post, we’ve curated examples from the careers sites of top employers. As you’ll see, there’s no one way to showcase what makes your company great. We hope you will get inspired by these examples to improve your own careers site.
1. A clear mission statement that inspires
Your company mission statement is the glue that binds your company together, the words that articulate your purpose for being in business.Today’s workers seek meaning and purpose and therefore want to choose which problems the company they work for solves. For example, an engineer who is passionate about workplace productivity may be more motivated to apply to Slack than, say, Airbnb.On your careers page, the mission statement can be reworded to suit the job seeker’s perspective. For example, Slack’s mission statement on their company About page is “Make work life simpler, more pleasant and more productive.”On the Slack Careers page, the mission sits front and center in slightly different language, as an invitation: “Work with us. We’re on a mission to make working life simpler, more pleasant and more productive — for everyone.”[caption id="attachment_2693" align="aligncenter" width="900"]
Slack's mission statement[/caption]You may also use videos to convey your mission. Mindvalley has four such videos, each depicting a mission that is aligned with one of its four core initiatives. Here's one of them:
2. Include department descriptions
Department descriptions are an opportunity to articulate how each department contributes to the company mission. These 2-3 sentence department overviews help job seekers place themselves in the mindset of the organization, and think in more detail about how their function contributes to the company mission.As shown in the next section, departments are also an easy way to organize employee testimonials. Job seekers know that they team they join is as important for their happiness as the overall company—so department descriptions are a perfect way to show them how your company works.
3. Include testimonials from a variety of employees
Testimonials let job seekers see a real face at the company and read or hear about how they feel about working there. They also give candidates clues into the diversity of the workforce, how people dress, and may indicate what the working environment looks like.As mentioned above, consider organizing your testimonials by department, and use the form that suits your company best. These companies bring their workplace to life with different types of testimonials.
- Hubspot uses employee photos with short descriptions.
- Dropbox puts at least one employee photo with a quote on each department page, and provides a link to a story on their Medium blog for those who want to know more.
4. Clear and inspiring job descriptions
Unemployment is at an all time low, so it’s likely that your best applicants already have a job. Job descriptions allow you to show someone why working at your company might be better than the job they already have.A good job description connects the role with the mission of the company and the department, gives the candidates a sense of what they would be doing day-to-day and indicates the kind of experience and skills they need to succeed in the role. The best job descriptions entice the right candidates to apply while discouraging those who are not a fit from applying.It’s worth it to take the time to write compelling job descriptions, and even format them based on company-related terminology to show a little personality. Here are some approaches you could consider:
- Blue Apron organizes its job descriptions into the sections, “Who’s in the kitchen” (company and role overview), “What’s on the menu” (position responsibilities), and “Necessary ingredients” (required skills and experience).
- Hubspot opts for a user-friendly format with the section headings “In this role you’ll get to...” and “We’re looking for people who...”
- Lever advocates performance-based job descriptions that offer 30, 60, and 90-day goals for the role.
5. Information about the hiring process
Transparency in job search is one thing that candidates want but rarely get. In a 2018 Glassdoor survey, nearly three in five (58 percent) U.S. workers and job seekers said that a company communicating with them clearly and regularly is what they want.More than half (53 percent) said they would want a company to set out clear expectations for them so that they could prepare well.Communication about the application process can start on your careers page. These companies are helping set job seeker expectations:
- MindValley outlines a three-step process that involves clarifying mission and values alignment before looking at jobs.
- Salesforce shares its hiring process by telling candidates how to focus their application and letting them know what to expect from interviews through onboarding.
6. Quick and easy application process
Job seekers appreciate simple application processes that don’t require the creation of an account and password. Some modern applicant tracking systems such as Lever, Newton and Greenhouse allow candidates to apply with LinkedIn or a resume stored on Dropbox or Google Drive.Look at job listings for Airbnb and Hubspot for examples of straightforward application procedures.
7. Showcase your culture, values and personality
Culture is the #1 driver of employee satisfaction around the world, according to a recent Glassdoor study.Culture can be expressed in a variety of ways: through your mission, values and testimonials. It also comes through on the images you chose to share with candidates as well as how you write job descriptions.When you take the time to define your culture through values and behaviors, it will be easier to display through images and testimonials. If your company has quirky traditions or unique team-building activities, don’t hesitate to show them!
- MindValley provides a full culture dive for interested interested candidates with plentiful videos and photos.
- Netflix highlights its culture on the careers homepage, and links to an extensive culture page.
8. List your benefits and perks
Benefits are one of the key pieces of information job seekers look for when looking at job ads.In a Glassdoor survey, benefits were listed as important by 63% of job seekers. While you don’t need to provide too much detail, it’s helpful to provide a well-designed list, especially if your company has any benefits or perks that set it apart.Benefits and perks can offset the cost of living and provide real value to employees and their families, so it’s helpful for them to know what your company offers up front (Check out this post for ideas to design your own benefit and perk program).Lettuce Jobs, a company that places restaurant staff, lists its benefits in a fun way on its “Culture of Caring” page. This culture and benefits statement sets it apart from other restaurant opportunities.[caption id="attachment_2696" align="aligncenter" width="900"]
Lettuce's employee benefits[/caption]
9. Mobile friendly
70% of candidates are searching for opportunities on mobile, so make sure your careers website and application works for mobile users.Airbnb’s careers page scrolls easily with bite-size content covering off key points that candidates would want to know, including the mission, values and benefits/perks.
10. Include compelling images
A picture really is worth a thousand words when it comes to work. Candidates want to know what the working environment looks like, how employees get to have fun, and what look like at work. Include a variety of images of the workplace, not just company group photos and off-site events.Blue Apron’s careers page includes a rotating image collage that presents photos of employees in the office, in its warehouses and test kitchens, and at team events. This gives candidates a sense of variety, friendliess, celebration, and of course, the work.
11. Highlight awards
If your company has received awards, by all means highlight them. Awards show that your company’s workplace experience has been approved by outside parties, and puts you in the league of top companies in your area. Your awards can be used in several ways on your website, as shown in these examples:
Conclusion
Showing your workplace at its best is an ongoing task that requires being deliberate about what you want to show and keeping the candidate experience in mind. If you start with the items you know you can check off first (such as mission, values, and benefits/perks), then you can expand to add the more time-consuming pieces (such as testimonials) over time.
