The career section is one of the most powerful tools a company can use to attract talent. At the same time, it’s a key element of a successful business website, as it reflects the brand’s mission and core values. In some cases, this page is a candidate’s first point of contact with an organization.
In a recent survey, more than 60% of respondents said they normally visit corporate websites when looking for work. Yet, only 13% found their jobs through a company’s website. The truth is that many employers give little thought to their career pages—and some don’t even have one. A website builder for small businesses is an easy yet effective solution to creating a wow-worthy career page for your company.
Job seekers often use Google or other search engines to find work. If your company’s career page is subpar, it won’t show up in search results. In the worst-case scenario, it might deter potential hires and reflect poorly on your brand.
On the positive side, there are steps you can take to make your career section stand out. Like with most things, it’s the little details that matter.
What Makes a Good Career Page?
A company’s career section can be a single landing page, a set of pages, or a microsite, depending on the business size.
For example, Microsoft included a few dozen pages, each with a different focus. There’s a career page for students and graduates, one for seasoned professionals, and several pages describing the company’s culture and other aspects relevant to job seekers.
This section should include more than just a couple of job adverts. The best career pages blend functionality and aesthetics, offering a glimpse into what it’s like to work at that particular company. They may provide information on employee benefits, open positions, and other aspects, such as:
- Employee development opportunities
- Diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Testimonials from existing employees
- Company’s mission statement and values
- Organizational culture and work environment
- Training programs, workshops, and other learning resources
- Virtual tours of a company’s offices
- Reasons why employees enjoy working there
- A brief overview of the hiring and onboarding process
Your company’s career section should serve as a hub for everything job-related. It’s an opportunity to tell your brand’s story, drive traffic, and attract job seekers who share your vision. The more information you provide, the easier it gets to attract qualified candidates who fit your culture. With that in mind, here’s what you can do to make your career section more appealing.
Make It Prominent
First things first, make sure your career page is easy to find. Put it right in front of potential hires and include clearly defined sections, such as Open Jobs, Perks and Benefits, and Our Culture.
To get started, set up a subdomain or create a dedicated section in the main navigation bar. Next, link to it from the About Us or Company page. For example, Sircle Collection has its career section on the upper right side of the homepage. If you click on it, you’ll see it has multiple sections, including “Join Our Team,” “Explore Our Jobs,” “Meet Our Brands,” and so on. The information is easy to find and navigate, giving job seekers a clear idea about the company’s culture, values, and brand voice.
Optimize the User Experience
Go one step further and optimize the user experience by adding job filters and other features. Apple’s career page, for instance, enables candidates to browse jobs by location, keyword, products and services, teams, and language skills. Users can also save their searches, browse recently viewed roles, and create a list of favorite jobs.
Again, there’s no need to hire a developer or spend hours coding to implement these features. Instead, use a free website builder to create drop-down menus, add search filters, and improve page navigation.
Highlight Your Company’s Culture
According to a survey conducted in the UK and Ireland, 75% of job seekers would consider a company’s culture before applying for a role there. Moreover, 52% of respondents said they valued a positive work culture over a higher salary.
Given these aspects, it makes sense to highlight your company’s culture on the career page. This is your chance to “sell” the company as a place where potential hires can grow in their roles and feel valued. Mention whatever perks you offer, such as a flexible schedule, employee development programs, creative workspaces, and more.
Take Google’s careers page, for example. Not only does it describe the perks of working at Google, but it also features employee video testimonials. The company mentions things like remote work, fertility support, tuition reimbursement, on-site meals, and cooking classes.
A small business may not be able to offer such perks, but it can (and should) let job seekers know why people love working there.
Harness the Power of Visual Storytelling
Sircle Collection, Apple, and other brands feature visual stories on their career pages. You, too, can use this strategy to add a human element to the hiring process and make your career section stand out.
Let’s see a few examples of visual elements:
- Behind-the-scene shots
- Employee video testimonials
- Videos from workshops and team-building events
- Photos of key employees
- Graphics and illustrations that match your brand’s image
Cledara, a software firm, uses an eye-catching video header plus video interviews with the team, quotes from team leaders, and stories from current employees. The visual elements give the company a human face, encouraging visitors to keep scrolling.
Adding visuals to your company’s career section is easy. Use a free website builder to drag and drop photos, videos, or slides, crop them, add text to gallery images, and more.
Create an Interactive Experience for Job Seekers
One way to make your career section stand out is to use gamification. With this approach, you’ll improve the candidate experience and attract more diverse talent. Games can even replace resumes and other application forms, giving candidates the chance to play their way to a great job.
Google, for example, uses riddles, brain teasers, and virtual challenges to attract talent. HackerRank and other brands resort to puzzles to find the right person for the job. These games allow companies to assess a candidate’s thinking, agility, typing accuracy, problem-solving skills, and other competencies in real time.
Your career page could include gamified assessments like online quizzes, simulations, video games, and much more. Consider the position you’re hiring for, and then look for games that would test the skills needed for that role.
By doing so, you’ll provide an interactive experience and weed out unqualified candidates without going through multiple interviews.
Think Outside the Box to Attract Top Talent
Having a successful business website can make it easier to attract top talent, but it may not be enough on its own. You also need a compelling career page that complements your recruiting efforts.
Some employers prefer to use Indeed, Glassdoor, and other third-party platforms to advertise open roles. That’s perfectly fine, but you should still have a careers section on your site. At the very least, include information on your company’s mission, work environment, employee benefits, and organizational goals.
Last but not least, think outside the box when it comes to your career page. Harness the power of storytelling, employee reviews, and gamification to set your business apart and build a diverse talent pipeline.
