This article is based on research for our recent eGuide, How to attract qualified candidates with an engaging career page.
Career pages are a crucial part of the recruitment process. According to a CareerBuilder study, 64 per cent of seekers will research a company before applying to a job posting – and if they can’t find any info, 37 per cent will just move on to the next company.
To quote Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace, “Candidates can ‘shop around’ for the roles and organizations that best meet their needs. They get to browse before they buy. In other words, employees have become consumers of the workplace.”
To attract the really top-tier candidates, though, some companies take their career pages above and beyond. These companies are adding unique features to keep job seekers engaged, and encourage them to apply.
Here are 5 companies that are setting their career pages apart.
Spotify’s employee playlists
One of the first thing you read on Spotify’s career page is a simple yet powerful invitation: “Come join us, it’s fun here.” And to show-not-tell how true that is, the digital streaming service includes a unique feature: playlists by employees. Think of it like an employee testimonial with a twist: web developer Jillian Nichols’ list, for example, includes Alanis Morisette, Chairlift, and a dash of Katy Perry.
The playlists are accompanied by a Q&A with a wide range of questions (everything from “What about Spotify do you love most?” to “What is the best band name ever?”) that showcase what the company is all about while also giving an in-depth look at the employees behind it.
This career page feature offers another win: seamlessly integrating one of the company’s core products right into the content. This won’t work for every company, of course. But where possible, intertwining your product into your career page will help seekers identify who you are (and create a memorable experience).
Air Canada rouge’s hiring process timeline
It’s a little less flashy than a playlist, but the career page of this Air Canada subsidiary offers a handy feature. Once you click to apply, there’s a “next steps” timeline that walks potential candidates through the entire hiring process, including what to expect after you submit your resume, the basic itinerary of the one-day in-person interview, and even details about the onboarding program.
Providing details about the recruiting, interviewing, and hiring process is a great way to keep job seekers engaged on your site, and – most importantly – induce them to apply. It also adds to a positive candidate experience, which, as research shows, will encourage the seeker to reapply in the future, encourage others to apply, and even patronize your company as a customer.
Kickstarter’s employee sorter
On its career page, Crowdfunding platform Kickstarter lists several reasons why a job seeker should consider applying – things like the location (Brooklyn), the perks (bike stipends, among others), and the fact that it’s a Public Benefit Corporation (“We want the time and energy you spend here to have a positive impact on society”).
But one of the most interesting reasons it offers is its unique team of creative people. When you click on “Meet the team,” the career page takes you to a sea of faces and names – a list of the company’s 125 employees, sortable by interests. Job seekers can click on Foodies, for example, to see all the team members that like to eat out, or D&D players to find those would be interested in a game (there’s currently 17 employees that would, by the way).
It’s a relatively simple feature, but it shows them that each employee is appreciated, and that outside interests are encouraged. Most importantly, it creates an emotional connection between seekers and your company, and help them see how they would fit in before they even start to apply.
Baublebar’s infographic
Who doesn’t love infographics? They’re fun to read, and easy to share – and yet they rarely make it onto career pages.
For accessory and jewellery retailer Baublebar, however, an infographic makes up pretty much the entirety of its bare-bones career page. Rather than list benefits, a company mandate, or pretty much anything about the company, the infographic offers a look at the team itself, with statistics on the sports employees watch, the restaurants they get lunch at, the social media platforms they use, and more. There are also tallies indicating the amount of candy eaten every week (1,722 pieces), the number of headphones in the office (134), and the percentage of employees that prefer iPhone to Android (83 per cent).
Like Kickstarter’s employee feature mentioned above, this infographic engages job seekers in the company before they even see the job listings (which, by the way, are listed underneath and offer much more information about the company, its mission, and more).
Metaswitch’s brain teasers
The telecommunication software company’s career page isn’t just enticing job seekers to apply to their company – they’re encouraging visitors to consider a career in software engineering in general. And as part of that, their career page includes a puzzles section with this explanation: “Not sure if software engineering is for you? If you enjoy solving complex problems then it just might be. Have a go at these brain teasers. Right or wrong, the important thing is that you relish having a go!”
What follows is a series of brain teasers, complete with hints and solutions. It keeps seekers on the career page longer, and like the infographic, it’s a highly sharable feature that will expose more top talent to the company (and their open positions).
Ready to get your own career page going? Check out this episode of Safe for Work, the Workopolis podcast:
Remember: download our free eGuide, How to attract qualified candidates with an engaging career page, today.
See also:
How to build a killer website for your small business
How to choose social media platforms for recruiting
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