You're most likely aware that today's job candidates use several resources when searching for open positions. And the majority of those candidates will visit a company's career site during their job search process. So every company needs to create a website that's easy to navigate and demonstrates what the company is all about. Start by asking these three fundamental questions to ensure your company is meeting candidate experience expectations on its career site:
1. Does your career site make it easy for candidates to apply for jobs?
2. Does it meet new consumer expectations?
3. Will it provide a great candidate experience?
The answers to these questions can offer insight into where you may need to improve your website to meet candidate experience expectations further. And your company's career site must work for you so you can find top talent to fill open positions in your organization. Let's look at what candidates expect from your career site and how you can meet and exceed those expectations.
What are candidates looking for on a career site?
Most candidates say a career site is at least somewhat important when evaluating a company. So what do candidates value when searching for jobs on your career site?
The top three details candidates want to see on your website are as follows:
1. Your location
2. What it's like to work for the company
3. What their salary and benefits package might be
Ensure your career site is easy to navigate so potential candidates can quickly find this information. Many employees say a career site is important for getting key information about an organization. They're also looking to understand what it would be like to work at your company; in fact, nearly half of website visitors agree that an organization's career site typically enables them to determine the work environment they can expect.
In terms of how candidates are searching for jobs, CareerBuilder research shows many visitors to a career site enter and search by job category, while others prefer to look for a position according to location. So having a search bar that lets candidates find jobs based on these details is essential. You can also use filters to help candidates find the roles they qualify for without having to scroll through positions unrelated to their skills or interests.
How can you adapt your career site to the way candidates apply?
If you pay close attention to how candidates prefer to apply for jobs, you can start making some of the following adjustments to your career site:
Have a talent network
Create a way for candidates and those interested in working at your company to join a talent network. You can then use it to generate leads that can turn into great employees. You want to encourage people to sign up for your talent network to get insights about job openings and other information that might be relevant to working for your organization, now or in the future. If given the option of joining a talent network, many candidates will choose to do so before applying for a job, and of those who join, most will attach their resumes.
Shorten the application process
Instead of requiring candidates to fill out seemingly endless pages of information, consider reducing questions to the bare minimum. Why is this vital? Our research indicates that when candidates must answer additional questions that seem unnecessary or repetitive, they may abandon the hiring process altogether. The more complicated and drawn out your application process is, the more it deters applicants. You can also ask for information in stages as the candidate advances in the hiring process.
Encourage return visits
One visit to your career site may not be enough to convince someone they want to work for you, so try to get them back to your site. Returning candidates are important because they more easily convert from visitors to applicants than new users. One way to keep these leads "warm" is to re-engage with them through email. Automated email engagement can attract high-quality candidates who want you to recruit them.
Make it for mobile use
Because so many people access websites through their mobile devices today, your career site must be mobile-friendly. The easier your career site is to use through a mobile device, the more likely you will have candidates apply immediately for your open roles. Having an optimized website that allows for both mobile and desktop use will help your organization attract more talent.
What tips can help you make the most of your career site?
Use these tips to ensure your career site meets candidate experience expectations:
- Search: Do you make it easy for candidates to search for job openings on your career site? It should only take one click to find what they want.
- Lead capture: Does your site offer an option to capture leads who aren't ready to apply? Your career site should be able to collect a candidate's contact information briefly and efficiently, even on mobile devices.
- Re-engagement: Does your site automatically and continually re-engage candidates with relevant positions and content until they're ready to apply? The most effective method is to email those who haven't finished applying or expressed interest but never acted on it.
- Design: Is your career site's design easy to navigate and developed with candidate research to encourage engagement? Ensuring your career site properly represents your company and engages visitors is essential.
Understanding candidate experience expectations for your career site will enable you to be better prepared for making changes that people want to see. Make your career site easy to navigate and your jobs simple to apply for if you want the right people in your talent pool.
Discover ways to get the best people on your team:
Learn how to spot red flags on a candidate's resume so you can avoid hiring the wrong person.
Stay on top by learning how to hire even in a competitive labor market.
Avoid these common hiring mistakes to keep high-potential employees on your radar.
