March 9, 2017

In just over a year the unemployment rate in the city of Windsor has dropped from 8.3% to 5.4%. What does this mean for employers? This means a highly competitive job market where employers need to do whatever they can to stand out to job seekers.

One of the ways employers are finding a way to stand out is through the website design of their career pages. In a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2015, 79% of job seekers used an online resource to search for a job. I can only imagine that number has gone up in the past two years, and local employers have definitely taken notice.

The career page on your website is an essential recruiting tool which not only lists your current available jobs but also gives job seekers an inside look at what it would be like to work with your company. There are several local companies implementing some really awesome and creative ideas to entice job seekers to apply. Let’s take a look…

Brand Personality

The first essential element to an awesome career page is brand personality. Giving your brand a personality that accurately represents your company gives job seekers an idea of your corporate culture. Green Shield Canada has mastered this practice not only on the career page of their website but throughout all of their branding. The line “We like big brains. (And we cannot lie…)” is not only a call-back to a great hip-hop song, but it’s funny and gives the Green Shield Canada brand a distinct personality.

A User-Friendly Application Process

Ensuring there is a user-friendly application process is the second essential element to a career page. Career pages with job listings and an “Email to Apply” link are so 2008. The 2017 version of a user-friendly application process includes a web form that automatically sends an email to the employer. A great example of this is the Rose City Ford career page. It includes a large, easy to understand 2-step application form right on the career page. It asks for personal and professional details from the applicant, a file upload button for resumes and a clear “Apply Now” button.

Corporate Culture

The benefits of a positive and engaging corporate culture have been documented for years within the Human Resource industry and rightfully so. According to an article published in the HBR corporate culture can account for a 20-30% differential in performance. The best way to get your corporate culture across online is through detailing the benefits of working with your company and also sharing photos of current employees engaging in fun activities. NatureFresh™ Farms does this visually with large “Why Join” and “Work with NatureFresh™” text as well as several employee photos.

Employee Testimonials

Why are employee testimonials the fourth essential element to career pages? Who better to tell a potential employee about what it’s like working for a company than a current one? The Plasman Group has employee testimonials throughout their website AND all of the photos on their website include actual employees in a work setting. If your company has a positive corporate culture it shouldn’t be difficult to find 3-10 employees to provide you with a testimonial. Simply ask them in 3-5 sentences how they feel about working for your company, grab a headshot or an image of the employee and add it to a prominent location your career page.