I’m always surprised when companies with a great work environment and a strong company culture have uninspiring and uninformative career pages.That’s often the first place jobseekers land when researching your organization. When was the last time you checked Google Analytics to see just how many people visit your careers page monthly?
Business leaders know that the best candidates have their pick of job offers, and millennials value work-life balance and a positive culture. That means in order to compete for the best hires, you need to sell them on your company.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the elements of an excellent career page and how to implement them.
Square’s A Friday in the Life feature is a great example of a career page that gets people clamoring for the chance to work there. A few elegant images convey the culture, atmosphere, and style of the workplace.
Include photos that feature your team hard at work, celebrating someone’s birthday or relaxing at a holiday gathering. This is also a great way to show off unique spaces or hint at cool company perks.
Think outside the box when arranging your headshots, and showcase people in different settings. If you visit a page like Lewis’ career directory, you see stylish people in a variety of poses and expressions. You get the sense this is a dynamic, fast-moving company that lives up to its “Rebels Wanted” tagline. Never underestimate the power of great photos and positive body language.
Videos are also a great place to talk about what your products mean to people, why your team is inspired to work for your company, and the impact your brand makes in the world. In just four minutes, Zenefits’ leaders and employees tell the company’s story and mission, describe the culture, and appeal to candidates’ personal and professional goals.
Practice Fusion uses its recruiting video to establish itself as a mission-driven organization that helps doctors save lives – and allows dogs in the office. It’s unique and inspiring, and gives people a real look at what it would be like to work there.
These are the kinds of videos you want to emulate. They hit on the emotional and the ambitious level and provide a well-rounded introduction to your company.
Earnest is a great example of a small company with a well-executed career page. Budget is an issue when you’re trying to build in all these elements, but it doesn’t take massive amounts of money to create a meaningful site. Highlight any particularly attractive policies such as management training or internal recruiting programs, and simply let people know they’re taken care of when they join your family.
But you can’t convey your values through words alone. LeadPages also demonstrates its appreciation for team members and dedication to people- powered results by sharing every employee’s photo and bio, including fun tidbits about their personalities and their favorite quotes.
Ready to attract better candidates? Start by honestly assessing your career page. Identify the key information missing, and ask a third party for feedback. You know your company is a great place to grow, and you’re working hard to assemble a dynamic team. Now it’s time you let your future hires in on your secret.
1. Photos of the Office
One of the biggest mistakes companies make on their career pages is having too few photos or generic stock images rather than shots of their actual offices. When someone visits your career section, they want to get a sense of what it’s like to actually work there.
Square’s A Friday in the Life feature is a great example of a career page that gets people clamoring for the chance to work there. A few elegant images convey the culture, atmosphere, and style of the workplace.
Include photos that feature your team hard at work, celebrating someone’s birthday or relaxing at a holiday gathering. This is also a great way to show off unique spaces or hint at cool company perks.
2. Employee Headshots
Use visuals to introduce prospective candidates to your team as well. Post current employees’ headshots, along with information about who they are and their roles in the organization. The goal is to give a better understanding of the people who work there. An entry- or mid-level candidate wants to see who they’ll be working with as much as they want to know who their boss might be. Including employee headshots signals you run a people-centric company and joining your team means being part of a diverse, engaging workplace.
Think outside the box when arranging your headshots, and showcase people in different settings. If you visit a page like Lewis’ career directory, you see stylish people in a variety of poses and expressions. You get the sense this is a dynamic, fast-moving company that lives up to its “Rebels Wanted” tagline. Never underestimate the power of great photos and positive body language.
3. Videos
Video often proves challenging for small companies because good production value is critical. If you don’t have the resources to produce a sleek video, keep it simple, dignified, and to the point. I’ve seen a number of companies using videos in their career pages recently, and some do it really well. In other cases, two-thirds of the clip features employees goofing off and partying at an office get-together. OK, so your team likes to have fun. But what else does that tell me about the job or the day-to-day experience of working for you? Not a whole lot. Be creative and show your brand’s personality – just make sure there’s substance to go along with the playfullness.
Videos are also a great place to talk about what your products mean to people, why your team is inspired to work for your company, and the impact your brand makes in the world. In just four minutes, Zenefits’ leaders and employees tell the company’s story and mission, describe the culture, and appeal to candidates’ personal and professional goals.
Practice Fusion uses its recruiting video to establish itself as a mission-driven organization that helps doctors save lives – and allows dogs in the office. It’s unique and inspiring, and gives people a real look at what it would be like to work there.
These are the kinds of videos you want to emulate. They hit on the emotional and the ambitious level and provide a well-rounded introduction to your company.
4. Perks
Candidates often feel shy asking interviewers about benefits such as PTO and health coverage. But just because they’re not asking doesn’t mean they don’t care. In fact, candidates often come to me wanting to know whether a company offers vision and dental or how much they can put into their Health Savings Accounts because their would-be employer doesn’t list that information prominently on the site. This information is incredibly important to people, so make sure it’s comprehensive and easy to find on your page. Earnest is a BVOH client that does a beautiful job of laying out their perks and connecting them to the broader mission. The team uses inviting photos to illustrate offers such as family health benefits, a selfserve vacation policy, equipment, equity, and a housing stipend. These options immediately make Earnest a more attractive place to work, and candidates can easily see how Earnest’s culture influences its business objectives and employee programs.
Earnest is a great example of a small company with a well-executed career page. Budget is an issue when you’re trying to build in all these elements, but it doesn’t take massive amounts of money to create a meaningful site. Highlight any particularly attractive policies such as management training or internal recruiting programs, and simply let people know they’re taken care of when they join your family.
5. Core Values
Telling candidates what gets you and your team out of bed in the morning is crucial to attracting the right people. Earnest’s Values page is a great example because it shows they’re passionate about their work and the impact they’re making.
But you can’t convey your values through words alone. LeadPages also demonstrates its appreciation for team members and dedication to people- powered results by sharing every employee’s photo and bio, including fun tidbits about their personalities and their favorite quotes.
6. Location
If you’re recruiting people to Silicon Valley or the Bay Area, the location sells itself. But if you’re struggling to attract top talent because you’re in a second-tier or outlier city, it’s time to revisit the way you package your business’ home base. Sometimes great candidates resist an otherwise great organization because it’s 45 minutes or more from an urban hub, and they’re skeptical of the quality of life. Overcome these objections by playing up your town’s great restaurants, green spaces, entertainment venues, and cool coffee shops on your career page. Plentiful housing options and low costs of living are also great selling points. Minneapolis-based LeadPages warms people to its home city by playing up its diverse offerings and the advantages it has over larger cities. On the cost of living, they write, “Ebenezer Scrooge would move to Minneapolis and go on a spending spree. It’s THAT cost-friendly.” It’s cheeky, fun, and it perfectly illustrates the company’s vibe.
Ready to attract better candidates? Start by honestly assessing your career page. Identify the key information missing, and ask a third party for feedback. You know your company is a great place to grow, and you’re working hard to assemble a dynamic team. Now it’s time you let your future hires in on your secret.
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