When it comes to growing your business, it’s a real numbers game. And we’re not talking years of experience or GPA. The real numbers that can root out your ideal candidate? Page clicks. SEO ranking. Application click-through rates.
It’s true! In this booming economy, to get to that unique applicant who checks all your boxes, you’re going to have to recruit a LOT of high-quality applicants. In fact, having a well-designed website and an optimized online presence is a HUGE part of finding them.
You may have noticed that TempForce recently gave our website a complete makeover! Now, our page is better-designed, more professional, easier to use… and most importantly, our customers can trust that their staffing agency is making technological innovations to bring them the most qualified candidates.
Not sure if your website’s up to snuff? Don’t worry. Technology changes pretty quickly. But we’re here with a cheat sheet to make sure you’re keeping up.
Here are 9 Ways Optimizing YOUR Website Can Bring In MORE and BETTER applicants!
#1: If Your Website Isn’t Mobile-Friendly, You May As Well Not Have One.
Okay, that’s a little harsh. But the number of people who search for jobs on a phone or tablet is just astonishing: 78% of Millennials have used a mobile device to find a new job! (Indeed) And your jaw will drop even further when you hear that 65% of users will turn around and LEAVE a company’s website if it isn’t mobile-friendly. (Recruiter)
The best advice is to put yourself in your applicants’ shoes. If you’ve ever been on your phone and encountered a website with text you need a microscope to read and virtually unclickable buttons, you know the feeling!
#2: Google Loves Mobile-Friendly Sites, Too.
After an algorithm update in 2015, Google started giving websites with mobile-friendly designs more favorable positions in their search ranking. This makes it more likely for candidates searching for jobs in our area to see job openings from a well-designed site like ours on the first page. (Recruiter)
#3: The Application Experience should be QUICK and EASY.
If candidates find your application frustrating, time-consuming or difficult, they may retain a negative impression of your company – or even jump ship! One in five applicants say they would back out of an application that took more than 20 minutes to complete. (CareerBuilder)
Friends don’t let friends lose good applicants! So we overhauled and simplified our application and cut the estimated completion time in half. Another plus: leaving out the lengthier screening questions allows our interviews to be more engaging and less redundant!
#4: Make It Easy to Navigate.
You may be spellbound by stylish, avant-garde web design. But the truth is, while it may be pretty to look at, nothing beats a well-constructed site with straightforward design.
Looking for a job is difficult enough. Why should candidates also have to search all over your website for what they’re really looking for? Make sure that your Contact Info, Job Listings, and Calls-to-Action on how to apply are front and center. We made a point to include instructions to apply throughout our site, so candidates don’t have to jump through hoops to get on file.
#5: In this Competitive Hiring Climate, SEO is More Important Than Ever.
Search Engine Optimization is no joke. The first step of getting job seekers to find your company is making it easy for search engines to “read” your content. From loading your site with popular key words and phrases to maximizing readability, make sure your website considers SEO ranking every step of the way. Consider using a plug-in like Yoast SEO to assist with curating your content!
#6: Get YOUR Company on Google Jobs… and Everywhere Else.
A recent study says that job seekers use up to 16 sources in their job search. (CareerBuilder) Are you everywhere they are? Many of these sites are job aggregators that automatically find and re-post your job listings. Even Google has a special section just for Job Postings.
But how do you make sure your jobs are showing up when these resources crawl the web looking for them? One way to spread your reach is to design your postings with fields like job title, salary/pay, location and job duties optimized for sites like Google to read and recognize.
#7: Can Your Applicants See Themselves Working at Your Company?
If not, it may be time to paint that picture. Simply put: candidates these days expect more. They want to be able to imagine themselves thriving at your company. For example, 61% of job seekers want to see the total Benefits package before they apply! (CareerBuilder) So make your awesome employee experience a prominent feature. Follow TempForce’s example and include pages for Benefits and Perks or Employee Spotlights to share your biggest success stories!
#8: Link to Social Media Easily!
Reliably, one of TempForce’s top sources for new applicants is friends and family. Raise of hands: who else in small-town Alabama relies on word of mouth? We’re a pretty tight-knit community. Why not tie that into your online strategy? Include links to your social media pages throughout your site, and especially on postings, so candidates are encouraged to spread the word. And it’ll work out in your favor: a recent poll reported that if workers were treated well when applying for a job, 37% would tell others to seek employment there! (CareerBuilder)
#9: Don’t Lose Executive Candidates!
Executives are busy people. So for your executive and highly skilled positions, you may want to provide a way to submit a resume without filling out an extensive job application. That’s what we did for SmartSearch, our Direct Hire & Strategic Search Division. We designed a resume upload tool so executive-level professionals can make contact with us easily. Our Strategic Search Consultants start networking with them right away, even if we haven’t found the right career move for them yet.
So there you have it. Is your website bringing in as many quality candidates as it could be? Or are you ready for a makeover? Feel free to explore TempForce’s redesign to get some ideas!
