Many companies today are having a difficult time sourcing high-quality candidates for their entry-level positions. This isn't because the candidates aren't out there, it's just that recruiters are having a hard time finding the "right" candidates for their available jobs.
In an attempt to solve this problem, HR managers are constantly considering new methods and tools to source candidates. The good news is that one of the most effective tools for recruiting entry-level candidates is something most companies already have – their company website.
In the absence of a candidate-friendly website experience, employers risk losing out on high-quality entry-level talent. Read on to learn how you can optimize your website to ensure the best possible experience for applicants.
Create an Effective Entry-Level Candidate Career Website
The first step in making sure that your website attracts entry-level candidates is to develop a career page that is easy to navigate and read. It’s also a good idea to create one page for experienced hires and a separate one for entry-level talent. This provides employers the ability to create targeted content that is geared specifically towards prospective entry-level applicants. When creating your entry-level career page, it is important to maintain a clear and concise message that will resonate with these candidates. Clearly communicating who you are will not only entice candidates to want to be a part of your unique and exciting organization, it will also ensure you attract the right kind of applicants who share the same values.
Below are 10 tips to help employers create a highly effective career page that will attract the best and brightest entry-level talent.
- Highlight Your Company Culture
A career page should provide prospective candidates with an understanding of your company culture. Interested applicants should get a realistic preview of what it is like to work for your company when they visit your career page. This can be accomplished in several ways, including prominently displaying mission statements, goals, and posting pictures that highlight employees both at work and participating in corporate events. These events could include everything your organization celebrates, whether it’s a fundraising event for a charitable association, holiday party, or celebration of a specific milestone or achievement. Regardless, it is important to choose content that gives candidates insight into who you are as an employer and what it’s like to work for you.
- Target Your Content
If the goal is to attract entry-level candidates, then make sure to create content that targets applicants looking for an entry-level position. For example, entry-level candidates are more interested in company perks such as flexible scheduling, working remotely, and training and development opportunities. Essentially, they want to know what’s in it for them, so be sure to make this loud and clear on your career page.
- Share Your Mission Statement
Ensure your organization’s mission statement is placed prominently on the career page. All potential candidates should have a clear understanding of your company's goals, values, and vision. This will enable your organization to attract entry-level candidates who share the same values and goals as the company, which makes for a better candidate fit.
- Use Video Content
Adding video content to the career page is a great way to help the employer stand out from the rest. Use video to tell the company story, introduce key team players and explain the company culture. Video creation doesn't have to be expensive, either. Recruiters can make in-house videos showing a "behind-the-scenes" look into the company or ask employees to make their own testimonial videos. These employee-made videos can be just as powerful, if not more so, than professionally made videos.
- Improve Your Application Process
Outline simple steps for how prospective hires can complete the application process. Ensure that your site allows prospective applicants to complete the entire application process online. Tell the prospective applicants exactly what steps must be done, how the company's application review process works, and when they can expect to hear back regarding their application’s status.
- Add Links on Your Career Website
Chances are that there will not be enough space on the website's career page to include all the information the company wants to share with potential candidates. Adding links to your social media pages, blogs, and press releases is the perfect way to provide this information to entry-level candidates without overloading your career page.
- Use Testimonials
Current and past employee testimonials can be one of the most powerful tools in attracting entry-level candidates. Testimonials provide applicants with a first-hand look into the company, which helps to entice online users to follow through and submit an application.
- Make It Mobile-Friendly
According to Nielsen, 93 percent of American millennials have a smartphone. Studies show that many millennial candidates would like the opportunity to apply for a position using their mobile device. This makes it more crucial than ever before to ensure your company website is optimized for mobile devices.
- Introduce Team Members
Applicants want to know who is in charge, especially of the department they would be working in, as leaders often set the tone of the team. Your career page is a great place to provide this valuable information. At the very least, you should provide a link that directs the user to the portion of your site that has this type of information. Make sure that each team member lists their credentials, experience and how long they have been with the company.
- Include a Call-To-Action
Encourage candidates to review and apply to job postings. It’s not enough to simply post information regarding your company and all the great things you do and offer. It's key to seize the opportunity to ask candidates to “apply now” and provide a prominent link that they can click to start the application process.
Using these 10 tips to build a strong and effective entry-level career page will help you attract a larger quantity of applicants. These candidates will be higher quality, too, as they will have likely read your career page and found that the content resonated with their values, interests, and goals. Entry-level candidates who are still in school will not only review career sites to learn about opportunities, but also often look to their career center for opportunities. Consider posting your entry-level roles on your website and with career centers. Using a tool such as Symplicity Recruit will enable you to post your entry-level jobs to multiple campus career sites quickly and efficiently.
Sources:
Elder, E. (2017, June 8). Having Trouble Retaining Entry-Level Employees? The Problem Might Be How You Hire. Retrieved from https://www.recruiter.com/i/having-trouble-retaining-entry-level-employees-the-problem-might-be-how-you-hire/
Essenfeld, J. (2014, November 7). Millennials Would Like to Work for You, If They Can Apply on Their Smartphones. Retrieved from https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/239400
Nielsen. (2016, November 15). Millenials Are Top Smartphone Users. Retrieved from http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/insights/news/2016/millennials-are-top-smartphone-users.html
Roberts, M. (2016, July 11). Why It's Time We Rethink The Importance of Career Sites. Retrieved from https://www.jibe.com/blog/time-rethink-importance-career-sites/
