It seems like one of two things always happens when you post an open position at your company:
- You get dozens, maybe even hundreds, of unqualified applicants, or
- You hardly get any applications at all.
When your company is growing or you need to fill an absence, there isn’t time to waste searching far and wide for great employees. You have to structure your website so that they find you.
How can you do that? With the Winning Website Formula I created at Hook Agency. Check out the five key points of the winning formula for attracting fantastic employees below.
1. Clear Calls to Action and Navigation
A clunky, outdated website is enough to turn anyone away— from potential customers to potential employees. If potential employees have to spend more than a couple of seconds trying to find a list of your open positions or how to contact you, then they’ll likely give up and leave your website altogether.
Make sure that your website has a clear, easy-to-use navigation bar so that potential employees can quickly and easily find your careers page. Also, utilize eye-catching call-to-action buttons (CTA buttons) on your site that clearly direct visitors where and how to contact you.
2. Showcase “Trust Factors”
“Trust factors” are exactly what they sound like: details about your business that make potential applicants trust you. Oftentimes, trust factors can come from outside your organization. Two of the most effective trust factors are:
- Customer testimonials
- Glassdoor employee reviews
Potential employees want to know that the business they’re applying to is well-respected and does good work for customers. Additionally, the experiences of former and current employees speak volumes about what it’s like to work at your company.
First, ensure that you’re fostering a positive work environment so that former and current employees feel compelled to leave positive reviews. You don’t want to receive numerous negative reviews about working for your company, as they’ll likely deter other people from applying.
Prioritize great company culture, and you’ll be rewarded with great applicants and happy employees.
3. Make Your Future Employees the Hero With Emotional Hooks
When your potential applicants land on your “careers” page, you should take the opportunity to make them the hero. Ways to make emotional connections include:
- Create videos about company culture
- Clearly state how excited you are to hear from them
- Include persuasive images
- Be transparent about your benefits (from insurance to culture)
Take a look at this career page at Hook Agency, a marketing agency that exclusively serves contractors.
You’ll see that right at the top there are three clear, easy-to-read bullet points about some benefits of working at the company. There’s also a short video about what it’s like to work there, and a clear CTA button for open positions. Right away, the potential applicant feels valued and encouraged to apply.
As you scroll down on this example, potential employees see a clear list (complete with emojis that attract attention) of some of the best perks about working at the company. Then, there is a simple description of what the hiring process looks like.
Did you notice the multiple CTA buttons for “Open Positions” as well as the trust factor of their Glassdoor reviews? These extra details can make all the difference in turning a potential applicant into an applicant.
4. Prioritize Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most effective marketing tools in the modern age. Simply put, SEO is a set of practices that demonstrates expertise, authority, and trustworthiness to search engines.
Even more simply put, SEO helps you rank high on Google.
You want SEO to be at the core of your website design. When amazing potential employees are searching for “jobs in construction near me” or “HVAC jobs in Oklahoma City,” you don’t want your careers page to be sitting on the 4th page of Google, begging to skip to the front of the line.
Some simple ways that you can help better your website’s SEO practices include:
- Publishing blog content about topics related to your business and location
- Ensuring fast site speed
- Adding alt text to images
- Using relevant keywords
- Creating meta titles and descriptions for each page on your site
- And if this is starting to feel overwhelming, hire an SEO agency to do it for you!
5. Be Clear About What Makes Your Company Unique
The last part of the winning website formula is to use clear differentiating features on your website that demonstrate what makes your company unique. Ask yourself, “What can my competitors NOT say that they do?”
A great way to differentiate your company culture from your competitors is to include a specific company culture page on your website. That’s right, in addition to a “careers” page, add a company culture page. (Or at least a detailed section about culture on your careers page.)
Take a look at this example company culture page from Hook Agency. You’ll notice that this page doesn't need to be super extensive or wordy, and in fact, it shouldn’t be! Keep it simple, short, and clear about what sets your company culture apart from the competition.
Most job seekers aren’t looking for another run-of-the-mill job where they feel unappreciated at work. Show off how your company treats its employees and all the different ways you learn, grow, and have fun at work.
The Winning Website Formula + Team Engine = The Easiest Hiring Process Possible
Say goodbye to drawn-out hiring processes spent sorting through unideal applicants. When you intentionally design your website to follow the Winning Website Formula, you’ll see measurable results in the quality of applicants you get.
Plus, when you pair the Winning Website Formula with Team Engine software, your hiring efficiency will skyrocket. Team Engine helps pair qualified applicants with companies in industries like plumbing, construction, HVAC, landscaping, and more.
Get started today with a free trial!
