More employers and job seekers will visit your site in one year than you will talk to in a decade. Thousands – even tens of thousands – of individuals will land on your site: looking for jobs or talent, wanting to learn more about your services, and trying to figure out who you are as a company.
No pressure there, right?
The truth is, your staffing is more than just an online brochure – much more. It’s a 24/7/365 workhorse that should:
- Create a great first impression
- Deliver a seamless user experience – for every candidate and client – on any device
- Inform, engage and persuade your visitors
- Be safe, secure and fast to use
- Properly position and differentiate your firm
- And most importantly, drive job applications and sales leads!
Staffing websites have come a long way in recent years. These days most are mobile optimized; use design and imagery to complement compelling messages; and integrate the right tech to optimize response.
That’s the good news.
The bad news? Many still miss the mark when it comes to small – but really important – details that impact conversions, security, accessibility, user experience and more.
These “little things” create big opportunities to improve your site’s function and performance:
Candidate and client leaks. While you can’t expect every website visitor to apply or place an order, consider what you could do to plug “leaks” in your site (i.e., places you’re losing candidates, clients and money). Here are a few of the biggest culprits:
- Long and/or cumbersome job applications. Up to 90% of job seekers will give up if you have a crappy application form. Is yours short and easy to complete on any device – or do you make job seekers jump through too many hoops?
- Lack of job search functionality. Are you missing out on applications because your job board doesn’t serve the right jobs to the right people when they search?
- Weak or missing calls to action. Does your site make it clear and simple for employers to request talent, get a free consultation, or engage your company from your website? Is it easy for job seekers to search jobs, apply, connect with a recruiter, sign up for job alerts and follow you on social media?
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Website hosting. Are you hosting with a partner whose platform is optimized for the content management system your site is built upon, or are you just going with your lowest cost option? Choosing the right hosting partner will improve your website’s uptime, speed and security – all of which dramatically impact its performance as a recruiting and sales tool.
ADA compliance. At the 2019 Staffing Law Conference, ADA compliance was a hot topic – and with good reason. Everyone, regardless of their limitations or disabilities, should have a great experience when interacting with your staffing website. And as new technologies and accessibility guidelines emerge, it’s becoming even more important – and challenging – to ensure your site delivers a fantastic user experience for everyone.
Litigation against employment-related sites that are not ADA-compliant is on the rise, and attorneys consider staffing and recruiting websites a prime target. There’s a lot involved with creating a truly ADA-compliant website and career portal, and it’s time to think about building one to serve individuals with disabilities – while protecting your firm.
Final Thoughts
As 2020 draws to a close, review your website with a critical eye. Put yourself in the shoes of a job seeker searching for work, or an employer who’s struggling with recruiting or workforce management challenges. What little things could you change or improve, to make your website an even more powerful sales and recruiting tool?
