Attracting candidates to your online job postings
Sooner or later every company runs into it: an open position that needs to be filled quickly. You write the text and put it online, and then nothing happens. Unfortunately it is rarely that simple: applicants do not come rushing in. In this labor market you are lucky if they give your posting a second look. So how do you make sure your online job postings actually bring in those leads and resumes? Our best practices:
Tip 1: shorten your application form
Applicants want to know quickly where they stand, and they are not interested in filling out an endless application form. So keep it short and to the point, or split it into several steps. First ask for contact details such as name and email address, then add the other information you need, like a resume upload, address details and so on.
An application form is an essential part of your job posting. Make sure it jumps off the screen and is visible right away: in other words, make it stand out.
This form on the job postings of staffing agency Inventus grabs attention right away and is short and simple.
Something else worth knowing: a mandatory upload is a conversion killer. If you require people to attach a resume, for example, there is a good chance many of them will click away. People rarely have an up to date resume at hand, especially while scrolling on their phone. You are better off asking for a resume in an (automated) reply to the application.
Tip 2: use WhatsApp for Business
WhatsApp for Business is a fast, low barrier way to stay in touch with a potential candidate. They message the company directly: quick, professional contact in which you as the employer stay in control thanks to the app’s business tools. Think of away messages, showing your contact details or automating replies.
We already covered what else WhatsApp for Business can do for your company in another blog . Discover all the benefits of this tool.
Tip 3: add a personal contact person
WhatsApp for Business already removes one barrier. But people prefer talking to people. By naming the contact person for the position, there is a better chance candidates will ask their questions directly instead of seeing only a general email address or phone number.
Tip 4: make use of Google structured data
Here we get into the technical side. With Google structured data you give certain elements on your web page a specific technical markup so Google can understand the data. That lets the search engine present the information in a more attractive and different way in Google Search, like below. It sounds complicated, and it is a nice job for web developers like us.
Tip 5: lay out your job details clearly
A candidate wants to know where they stand when reading your online job postings. So make sure all the information is crystal clear: location, salary, full time or part time, education, requirements, transportation, tasks and so on.
Tip 6: answer the frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Do you notice you keep getting the same questions whenever an applicant gets in touch? Make sure those answers are already available, so the candidate has all the information needed to make a choice: apply or not?
Tip 7: use testimonials from your current employees to recruit new ones
Show what it is like to work at your company: let current employees talk about their work and their experiences. That gives applicants a look at daily working life at your company. It can be exactly the nudge that makes a candidate hit the ‘apply now’ button.
One example of such an employee testimonial can be found on the website of EFFECTphotonics: employees talk about what they find so interesting about working at the company, about their own role, and what they would advise applicants.
Tip 8: optimize your job postings for SEO
Just like the rest of your website, you want your online job postings to be found in search engines. Keyword research tells you exactly what people search for around specific job titles. Work important keywords into your posting, but remember: the text has to stay pleasant to read. After all, you are writing it for real people and not for search engines.
Tip 9: more integrations with job boards
Naturally you share your opening on your website and your social channels. But there are more places to get your job postings noticed. Job boards, for example. Does that sound good for the staffing agency you work for? Get in touch and we will get to work for you.
More online results for your company (in the staffing industry)
For companies in the staffing and recruitment & selection industry in particular, the tips above are vital. Finding the right applicants is their core business, after all. That is why we have already helped a number of staffing agencies optimize their online job postings. Does that sound good for the staffing agency you work for as well? Get in touch and we will get to work on more online results from your job postings.
