There are tens of thousands of UK-based recruitment websites but not all are created equal. What makes a great recruitment website is its ability to grow your candidate base, increase quality applications, offer a positive candidate experience and entice all users to return.
The best recruitment websites feature in-built recruiting features and functionalities. And offer candidates and clients everything they need to know and fit with the agency’s branding and recruitment strategy.
We’ve compiled a list of the most important features a recruitment website should have. In order to increase client and candidate conversions and win you hires.
Bespoke design
A one-size-fits-all design doesn’t ever really fit all. A great recruitment website will be designed to meet the needs and goals of the agency and will be specific to them. Everything from branding to differences arising from industry requirements will play a part in a bespoke design. It ensures visitors know who you are, what you do and that you are the leader in your area. A bespoke design enables you to target your market more succinctly, convey your business vision and values clearly, and project what makes you unique and competitive.
Clear and defined goals
Setting out the goals you have for your website is the first thing you should do before you start working on it. Without clearly defined goals it is impossible to create a website that will produce the results you are looking for.
For example, is your primary aim for candidates to apply for a job or to register with your agency? Do you want to target candidates or be more client-focused? The answers to such questions will inform the design, the copy, the features, the pages – everything.
An easy to use job search
A recruitment website’s job search page is of vital importance. A great recruitment website will have a job listing page that clearly advertises jobs. Along with a job map and candidate registration call to action or apply button. It will also offer job filters for an advanced, more accurate search. The goal here is to make it easy for candidates to find a job and apply. As well as for search engines to find your jobs.
Pay attention to job ad copy too. Don’t include the entire job description or it becomes dull and unappealing but be sure to add details that candidates will be looking (and searching) for such as location, salary and job expectations/requirements.
Advanced SEO
Want search engines to find, index and rank your pages and jobs? What recruiter doesn’t?
The best recruitment websites are built with powerful SEO tools to optimise everything from your jobs, to your blogs, to image titles and a whole host in between. Implementing SEO on your recruitment website will help to ensure your pages and jobs are found in relevant searches.
It is also crucial to enable Google for Jobs to run on your website so that it will index your job listings.
Optimise each page, including all relevant details such as location and job title. And your job listing should be displayed in a prominent position within Goggle’s search results. Attracting a higher number of qualified candidates that have filtered their search to find jobs like yours.
Social media integration
Social recruiting has been gathering momentum for some time so it makes sense to capture that via social media integration. Add social share buttons to share your jobs on social media platforms and give candidates the ability to apply via their social media profiles. Make the buttons clear by placing them in obvious positions on your jobs pages and within the job adverts themselves.
In order for jobs and blogs to look good and read well when they’re shared you need to add featured images and brief descriptions on the back end of your website.
Candidate management system
Make the process easy for your candidates and for you to manage your candidates and the entire candidate experience will be improved. Giving candidates the option to register their details will make it easier for them to quickly apply for future jobs. And a candidate portal will allow you to collect candidate data and create an internal talent pool.
For recruiters, the ability for each consultant to add their own jobs and view applications to those jobs makes the entire process smoother.
Intuitive navigation
Make the candidate journey simple and lead clients through your website until they reach the page and – hopefully – perform the action you want them to. Ensure menus and drop-down options are visible and establish and clearly place calls to action on each page.
Make it easy for both clients and candidates to find what they’re looking for with clear journeys and create a great experience for all users. There is a theory that users should reach their goals in 3 clicks (or taps on a mobile device) or they will lose interest and leave your website. Whilst it’s never quite as simple as that, it’s a good rule of thumb. The fewer interactions your user has before completing what they set out to achieve, the more likely they are to stay and return. Always make the journey simple and intuitive.
Blog page
Publishing engaging, informative and helpful content is another way to improve SEO, bring candidates and clients to your website, encourage them to return, and boost your brand. Show the world that you’re experts in your sector and provide helpful advice for your users.
Update your content frequently and not only will you give visitors a reason to keep coming back, Google will reward you with a higher ranking.
Other pages that every great recruitment website should have include an About Us and a Meet the Team page, Testimonials, Contact Us, and separate Candidate and Client pages that detail the service and the process they can expect when they work with you.
Above all, ensure your website reflects your branding and your messaging. Be professional but inject some personality into your website. Recruiting is a people business so show people who you are.
Your recruitment website is an office that’s always open, your online identity and your virtual storefront. It’s your job advertising platform, your candidate portal, your client marketing tool. A great recruitment website needs to be many things to many people but consistently project who you are, what you do and why you are better than your competitors.
