A recruitment website is an online ‘shop front’ for your business. You want to appeal to both candidates and potential clients, showing them that you are a trustworthy and highly professional brand. We’ve put together a list of our top 10 tips for recruitment website design that will help you make a great first impression.
- Appeal to both candidates and clients
To begin with, you’ll need to think about your target audience – who do you want to appeal to? There are three main types of users you should be targeting:
- Active candidates – To appeal to these candidates it needs to be easy to find the job or search term they are looking for, with a straightforward application process and no fuss.
- Passive candidates – These are candidates who are not actively looking for a new job, but are open to opportunities. Provide them with an option to upload their CV to your website so they can be contacted for future relevant roles.
- Clients – They want to see proof that you are the experts and can recruit for any type of role in their sector. Include industry specific landing pages with examples to demonstrate your expertise.
- Think about the user experience
It’s important that you include a clear navigation bar at the top of your site so users can find the section that’s relevant to them. Don’t overwhelm visitors with too much content or large blocks of text – any extra information you would like to include can always be added to a blog! Include plenty of calls-to-action (CTAs) and other information to help users navigate the site. Keep the application form as simple as possible, as a complex process with lots of questions can be off-putting.
- Make it easy for candidates to find relevant jobs
Ensure that it’s as easy as possible for candidates to find what they are looking for. Include detailed filters on your job search facility so that people can narrow down their search. Candidates often search for roles using different filters such as contract length or salary, so make sure you include all these details on the job listing.
By organising the jobs into easy-to-understand categories, you will enable candidates to browse through broader searches if they don’t know exactly what they are looking for.
- Have a contact page for general enquiries
As a recruitment company, you want potential candidates to be able to get in touch with any queries they may have. Having a visible contact page will reassure them that you are contactable, approachable and available to help with any queries they may have.
- Provide in-depth FAQs to reduce repetitive questions
This is another method of addressing any questions candidates might have, and it’s a great way of reducing repetitive questions. Find out what your candidates’ pain points are in terms of the application process, address these concerns and add in helpful tips and advice. Use the FAQs to reassure candidates that you are there to help.
- Feature reviews from both candidates and clients for credibility
Both candidates and clients are looking for evidence that you are a trustworthy business and that you provide high quality recruitment services. Include testimonials from previous clients in the client section, and include reviews from candidates in the job search section. Great reviews will act as ‘social proof’, offering visitors reassurance that you will do a great job.
- Implement SEO strategies
Your recruitment website will be competing with other job boards and agencies in the search engine rankings, so you need to do everything possible to increase your search engine visibility. In order to do this, there are a range of SEO strategies that can be implemented. These include targeting optimal keywords, sourcing links from relevant third party websites, and creating dedicated landing pages for different client sectors. Create a blog so that you can regularly upload interesting content that targets your keywords.
Certain technical factors also affect the search engine algorithms, so it’s essential to take into account page-loading speed and mobile performance, as well as ensuring your website has a clear site map and an SSL certificate.
- Use Google for Jobs
Another important SEO tip is to make sure your website is optimised for Google for Jobs, as this means that the search engine will automatically index your job listings and add them to relevant searches.
- Security is VERY important
The job application process often requires candidates to provide a substantial amount of personal information, which can be quite daunting. Make sure candidates know your website is secure by showing SSL certification and security logos, as well as assuring them of your GDPR compliance.
- Make sure your website is mobile-friendly
These days, a mobile-friendly website is a must in practically every industry. Recruitment is definitely no exception – almost 90% of all candidates use their mobile phone to search for new jobs! Make sure your website is responsive and can be easily used on mobile and other devices.
Remember that while your site might work well on all devices, it can still be difficult to fill out a lengthy application form via mobile. Where possible, offer candidates the opportunity to fill out a quick application with a cover letter in a text box and an option to attach a CV.
You should now have a basic understanding of what makes a successful recruitment website design! If this all seems a bit too complex, or you simply don’t have the time to make use of these tips, get in touch – we’re always here to help!
