What are the best practices for the “careers” page on your web site? One good strategy for small and mid-size employers is to take a peek at what their big brothers are doing.
A study by consultants CareerXroads has identified the best recruiting pages among the Fortune 500’s web sites. The study cited only 5% of Fortune 500 employers (25 companies) as offering applicants a “Best in Class” experience online. Thus, these 25 serve as excellent benchmarks for smaller employers.
Here are those top 25 companies and links to their careers pages, in alphabetical order:
1. Altria Group: www.cantbeattheexperience.com
2. AT&T: http://att.jobs
3. Best Buy: www.bestbuy-jobs.com
4. Capital One: www.capitalone.com/careers
5. Eaton: http://www.eaton.com/Eaton/OurCompany/Careers
6. EMC: www.emc.com/hr
7. FedEx: http://fedex.com/careers
8. Fluor: www.fluor.com/careers
9. GE: www.ge.com/careers
10. General Motors: www.gm.com/corporate/careers/
11. Google: www.google.com/intl/en/jobs
12. Home Depot: www.careers.homedepot.com.edgesuite.net
13. Intel: www.intel.com/jobs/index.htm
14. Lockheed Martin: www.intel.com/jobs
15. Morgan Stanley: http://www.morganstanley.com/about/careers
16. Pepsico: www.pepsico.com/Careers.html
17. Proctor & Gamble: www.pepsico.com/Careers.html
18. PSE&G: http://www.pseg.com/info/careers
19. Raytheon: www.rayjobs.com
20. The Southern Company: www.southerncompany.com/careerinfo/home.aspx
21. State Farm Insurance: www.statefarm.com/careers/index_emp.asp
22. Stryker: http://www.stryker.com/en-us/careers/index.htm
23. Target: http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-030796
24. Whirlpool: http://www.whirlpoolcareers.com/default.aspx
25. Yahoo: http://careers.yahoo.com/
Source: CareerXroads study, The Candidate Experience, 2011
Benchmarking your site: The 4 key questions to ask
When reviewing career pages (including the top 25 listed above) and your own recruiting site, keep these important four questions in mind:
1. Does it target the right people? Instead of trying to appeal to everyone, identify the kind of people you want. Show them that you target them, and "map" the career path you want them to take.
2. Does it engage? Your site should quickly answer these two questions: Why should I come to work here? Why should I stay? Such "branding" messages should turn off those you least want, while driving those you most want to take action. The message should be memorable, consistent and realistic.
3. Does it inform? Brand the job, not just the job experience, by explaining the day-to-day experience, type of person required, type of work required and necessary skills. Include user-friendly navigation from the job-seekers' view, not from IT's view.
Key benchmark: How many clicks does it take to get from your home page to the job description? If you're at four clicks or fewer, you're doing well.
4. Does it respect the applicant? Acknowledge applicants when they apply. Tell them what steps to expect in the hiring process. Promise to protect their data and provide a status report on the job search (then follow through).
