Here’s Why Your Website Isn’t Cute Dog (And Job Seeker) Friendly

OK, maybe you didn’t design your website with cute puppies in mind, but you definitely should’ve been thinking about what job seekers want. The 2015 Candidate Behavior Study found that 42 percent of job seekers look at company websites during their job search.Company websites are not only a way to find open jobs, but also to find out more about the employer brand.

So what does your website say about your company? Does it make job seekers wag their tails, or stray away?

Here are four reactions cute dogs and job seekers have when they visit your website:

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It’s hard to navigate

When a job seeker visits your website, they’re there to gather information about what type of company you are and what it would be like to work there. However, if they have to spend half an hour searching through results after entering “jobs” in your search bar, they’re probably going to give up and move on.

Put an easy to find “careers” link at the top of your homepage and have it direct job seekers to useful information and open positions. Don’t just include current open positions, either. Include examples of past and current projects, so job seekers can see what they’ll actually be working on.

Also, consider giving job seekers the option to apply for a position from your page. Including links to posts on outside job boards might be easy for you, but it means more steps and more open tabs for potential employees.

It’s boring

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Nothing turns a job seeker away from a company quicker than a boring website. It’s a signal that working for the company would also be dull. Your website needs to reflect all the exciting opportunities there are available.

Make sure your website design is up-to-date and using the latest trends. That includes being mobile optimized. Job seekers are spending more and more time searching for jobs on mobile devices. The 2015 Jobvite Job Seeker Nation Survey found that 49 percent of Millennials have used mobile devices for their job search. Don’t let amazing employees get away because the website that comes up on their phone makes them yawn.

It’s not what they expected

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In the 2015 Millennial Majority Workforce Study by Elance-oDesk 39 percent of Millennials listed the group of people they’d be working with as a priority when choosing a job. They want to know what it’s going to be like working in the office and that they’ll be happy.

Find ways to show what it’s like to work for your company by recording an employer brand video that features current employees talking about the company in their own words. Give accurate and current descriptions of what each open job position does and what they are responsible for, so job seekers will know exactly what they’re getting into before applying.

They just can’t handle it

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For job seekers, less is more. More and more employees are leaving big companies for smaller ones. Be it because they believed they’d make more of an impact at a smaller company to wanting a different type of culture, employees are leaning towards smaller companies.

If your company is on the smaller side, use this to your advantage and highlight all the perks your company size affords you. However, if you are a larger company, try to avoid overwhelming job seekers with your website. Include success stories that feature employees on your website to show, despite having thousands of employees, individuals are acknowledged and recognized.

What are some other website mistakes might be scaring job seekers (and cute puppies) away?