Richard started the webinar by providing an overview of the current landscape, informed by Black Sun Global’s annual analysis of FTSE 100 corporate websites and careers sites. Websites are working harder to attract, engage and recruit new talent. Candidates are increasingly looking for companies that share their values – a purpose-led focus with a clear articulation of culture and values is top of the agenda.
Companies are recognising this and working to make this kind of content more accessible to prospective employees. 80% of companies are sharing their culture and values and 78% are going beyond just discussing gender in their content on diversity and inclusion. Taking this a step further, 69% of companies are bringing it to life through the use of people stories and 'A Day in the Life Of' content.
Richard then went on to provide some best practice examples including Lloyds Banking Group, Anglo American and AstraZeneca. Richard highlighted some interesting features companies have used to maximise the effectiveness of their careers sections:
Steering candidates to the most relevant and appropriate roles is key for any good careers site. Lloyds have a very useful ‘Find Your Path’ tool, which has content addressed to different applicant groups i.e. graduates v’s experienced hires. Inmarsat has developed a page dedicated to opportunities for ex-military personnel, addressing a very specific desired target audience for them. Equally, challenging perceptions is also important, and Inmarsat has also used video content very effectively to highlight the fact that they don’t just hire engineers.
As noted above, finding a company that is ‘the right culture fit’ is extremely important to candidates. Aimed at students, Lloyds ‘Virtual HQ’ section is an interactive feature that provides information on diversity and inclusion, mental health and well-being, and sustainability in a fun and engaging way.
Inmarsat’s ‘Life at Inmarsat’ page brings together all of the information a potential employee will need to get a good understanding of their culture. The hero feature of the page is the ‘We are Inmarsat’ video and the values and employer awards they have won also feature prominently on the page
For many large companies recruitment is a global operation. During the webinar Richard explained how Black Sun Global had worked with Coca-Cola HBC to create an engaging careers presence across the group in 26 countries. Having created a new digital identity for the careers site we then set about harnessing the power of the Adobe AEM CMS to replicate the EVP content through the 26 country sites while enabling each region to update their country specific content. This approach ensured a consistent employer brand message while making allowance for regional nuances.
Creating a beautifully designed, informative and engaging careers site is only half the battle. With the continued struggle to attract talent, websites and social media are working hard to convert prospective candidates into employees. Over 80% of companies show current vacancies and enable people to search and apply for jobs, and almost half now have a 'talent community' where you can share your CV or register an interest in a particular type of role.
However, the handoff between the careers site and the application tracking system must be seamless in order to avoid losing candidates. Black Sun Global worked with Inmarsat to fully integrate their application tracking system into their careers site. Candidates can search for jobs, register a CV and get job alerts all through the careers site. Analytics found that this retains and engages candidates for a much longer window prior to the job application.
The design of the tracking system should also not be neglected, they often look quite mundane. When designing a new careers site the tracking system look and feel, and user experience, should be considered from the outset.
In part two of this event round up we will look at the challenge of retaining those hard-won employees and the challenges that different types of companies face when trying to keep staff informed and engaged.
In the meantime, if you would like the recording of the webinar or to find out more about how we could help you to build a best-in-class careers site please get in touch with our Head of Business Development, Naomi Hawkins.
Black Sun is a global group of strategic advisors, consultants and stakeholder engagement specialists. We believe that brands and businesses can have a big impact on our society – they can shape more ethical practices, build more inclusive communities and deliver more sustainable performance. Ultimately, they can spark positive change in the world.
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