A look at peak performing careers sites

Research from the Candidate Attraction Report 2018 revealed that careers sites are the number one go-to tool for in-house recruitment teams to source quality and quantity candidates, but they lag behind many other channels.

92% of respondents have some degree of online recruitment functionality but many do not have the optimal content. By testing the various combinations of careers site content we were able to identify the peak performing content – which is used on the best performing careers sites. In this post, we look at the most common types of content and the connecting features of the content types in their value and usefulness to a candidate throughout the process.

Sector specific results

When looking at what sectors have the best sourcing success with careers sites, we know from research that the Recruitment sector, Technology/Software sector, Hospitality and Education sector all have below par results. The Retail/Wholesale sector and Media/Publishing sectors both buck the trend and are getting it right with their career sites.

To see the individual sourcing channels for each sector download the free Candidate Attraction Report 2018.

How do you measure up?

The success of a careers site can be affected by the size of a company and research shows that organisations of 1000+ employees see better results of quantity and quality candidates. Over 10,000 employees and careers sites are generating a high quantity of candidates – too many for 35% of companies.

We asked does regular measurement (of the channel) improve results? The near straight line results shows monitoring and measuring of careers sites has a positive effect on results add image. Those who occasionally measure and regularly measure reach the top right quadrant. The average sits at the mid-point. See the full details on page 54 of the free report.

Careers site content in use

The survey revealed the most common types of career site content are:

The survey also looked at types of content available to candidates on ‘peak performance sites’ – those sites where candidate quality is consistently rated as high…

Candidate Centric Content

Peak performing career sites are more likely to have the following content than poor performing careers sites:

• 7 x more likely to have career pathways
• 5 x more likely to have interview hints and tips
• 2 x more likely to have how our recruitment process works
• 2 x more likely to have FAQ’s
• 2 x more likely to have diversity and inclusion

Content that gives candidates the information to show what is like to work for you, understand the type of roles available and communicate the employee value proposition are delivering quality and quantity of candidates. Think of the content throughout the recruitment process that can promote

• Awareness and understanding (company values/working here)
• Interest (employee stories and videos)
• Consideration (how your process works, diversity and inclusion
• Application (how your process works
• Evaluation (hints and tips/ FAQ’s
• Joining (online onboarding/what to expect

By testing the various combinations of careers site content we were able to identify the optimal content, shown above, which is used on the best performing careers site. There are clear connecting features of the content types in their value and usefulness to a candidate throughout the process. Yet, these types of content are currently under used. For example, only 21% of careers sites describe the potential pathways that a new employee can take with you to develop their career.

You can read more about the full candidate attraction findings in the free 70 page report – it covers top sourcing challenges, underperforming channels and candidate centric content.