Your best job candidates will anonymously visit the homepage of your website, as it is often the ... [+]
As we come out of the pandemic, companies want to grow. But how can you grow without great people? If you can help companies attract and retain great employees, then you have an offering that can attract high-paying clients.
Inflation, labor and supply upheavals, and a work culture transformation are top of mind for C-suite execs and business owners in 2022, according to C-Suite Outlook, The Conference Board's 23rd annual survey of business leaders around the world.
By definition, if you charge business leaders more than $10,000 for your services, then you are trying to attract high-paying clients. The best way to land high-paying clients is to help business leaders get what they want.
When it come to the wants in 2022, labor shortages are driving talent retention and recruitment to the top of the business leader agenda. How do business leaders plan to seize the opportunities?
This year’s C-Suite Outlook details the external stress business leaders face and the impact on growth strategies. (The report also explores C-suite views on the benefits and risks of hybrid work models.) The report reflects the views of 1,614 C-suite executives, including 917 CEOs globally.
One person who helps business leaders attract top talent is digital marketing strategist Thomas Young of Intuitive Websites. We met years back when I helped him edit a book on winning the website wars. He has strong advice for how your website can attract great employees.
“Your best job candidates will anonymously visit the homepage of your website, as it is often the starting point of their research into your company,” says Young. “The homepage must attract not only customers but also these top candidates.”
Young is a Vistage CEO peer groups speaker and a national speaker on digital marketing and website usability. He has presented to thousands on the subject of internet marketing in seminars, webinars and through his podcasts.
Young says the good news is the content on your homepage that attracts the quality prospects should also attract your best job candidates. Here are a few key things he advises to capture the attention of qualified job candidates:
Tell a story. First, have a careers page. “On the careers page, tell a story about working at your company, focus on the benefits and use photos of real people at work,” says Young. “Your best job applicants will envision what it is like to work for your company when they visit the website careers page.”
No place like home. Homepage content must be relevant to the job candidates too. “Speak the language of the website end-user and focus on what is important to them,” says Young. “Keep it simple and avoid large blocks of text. Focus on brief blocks of content with descriptive headers, icons, images, and graphics.”
Seek employee help. Get your employees involved. Young advises: “Ask your employees to list the top three reasons why they work for your company and use what you find as key messaging on the careers page.”
Talk benefits. No need to be mum about benefits. “Be very clear about the key benefits your company provides,” says Young. “This means a lot to job applicants and prospective customers. Do this before you talk about your company’s services and products.”
Get real. Photos and videos mean a great deal in 2022. “Use photos of real people at your company,” says Young. Avoid obvious clipart photos they see on other company’s websites. He says if you must use clip art photos, make sure to use superior quality photos as they are part of your brand. Use captions on photos to describe your company and include names with people’s faces. Get written permission from employees to do this
Links in the chain. “If possible, link to team member bios and their LinkedIn account,” says Young. That’s because prospective job candidates like to see who they might be working with. Think of it as social media proof of the company you keep.
Bottom line: “We are in uncharted waters when it comes to recruiting and staffing following the pandemic,” says Young. “Companies are looking for help, and their website and digital marketing efforts need to be tools to attract qualified candidates.”
