Often the first point of call for potential candidates your company website can leave a lasting impression. A successful website should showcase what you do, what you are about and drive applications / registrations / engagement.

Various elements come together to create a great recruitment website however it is important the foundations are present before adding the bells and whistles.

Use the recruitment website essentials checklist to ensure the foundations of a great site are put into place. View the 2015 website checklist below or download your free .pdf copy. Ideal for taking to meetings with potential website providers!

1. Mission statement and about information

What do you do?
Where do you do it?
What qualifies you to do it?
What sets you apart from the competition?

Your ‘About’ page should be compelling, add credibility to your company and ultimately convince potential candidates that you are THE recruiter(s) that can help secure their next career move.

Talk about your approach, key members of the team and experience within target industries. User attention spans are short so make sure information is clearly presented and broke down into manageable chunks. Keep the content interesting and concise.

2. Clear contact details
Difficult to find contact details will frustrate users potentially sending them to a competitor site. Display your key contact details on every page of your website.

Make use of a fixed header and/or the footer of your website. At a minimum make sure your telephone number and inbound email address are ever-present.

3. Intuitive navigation
Websites don’t come with instructions because they should be easy to use. Your websites navigation should be logically structured. List the most important content on your website and measure how many clicks it takes to access from the homepage. If it is more than two chances are your navigation needs a review.

Keep you navigation simple, where necessary use drop down menus to categorise content. Plan candidate journeys and refer to your analytics to check what is and isn’t working.

4. Mobile compatibility (responsive design)
The average UK consumer owns more than five digital devices (Deloitte) and your website should work across all of them, adapting content presentation accordingly.

Recent research from Indeed revealed that 66% of people in the UK would apply for jobs via a mobile device if the process were simplified. Mobile optimising your website will improve conversation rates and may push you up the rankings as Google recommends a responsive design where possible.

5. Tracking and goals
There will always be something that can be improved on your website. In order to evaluate how users find your site, what content works and what doesn’t it is imperative you set up suitable tracking.

Google Analytics is the most widely used website analytics platform. Set up an account, add the tracking code to your site and begin to monitor activity. Analysing user data will enable you to make informed decisions and improve your web offering. Head over to the Official Analytics help centre for more info: https://support.google.com/analytics/

6. Clear Call To actions
What do you want candidates to do when they access your site? Chances are you are looking to collect candidate information and drive online applications.

What ever your target conversions are make sure the CTA is clearly presented, appropriately styled, sized and positioned. Scrolling or fixed CTAs can significantly improve conversion rates. Use Google Analytics to determine what is working and what isn’t – amend and adjust accordingly.

7. Appropriate branding
If your website, social media profiles and marketing collateral were presented together would it be obvious they all belonged to the same company?

Consistency is a key ingredient in creating a memorable brand. Uniform page titles, typography and the style of imagery on your website.

8. CRM connectivity
Your website and recruitment software should work together. The ability to check candidate registrations and applications, in addition to posting jobs to your website all from your CRM improves efficiency by reducing time spend on admin tasks.

If you want to take a look at the latest in mobile, social and Cloud recruitment software solutions head over to the dedicated HRS Connect page, download a recruitment software brochure or book a personal HRS demo.

Once you have the essentials in place you can push forward with more advanced elements. Introducing a company blog, developing an SEO strategy, improving conversation rates and integrating your social media channels (to name a few).

Do you have any more recruitment website fundamentals to add? Leave a comment below, send an email to hello@gethrs.com or connect via Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

The post 2015 Recruitment website essentials appeared first on Recruitment Software for Recruitment Professionals | HRS.

Picture the scene, happy recruiters finding and placing top talent, not a complaint or a negative comment to be heard. Sounds good doesn’t it? In reality this probably doesn’t happen as often as it should.

In truthfulness everyone gets a little run down or stressed as the working weeks go on, companies need to be brought on board, candidates need to be placed and targets need to be hit. In a pressure filled environment small problems can quickly become bigger issues.

If you are team manager or a senior member of staff take a step back and look at where you can help consultants remove some unnecessary stress. Here are my top 5 ways to keep your recruiters happy:

1. Take the time to listen
   Listen to what your staff have to say. Arrange regular consultant catch-ups or introduce a quick morning meeting. Regular and open communication should help you spot potential issues before they have time to develop.

2. Praise where praise is due
   Let your team know their doing a good job. Whether this is by organising a staff meal out or simply sending an email when someone has achieved a goal. Letting staff know you are aware of their hard work and achievements and want to thank them will boost morale throughout the company.

3. Supply the right tools
   One of the major frustrations employees come up against is issues with technology and software. To avoid numerous knocks on the door and unhappy consultants make sure the software you choose works for your business. Does your current recruitment software empower or frustrate your consultants?

4. Remain professional
   Behave as you expect your consultants to. If your in a bad mood or stressed, don’t take it out on your team as this can lead to a very unproductive office.

5. Set incentives
   Targets and commission play a big part in the continued drive of most professional recruiters. Think how you can use incentives to increase teamwork or improve moral in the office. Simple ideas include providing quality coffee or organising company outings.

There are a lot of things you can do to keep your recruiters happy, above are just a few of the things that have worked for myself over the years. If you have any ideas of your own leave a comment below or get involved through the HRS social media channels. If you want to take a look at the latest in mobile, social and Cloud recruitment software solutions head over to the dedicated HRS Connect page or book a HRS demo.

The post 5 Ways to keep your recruiters happy appeared first on Recruitment Software for Recruitment Professionals | HRS.