A recent study by WetFeet.com, a leading career site providing online recruitment strategies and research for corporations, reports that despite the millions of dollars spent by corporations on online recruiting, one out of four job seekers reject potential employers based on their Web sites.
Based on a survey of 750 undergraduate and business school students from 25 major U.S. universities, 90 per cent of student job seekers visit corporate Web sites during their job search. One out of two job seekers responded that the quality of a company’s Web site is important when deciding where they want to work.
Additional survey findings
•Students spend an average of four hours on a corporate Web site during their job search.
•75 per cent of students who use the Internet for their job search use career and company information sites in addition to prospective employers’ sites.
•58 per cent seek or read career advice on the Internet during their job search.
•Only 44 per cent of undergraduates and 33 per cent of business school students on the Internet use job boards during their job search.
•60 per cent look for articles on the Internet about companies in which they are interested.
Unfortunately, companies often make a few deadly mistakes in their site designs, but the report identifies several key areas in which companies can improve their Web sites for more effective recruiting.
Here’s a list of simple points for HR executives and Web designers to keep in mind when developing the recruiting section of their Web site:
1. Focus on easy navigation and fast download times, not flashy design.
2. Include candid information about the culture, career paths and business prospects.
3. If you offer the ability to post résumés online, deliver prompt and appropriate responses.
4. Include third party sources of information on your company such as articles, rankings or awards.
5. Present information in easily digestible formats such as graphs and bullet points as opposed to large blocks of text.
6. Place contact information up front so it’s easy to find.
7. Differentiate your company’s culture and market position from your competitors.
8. Make sure content is fresh and current.
9. Leverage the Internet to personalize each job seeker’s experience.
10. Design separate sections for different types of job seekers (i.e.: students vs. experienced job-seekers; MBAs vs. undergraduates).
Source: WetFeet.com
Facts on who’s online
•90 per cent of all students use corporate Web sites.
•44 per cent of undergraduates use job boards
•33 per cent of business school students use job boards.
Based on a survey of 750 undergraduate and business school students from 25 major U.S. universities, 90 per cent of student job seekers visit corporate Web sites during their job search. One out of two job seekers responded that the quality of a company’s Web site is important when deciding where they want to work.
Additional survey findings
•Students spend an average of four hours on a corporate Web site during their job search.
•75 per cent of students who use the Internet for their job search use career and company information sites in addition to prospective employers’ sites.
•58 per cent seek or read career advice on the Internet during their job search.
•Only 44 per cent of undergraduates and 33 per cent of business school students on the Internet use job boards during their job search.
•60 per cent look for articles on the Internet about companies in which they are interested.
Unfortunately, companies often make a few deadly mistakes in their site designs, but the report identifies several key areas in which companies can improve their Web sites for more effective recruiting.
Here’s a list of simple points for HR executives and Web designers to keep in mind when developing the recruiting section of their Web site:
1. Focus on easy navigation and fast download times, not flashy design.
2. Include candid information about the culture, career paths and business prospects.
3. If you offer the ability to post résumés online, deliver prompt and appropriate responses.
4. Include third party sources of information on your company such as articles, rankings or awards.
5. Present information in easily digestible formats such as graphs and bullet points as opposed to large blocks of text.
6. Place contact information up front so it’s easy to find.
7. Differentiate your company’s culture and market position from your competitors.
8. Make sure content is fresh and current.
9. Leverage the Internet to personalize each job seeker’s experience.
10. Design separate sections for different types of job seekers (i.e.: students vs. experienced job-seekers; MBAs vs. undergraduates).
Source: WetFeet.com
Facts on who’s online
•90 per cent of all students use corporate Web sites.
•44 per cent of undergraduates use job boards
•33 per cent of business school students use job boards.
