Today I’m going to present to you an EXTREMELY effective compilation of employer branding techniques for your job listings. Indeed, you’ll discover 30+ techniques, pointers, and illustrations in this article.
Thus, if you aim to create compelling, converting job advertisements you’ll truly appreciate this compilation.
Employer Branding Techniques on Job Listings vs Company Career Page
Many of your applicants originate from job boards such as Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn. Consequently, this indicates they are skipping your careers landing page and heading directly to your job listings.
Organizations also generally concentrate the majority of their employer branding initiatives on their careers page. Hence, minimal to no EB efforts are reflected in their job listings where the conversions actually occur.
Why Is Implementing Employer Branding Techniques Crucial on Job Listings?
Employer branding is essential on job listings because they are the sections where your primary call-to-action is to “apply”.
Therefore, you want to provide candidates with as much information as possible to help them decide whether to apply.
Consider your job advertisements as a comprehensive resource, where candidates don’t need to navigate away from your pages in search of additional information.
A Compilation of Employer Branding Techniques for Job Listings:
1. Job Page URL
This might appear straightforward but often gets overlooked during integration with an applicant tracking system.
Here’s an illustration of a branded job page URL versus an ATS-based URL:
Ideally, you should aim for the company name and job title to constitute the majority of your URL.
Your job page URL should also remain concise to attract potential candidates. Succinct URLs can contribute to a sense of professionalism while enhancing your site’s SEO effectiveness.
2. Job Page Branding
You aim for your job pages to have a similar visual layout as every other page on your site.
This entails maintaining a consistent:
This aids in reinforcing your brand in the perceptions of high-caliber talent. Just as color psychology influences mood in a workplace, implementing the right themes on your page can create a profound emotional connection with prospective hires.
Studies also indicate that potential consumers form a subconscious evaluation within 90 seconds of entering a store, and 62%- 90% of first impressions stem from perceiving the color of the interior design. In a similar vein, a robust employer brand for your job page could utilize color psychology to communicate your organizational ethos and values.
3. Mobile Optimization/Responsiveness
In the age of mobile usage, responsive job pages are indispensable.
“78% of individuals in the US would apply to jobs via their mobile devices.” – Indeed
Here are several enlightening articles on mobile optimization issues and solutions:
Several straightforward methods to enhance the mobile-friendliness of your career pages include:
- Increasing the visibility of call-to-action buttons (e.g., using a contrasting color to distinguish them from other on-site elements) and ensuring they are responsive. This can help elevate application rates and stop candidates from leaving your page prior to responding to your ad.
- Reducing the quality of media files embedded on your page. Heavy scripts and high-resolution files could slow your page loading speed when accessed from mobile devices running on 5G or other non-Wi-Fi networks. Thus, it’s critical to acknowledge that load times between one to five seconds generally induce a 90% increase in bounce rate (visitors departing your site after consulting a single webpage). You might also potentially lose a significant number of potential employees due to a non-mobile-optimized setup.
- Steer clear of site plugins and elements that are unsupported on mobile devices. Ongig’s Career Site Builder enables you to conveniently optimize widgets for recruitment, such as attracting prospective candidates on their mobile devices.
4. Job Description Text
It’s easy to devote the majority or entire time on employer branding to visuals (logos, color scheme, images, video, etc.).
But what about the abundant text in your job listings?
From an Employer Brand perspective, there are 2 primary areas where your text can elevate your EB:
Bias
Readability
All of the following are proven methods to enhance your job posting text (and thus Employer Brand) efficacy:
- Job Description Length
- Words per Sentence
- Shorter Words
- Write in a Conversational Style
Explore 7 Tips on How to Craft the Most “Readable” Job Descriptions for specifics on each.
Enhanced text = enhanced employer brand.
5. Media
It’s essential to incorporate media in your job listings.
Images and video amplify engagement and time on page which are critical metrics.
Outstanding media content positioned prominently on your job page establishes the tone for your job descriptions and grabs the applicants’ attention.
“The average web user spends 88% more time on a website featuring video.”
Video content remains a premier attraction among internet users due to
its ability to narrate compelling tales in a concise and visual manner. As per marketing authority Zelios Agency, video material can also result in an 80% boost in conversion on a landing page.
This information should be pertinent to your specialized career landing pages when showcasing your organization’s standing to potential employees.
6. Company/Workplace Culture Details
There are several methods to incorporate this information into your job descriptions.
- Media — Images and videos showcasing the workplace and expressing company culture
- Company culture excerpt within the job description
- Embedded text box
- Recruiting Widgets — Particularly employer ratings and reviews widgets (discussed below)
“When deciding on where to submit a job application, 84% of job seekers consider the reputation of a company as an employer to be important.” –TalentNow
“75% of job seekers evaluate an employer’s brand before even applying for a position.” –LinkedIn Talent Solutions
7. Ratings & Reviews (Employer Review Sites)
It’s beneficial to provide employer ratings and reviews in your job postings. Any click you can preserve for the candidate and keep them engaged on your pages is a victory.
Most employer ratings and reviews options are formatted as a widget.
For instance, here’s a Glassdoor widget featuring company rating, CEO rating, employee feedback, and more.
An alternative to Glassdoor is Comparably. Concentrating on company culture, diversity, gender, and compensation, Comparably is currently working on developing a recruiting widget for job postings.
8. Advantages
Another effective employer branding strategy for your job descriptions is to include details about benefits.
They can also provide that additional encouragement to convert a job seeker into an applicant.
And of course (as you anticipated) saves the candidate unnecessary clicks and research that could lead them away from your pages.
“Details regarding benefits about flexible working policies, parental leave, or healthcare are more crucial for women, so be sure to include that in your job descriptions as well.” – LinkedIn Gender Report
Here’s a compilation of 20 outstanding employee benefits.
9. Maps/Location Details
Assist candidates in determining the precise location of the job. Displaying the location marked on a map provides more context than merely listing the city and state.
“Fewer than 5% of Fortune 500 companies feature a map on their job description.” –Source
Include a map and location data to make your job descriptions more prominent.
10. Commute Duration
So far, we haven’t identified a company that offers a widget for commute duration. Therefore, you will likely need to create a commute time widget in-house. We also believe developing one is worthwhile after considering these stats:
- “Commute time was ranked 4th (43%) in top factors employees and job seekers looked for in job ads.” –Source
- “A convenient, easy commute ranked 2nd (47%) in what would make Americans more inclined to submit a job application.” –Source
Here’s an example of a commute duration widget from Wendy’s:
For additional reasons and methods to implement commute duration on your job postings CLICK HERE.
11. Employee Endorsements
If you’re looking to include social validation on your job postings, employee endorsements are a fantastic approach. We typically observe them on company career pages, but they should also be present on each of your job ads.
“Employees are ranked as the most trusted influencers when discussing their company’s engagement and integrity.” –Source
Here’s one way to embed a testimonial on your job page (embedding a text box).
Insights from current employees also enable job seekers to grasp the company culture more thoroughly. The social validation from these contributions reinforces company reviews from platforms like Glassdoor and Indeed.
Need assistance with suggestions on how to incorporate employee endorsements into your job postings? This is an excellent article.
12. Employer of Choice Recognitions as Employer Branding Techniques
Searching for more social validation? If you possess them, show them off.
An employer of choice graphic can help capture the candidate’s attention in the initial moments of viewing a job description.
The process of becoming an employer of choice and receiving an award may appear daunting. However, it’s generally a matter of registration, survey, and payment.
A few of the most recognized award organizations are:
- Fortune 100
- Forbes
- Top Employers Institute
- Great Place to Work For
- Glassdoor
Here’s an Extensive Compilation of Employer of Choice Awards.
13. Suggested Positions
Provide applicants with more than a mere one-time experience.
A suggested positions recruiting widget showcases jobs related to the department, location, and also the qualifications of the job page the applicant is currently viewing.
Thus, here’s an example of a suggested positions widget for a software engineer role:
AI machine learning and employee feedback are powerful methods to enhance the suggested positions section of your career site. These strategies also assist your hiring team in identifying prevalent job search terms and phrases to improve your job posting’s visibility and searchability.
You might also incorporate site widgets that collect candidate insights from career platforms like LinkedIn to analyze employee experiences, social interactions, market trends, and job seeker preferences.
14. Enhanced Social Sharing to Emphasize Your Employer Branding Initiatives
Ensure that your vacancies are optimized for sharing on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
So, when we say optimized, we refer to:
- An appealing thumbnail image or video
- Job Title and location
- 1-2 sentences of succinctly written copy
- Link to the job page
These components should automatically be obtained by simply copying and pasting the job link into your post/status update.
Here’s a comparison of a non-optimized social share job advertisement (left) versus an optimized social share job advertisement (right).
Branding ultimately revolves around visibility. The same applies to your employer branding initiatives. When publishing your job description, it’s beneficial to utilize an ATS that integrates with a wide variety of job boards. While LinkedIn, Monster, and ZipRecruiter are leading choices, consider broadening your talent pool with other community-specific platforms like FairyGodBoss and Coded by Kids.
15. Walk Score
Walk Score is a location-based widget that delivers in-depth information on a particular area.
The widget includes 3 scores:
- Walk Score: Evaluates the walkability of any location.
- Transit Score: Assesses how well a location is serviced by public transportation.
- Bike Score: Evaluates how suitable an area is for cycling.
View Walk Score’s methodology.
16. Career Blog Content to Enhance Your Employer Branding Initiatives
Content is a validated channel for lead generation and can be utilized in recruiting.
It’s an excellent means to offer valuable content to candidates and heighten your chances of conversion.
If candidates are intrigued by your company, they wish to learn more, and a career blog is an ideal solution.
Some suggested themes to include in your job description as part of your employer branding initiatives are early career advice, a day in the life, employee highlights, and also the recruitment process.
Structuring diverse blog series with a cohesive theme could also prove beneficial, which may help position your organization as a thought leader and people-centric entity.
For example, you could create a series that delves into your company’s core values or employees’ experiences from underrepresented communities. These might consist of a behind-the-scenes look at employee resource groups (ERGs) and HR cooperations such as community outreach events and initiatives.
Having these blog links accessible on your job description adds credibility and transparency to your job postings.
Tenable serves as an example of a commendable career blog.
Here are 5 Tips for Crafting a Company Career Blog That Recruits For You.
17. Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
Your employee value proposition (EVP) shouldn’t merely be featured on your company career page. It’s also a significant component of your employer branding initiatives. Thus, akin to many of the other points we’ve mentioned, it should be included in every one of your job descriptions.
Often recognized as one of the most crucial steps in an employer branding strategy, the EVP should respond to inquiries such as:
- Why should the applicant choose your company over another?
- What advantages does the candidate gain?
- What makes your organization an excellent workplace?
- What can you provide candidates that other organizations cannot?
Here are a couple of fantastic resources for developing and formulating an EVP:
Crafting a compelling EVP as part of your employer branding initiatives can enhance employee retention by presenting your target audience with the most desirable career incentives and lifestyle arrangements. Likewise, recent workforce studies reveal that 72% of employees in the United States prioritize work-life balance.
Furthermore, consider adapting your job description branding strategies for improved inclusive hiring campaigns in accordance with demographic needs. For example, 78% of women prioritize work-life balance over other career decisions compared to 67% of men.
Ongig’s Text Analyzer software delivers thorough job description vetting that assesses gender neutrality scores while considering critical segments and components. Thus, utilizing the platform empowers your team to promote impactful and inclusive EVPs at scale.
18. Diversity Statement
Diversity and Inclusion are most likely among your HR top priorities. This means including a diversity statement in your job descriptions is essential. But, I’m not referring to
about an EEOC filled with legal terminology.
I’m referring to an engaging declaration from the core of your organization. Thus, these deliberate compositions should foster employee involvement, irrespective of a newly hired individual’s history. For example, your diversity declaration might advocate for fairness in compensation and career advancement for all qualified applicants.
Here are 10 Illustrations of Impressive Diversity Declarations and what renders them remarkable.
How to Assess the Effectiveness of Your Employer Branding Approaches
Establishing an attractive employer brand is merely the initial phase. Therefore, evaluating its effectiveness is equally crucial to confirm you’re progressing in the right direction.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for Your Employer Branding Approaches
Key performance indicators (KPIs) assist you in monitoring the effectiveness of your employer branding initiatives. These KPIs consist of:
- Employee Contentment: How satisfied are your current employees with their work environment? Therefore, utilize surveys to gather their responses.
- Brand Recognition: How well-known is your company’s employer brand within the job market? Observe mentions of your brand across social media channels and other platforms.
- Applicant Experience: Are job applicants enjoying a favorable experience throughout the hiring process? Review your application completion rates and insights from new hires.
- Quality of Hire: Are you drawing in top talent? Examine the performance and retention figures of newly hired employees.
- Social Media Interaction: How engaged is your social media presence? Keep track of likes, shares, and comments on posts related to your corporate culture and company principles.
Instruments and Metrics for Monitoring Employer Branding Approaches
Utilizing the appropriate instruments and metrics is the most effective means to measure your employer branding success:
- Surveys and Feedback Instruments: Employ tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to collect positive feedback from employees regarding their work experience and satisfaction.
- Social Media Metrics: Platforms such as Hootsuite and Sprout Social can assist you in evaluating the engagement and reach of your social media channels.
- Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): These systems enable you to scrutinize the hiring process, track job applicants, and evaluate the efficacy of your talent acquisition methods.
- Google Analytics: Utilize this tool to assess traffic on your careers site and determine how many visitors are converting into applicants for vacant positions.
Interpreting Feedback and Enhancing Your Employer Branding Approaches
Gathering data is only the first stage, but interpreting it and implementing enhancements is where you will observe a beneficial impact.
- Recognize Patterns: Seek trends in the feedback from recent hires and former employees. Are there recurring praises or grievances? Thus, this will aid in understanding your corporate brand’s strengths and shortcomings.
- Establish Objectives and Formulate an Action Plan: Based on the data, set defined objectives for enhancing your employer brand strategy. Therefore, you will need to devise an action plan with best practices to improve the candidate experience and attract the right talent.
- Collaborate with Your Marketing Team: Partner with your marketing team to create blog entries and other content that emphasizes your organization’s reputation and strong brand. Consequently, this will enhance your company’s employer brand visibility.
- Showcase Your Distinct Culture: Utilize your company website and social media presence to exhibit your unique culture and corporate social responsibility projects. This will also draw in the ideal candidates who resonate with your company’s values.
- Review and Adapt: Regularly evaluate your KPIs and adjust your strategies as required. Continuous improvement will help you uphold a competitive advantage in the job market.
Therefore, adhere to these measures to assess your employer brand’s effectiveness and implement necessary enhancements. This will also assist you in cultivating a strong company culture, attracting top candidates, and establishing a reputation as a desirable employer in the external landscape.
Why I Composed This
Job descriptions are a fundamental component of your recruitment process.
Ongig offers job page overlays that integrate with your applicant tracking system. Job page overlays enable you to regain control over your job pages.