Your Firm’s Web Page Stinks!

A World Class Web Page Includes These Great Web Features (Listed by Category):Over-all features:

    1. Meets each of the goals set by the firm

 

  1. It attracts quality applicants
  2. Prioritizes jobs and shifts web resources toward those key jobsAttracts “active” job seekers by being an “answer guy/ learning” site (Attracts employed top performers by):
  3. Giving them information about industry events
  4. Informing them about “hot” issues, best practices, benchmarking data and solutions
  5. On-line training
  6. It helps them do their current job better
  7. Information about “people” in the industry
  8. Industry publication abstracts and table of contents
  9. Gives non-job seekers an easy “excuse” to visit
  10. It provides salary surveys
  11. It offers career advice
  12. It offers opportunities to get a mentor
  13. Glossary of key industry terms and buzz words
  14. It helps me improve myself off the job as a personTwo way information flow with instant feedback to the Visitor:
  15. Custom information is provided just as the visitor provides initial information about their skills, experience and needs
  16. Provides instant feedback on the closeness of the potential “fit” to encourage the visitor to stay on the site (pre-programmed)
  17. Includes a feature that gets passives to answer the “I’ve always wanted to” question in order to capture names and aspirations
  18. Screens change automatically as more is “learned” about the visitor
  19. It offers multi-media choices so that a range of viewing options is available to the visitor (video, graphics, text, etc.)It is “the talked about” site:
  20. It is written about in major publications
  21. It is talked about as being distinctive by professionals in our industry
  22. Others told me it’s a WOW to visit
  23. Ranked by leading web page assessors
  24. It has talked about features so the word spreads that this is a “must see site”. Non-job seekers will visit just to see the WOW’s
  25. It has humor elements to attract visitors
  26. It has technology features that cause people to visit just to see how they workIt is responsive to your individual job needs (mass personalized):
  27. Market research is done initially to identify the needs and expectations of our targeted candidates
  28. It knows (asks me) what I want in a job (My job and company selection criteria)…and it tells me specifically about those things
  29. It provides job related information in the order that visitors want to see it
  30. Identifies your “job switch” criteria
  31. Asks me about “my dream job” and tells me which of those features I might actually get
  32. Identifies qualified candidates early and treats them differently depending on info received
  33. Keeping top applicants informed about their progress in the selection/interview process through a password protected web site
  34. Identifies the factors that trigger their initial visit
  35. It mentions affinity groups, sports leagues and other quality of work life features (video and list of events)It helps the visitor to get to know the company and it’s culture (realistic cultural preview):
  36. A virtual tour of the facilities
  37. Includes an interview with the CEO
  38. Includes employee comments on what they like about the firm and why they work there
  39. Includes values, vision and mission statements
  40. A day in the life of an employee (virtual day)
  41. Profiles of the key products, suppliers, partners and key customers
  42. Videos illustrating our culture and values
  43. Includes a cultural “fit” assessment tool so they can see if there is a match
  44. It includes a list of industry and best places to work awards the firm has won
  45. Includes summaries or copies of articles that mention the firm or our key employees
  46. Highlights our firm’s great place to work features
  47. Includes diversity information and elements
  48. A list of WOW benefits and things to talk about
  49. Descriptions of the surrounding communities (schools, recreation, etc)It helps the visitor get to know your manager/team:
  50. Profiles of typical managers so I can find out if the firm’s management style fits my interests and background)
  51. Videos/text of speeches by top officers
  52. Profiles of key team members with video clips. Or write ups similar to sports stars on “baseball cards”
  53. An opportunity to e-mail my potential manager
  54. Comments workers have about the firms management styleIt helps you know your job and excites you about it:
  55. WOW job descriptions. Profiles of the exciting projects, equipment, challenging environment, learning and growth opportunities applicants may have (with video clips ) as an addition to the traditional job descriptions that will be enhanced to “sell” the job rather than just describe it
  56. It shows me that my job “will make a difference”
  57. It knows (asks me) what I dislike about my current (last) job/company…and it tells me specifically about those things
  58. Exciting project profiles that tell applicants what they might be working onIt shows them that “people like me” work there:
  59. When I’m finished visiting the site I feel like the firm is “just like me”
  60. A “people like me already work here” feature that will allow you to search to see if people with similar backgrounds, interests and education work at the firm
  61. It gives different “segments” of the working population their own sub-page (MBA’s, Working mothers, Diversity groups, senior execs)The site is fun to visit (WOW’s):
  62. If has a WOW feature in the first 30 seconds and another one at least every minute
  63. Has a humorous or funny element
  64. Offers prizes/rewards/contests as an incentive
  65. It uses market research to identify what features visitors think are superiorDiscourages the non-qualified:
  66. Give an accurate job preview to allow the non-qualified to self-select out
  67. Quick/instant skill assessment features tell potential applicants whether they are in the ballparkMakes applying easy:
  68. It unobtrusively gathers information about you (mini application)
  69. Allows for on-line web interviewing
  70. Doesn’t require a current resume to apply. Allows quick profiles of candidates with minimal need for asking them “too many” questions
  71. Allows “cut and paste” resume submissions
  72. Has resume “builder” features
  73. Allows the candidate to submit a “web site portfolio” link in lieu of a resumeIt has (self) assessment tools:
  74. Allows on-line early assessment of skills/fit (Games, Tests, Find the problem, Contests)
  75. It has interest assessment and job matching features
  76. Allows for fun self assessment of your skill level even if you don’t apply for a job (with instant feedback)
  77. On-line simulations/ video games to assess your technical skillsQuestion & Answer features:
  78. Has a Q & A e-mail feature
  79. It offers a telephone link (or call back feature) to qualified candidates
  80. It has commonly asked questions and answers on-line
  81. Questions and call backs are responded to within 24 hoursMeasures visitor satisfaction:
  82. Asks applicants/visitor how they were treated
  83. Asks what they want “more of/less of”Become a “friend” of xyz company to allow us to build a long term relationship:
  84. It builds up my trust so that I want a continuing relationship with the firm
  85. How am I doing website that allows a candidate to see where they are (and how they are doing) in the screening process
  86. It has features to cause visitors not currently in a job search mode to think that “someday you will work here”
  87. Uses permission marketing to allow us to continually “push” information to the applicant
  88. An electronic monthly newsletter is pushed to build a “friends of XYZ” relationship
  89. Pushes customizes info to them (about the firm, its products and open jobs)
  90. Captures names for our “who’s who”
  91. It gets “permission” from the visitor to continue the relationship
  92. It “pushes” jobs to people
  93. It “pushes” customized information to people
  94. Builds a continuous relationship with the person
  95. Keeping top applicants informed about their progress in the selection/interview process through a password protected web siteGlobal:
  96. Has multi-lingual capabilities
  97. It meets all privacy requirements
  98. Has separate sub-pages for each countryIt continually measures and improves:
  99. Metrics ties into performance data for the quality of hire
  100. Systems are continually tested (and timed) with outside assessment, mystery shoppers
  101. Tracks coming the web site you came from/and went to
  102. Loads fast and requires minimum “click throughs”
  103. Is continually re-assessed and “audited” to test to see if it is continually improvingWeb technology features:
  104. Has a search feature to identify “my job” even if I don’t know its title at your firm
  105. Allowing the candidate to create an anonymous e-mail address in order to receive “push” job positions
  106. On line pre-qualifying for positions. By pre-qualifying applicants (sometimes without their knowledge) so that you can treat them “special” and speed up their hiring cycle
  107. Send an electronic card feature (birthday)
  108. Miscellaneous
  109. It’s easy to scan, load
  110. It is updated weekly
  111. Uses the latest technology (video)
  112. It also can help to sell our products and build customer relationships so they should be coordinated with and linked with product sites

About Dr John Sullivan

Dr John Sullivan is an internationally known HR thought-leader from the Silicon Valley who specializes in providing bold and high business impact; strategic Talent Management solutions to large corporations.

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