How to Build a Functional, Fantastic Recruitment Website
Recruitment websites are unique among websites due to how much activity they see on a daily basis. From prospective users checking out the services to actual users posting and browsing jobs, recruitment sites - regardless of industry or niche - have a lot of work to do if they want to keep up with the competition.
So, what’s the secret to a good recruitment website? What kind of features and things should you keep in mind when designing your platform? Let’s talk a little bit about it and see if we can help you feel more confident about your future site plans.
Decide On Features
It’s important to try and decide on what features your recruitment website will have before you try and plan anything else. Not all sites provide the same functionality - it depends on the needs of the user.
Will your site have active job boards? Will you link to resources for businesses and prospective employees alike? Does the site have a live chat function to connect users with staff members? All of these ideas shape the functionality and requirements for your website.
Think About a Site Map
This is something you’ll want to discuss with a web designer, but how do you want your site to function? How will different pages connect together and flow into each other? Will there be drop-down menus, buttons or a site map at the bottom of each page?
Figuring out how you want your site to look is key. A recruitment website speaks volumes about a business and how they operate. You’ll want your site to give the best impression of you possible to both businesses and users.
Job Posting Management
One of the fundamental components of a successful recruitment agency is job posting. It’s an opportunity for employers to post jobs that they need to recruit for and for prospective employees to scout the different opportunities available. One of the challenges of a good recruitment agency is figuring out how to manage the jobs which will be posted on the website each week.
Will you have a CRM which syncs data between new postings and real time updates? Have you considered sharing the job posting to high-traffic sites or through social media? If so, how will your system account for this? These considerations all form the backbone of a recruitment agency, as 99% of recruitment sites will have jobs listed.
The Layout
A big consideration for website design of any kind is the layout of the site. Layout is different from navigation in that it helps to catch your brand and represent you as a recruitment agency.
Generally, there are a few agreed principles for site design and layout. You need white space to try and separate information, you should only stick to a few core colours and text should be easy to read. These are all suggestions, however. Ultimately, your vision for your website will be the most critical component of the design process.
Performance and Mobile Use
The modern workforce is dynamic and uses mobile browsing more often than a typical computer due to being constantly on the go. The days of sitting at home and trawling through job sites on the desktop are coming to a close. Nowadays, job hunting is done in a cafe, or on a lunch break.
Therefore, your website needs to be cutting-edge in terms of performance. There should be little delay with loading pages and where possible, you should have a dedicated mobile version of your site for users. It helps to ensure that you stay up to date and that your site traffic remains high.
SEO
Search engine optimisation is the bane of many good site ideas. Whatever fantastic plans you had for your website are often tempered by the knowledge that you have to create organic, long-form content which will precisely incorporate keywords to ensure you not only appear on search results, but also that you target your desired industry.
Luckily there is a little room for flexibility with keywords, making some rather easy to incorporate - for example, the term “recruitment agency in London” is quite straightforward. However, the fact remains that SEO is a core part of any recruitment site - your best bet will be to work with a dedicated copywriter or agency to achieve this.
Work With a Professional Web Designer
Let’s be realistic about this - most recruitment agencies are not expert web designers. They excel in recruiting people for jobs and helping to fill gaps, but when it comes to a website which will be used and seen by many, it’s always a safe option to work with a professional instead.
At the end of the day, if you are not a web designer, then your best bet is to work with one. They have the technical knowledge and expertise to build you a functional website, as well as one which is not just great to look at but also fit for purpose. Unless you know how to implement an active job board, it’s better to leave this work up to the pros.
Closing Thoughts
A simple fact of life is that if you’re a recruitment agency and you’re not working with a website, you’re operating at a major disadvantage. All the other agencies in the area (there’s usually at least two) who have a website are taking your business every day. Luckily, when you work with a professional, a website isn’t too hard to put together.
Having a digital platform to advertise jobs and draw traffic to your business is key for success. This is the modern age of business - it’s becoming increasingly digital. Operating in a big city by word of mouth just won’t cut it nowadays, and the onus is on you to step up and join the internet. From real-time job boards to supporting local businesses, there’s never been a better time to get a site up and running. You’ll be helping to assure the future of your business moving forward.
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This article is written by Jack Millard founder of Zixel. I am actually a real person and this was not written by AI or a robot. When I’m not writing blogs, I love great food, the occasional beer and motorbikes.
