Article from Profit Magazine
By Kim Hart Macneill July 17, 2012

When ad firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky called itself a “factory” on its own hiring page, it offended many in the industry who thought the term didn’t reflect well on the advertising profession in general. But to Heidi Ehlers, founder of Heidi Consults, www.heidiconsults.com a Toronto-based talent and career-consulting boutique,
the company was simply drawing a line in the sand.

“What they were saying is, ‘We expect our people to come to work every day bringing their best,’” says Elhers. “There’s nothing wrong with scaring someone off by setting the bar high. When you do, you attract people who aren’t intimidated by a challenge.”

If your website’s hiring page features little more than a flat list of openings, check out CP & B’s corporate culture page. It includes phrases like, “Work is a bad word to explain what we do,” along with photos of smiling staffers at community and social events. The site highlights what the company does, and more importantly, what it’s like to work there.

Your hiring page is really like flipping a job interview 180 degrees, says Maureen Lucas, president of Windsor, Ont.-based recruitment agency LucasWorks!, www.lucasworks.ca. “You want to make your company really stand out by mentioning your successes, growth and culture,” says Lucas, adding that too many companies get lost in the crowd because they recycle the same buzz words and empty phrases (i.e. Canada’s number 1 dynamically progressive firm).

To help you spice up your hiring page and attract the best talent, PROFIT asked Ehlers and Lucas what potential applicants look for on a hiring site:

Know what makes your company a desirable talent destination. “Companies need to approach the building of their talent site as a strategic effort,” says Elhers. Just as you seek to understand why customers choose your competitor’s products or services and look for ways to narrow the gap, Elhers says you need to take the same approach to attracting talent.

Include as much information in job postings as possible. If applicants don’t find the details they demand, they’ll move on to your competitor’s site. Describe the position in detail, including the expected start date, reporting structure and compensation described as a range.

Acknowledge every application. For employers, email and web forms make collecting resumes easier than ever. But for job seekers, applying online can often feel like sending their resume into a black hole.

“The outcome of the application and interview process doesn’t matter as much as the experience of it for the applicant,” says Elhers. Unsuccessful applicants who don’t feel they were treated fairly may take to the social media airwaves to vent their frustration. And, as with product feedback, bad reviews have a longer shelf life than good ones.

Give employees a say. Job seekers want to know what their career path looks like at your firm. Highlight long-term employees and those who have transitioned from an entry-level position to full-time staff. “When you see employee testimonials, everyone knows they’re a bit fake, but at the same time you can get a sense of the people and the company,” says Lucas.

Get more hiring advice at PROFITguide.com

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