I recently wrote this piece for Recruitment Consultant Magazine, following our successful launches of sector-leading websites for Source and RedLaw.
Here's the transcript in full:
Recruitment companies rely heavily on websites as a virtual shop front. So, if the old saying “first impressions count” is true, why aren’t they trying harder to make a better one?
Having been asked by Source, a recruitment agency specialising in the creative industries, to overhaul their website, we started looking into their competitors. We uncovered the ugly truth that most recruiters’ websites we viewed are a good 10 years out of date, and aren’t working to their maximum, stuck in a cyber rut. In an age where social media is infiltrating every area of our lives, with every industry moving at a breakneck speed, recruitment agencies have to harness the power of new digital technologies to streamline and improve ways of attracting the best talent, through the likes of data tagging, testimonial barometers, search, Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin. Social media should be at the heart of every recruiter’s business, and as a result, should feature prominently on their website.
Having worked with the likes of Ministry of Sound, Simon Cowell’s record label Syco, Sony PlayStation, BBC and HMV, we were intrigued when we were approached by Source to give their site an overhaul. They wanted the site to have a creative approach, to work much harder and create a more effective user experience. Having become accustomed, in our own searches for new talent, to recruiter websites being outdated and rather sad, we were happily surprised that they were bucking the trend and finally wanted to create a destination for unique content rather than just a job board, of which there are thousands.
We were briefed by Source to create a recruitment website with a difference: innovative, cutting edge and using the latest social media and technologies available. Let’s be honest, the recruitment industry isn’t the most trusted out there, so it was important that more focus was placed on the personality of the business and of the people within it. We worked with Source to build a face for the brand, ensuring that case studies linked back to specific recruiters, their social media stats and information were clearly visible and the jobs that they are currently recruiting for are easy to see.
The Source website is now very clear from the offset, with links to searching for a job and the latest recruitment news. However, most importantly, there are links to sections where candidates and clients can vote on their opinion of Source’s helpfulness, honesty, and knowledge of the industry, overall quality of service and the likelihood of passing on recommendations. All are displayed in live percentages in their unique Source-O-meter. There are also live links to the team members, their biogs, their LinkedIn pages and personal blogs. Candidates can now apply for jobs on the site, engage with Source through reading their blog entries and contact individual consultants on social media platforms.
Of course, while having all these exciting features is great, we didn’t forget the nuts and bolts. Recruiters aren’t web designers and we looked to create a site that could be easily maintained in the future and was also accessible on mobile.
Since the website overhaul, Source have had a very positive response from clients and candidates alike and seen a huge interest in their blog posts. Those that have written blogs for the website have seen their profiles targeted by clients and candidates more than their colleagues that haven’t. This leads to more direct applications to them rather than the company and more importantly their colleagues, and as we know this is know is no bad thing. With an average dwell time of nearly 12 minutes around the articles, this proves that recruiters don’t have to be seen as the faceless enemy but can represent a portal to industry insight, as well as access to hints and tips on getting your dream job.
So as you can see recruiter's shop fronts really are the most important first impression, get them right and clients and candidates will be hunting you down to work with your organisation. However getting it wrong leaves you languishing in the last decade working harder and not getting the best results. If 85% of companies are looking to Twitter as a way to recruit new staff, recruiters need to make sure that social media is at the heart of what they do and is prominent on their website.
A little creativity can go a long way.