Recommendations about building a best-in-class recruiting website based upon extensive usability research with candidates

1. Does Your Website Attract
or Frustrate?
How to Turn Your Recruiting Website into
a Best-in-Class Performer
NACE Annual Meeting
May 31, 2006
Steve Pollock
President, WetFeet, Inc.
spollock@wetfeet.com (415-293-7313)
Agenda
How Candidates Use Corporate Recruiting Websites
Four Building Blocks of a Great Website: Navigation,
Branding, Content, Functionality
Applying the Lessons to Your Website
Q&A
Page 2
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2. Methodology
WetFeet annual surveys and qualitative
research with students since 1999
In-depth online focus groups conducted
over 4 days
Undergrads, MBAs and young professionals,
–
representing 23 schools
Actively seeking jobs in consulting, finance,
–
consumer products, and/or accounting
Reviewed 10 highly rated corporate
recruiting websites
Bain, Banc of America, BCG, Deutsche Bank,
–
Ernst & Young, Kimberly-Clark, Merrill Lynch,
Procter & Gamble, Thomson, UBS
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How Candidates Use Corporate Websites
Candidates visit dozens of corporate websites in the course of a
job search
Once interested, they may visit a specific company site 3-12 times
or more
Candidates visit all sections of the company website and do not
view the recruiting section as separate from the rest
Candidates like to access sites at all hours from the privacy of
their home/dorm environment
Most candidates (except some young professionals) have high-
speed access
“I usually go to corporate websites as soon as I’ve developed
“I usually go to corporate websites as soon as I’ve developed
some level of interest in the company itself.”
some level of interest in the company itself.”
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3. Company Website an Important Influence
Q: Which resources are most influential in deciding which companies to apply to?
41%
Friends & personal contacts
35%
Word-of-mouth reputation
33%
Company presentation on campus
32%
People working in the company/industry
32%
Career center
22%
Company websites
16%
Alumni working in the company/industry
14%
Previous work experience
11%
Internet job boards
10%
Job fairs
9%
Former/Current interns at company
8%
Family
5%
Other career-related websites
13%
Other factors
Source: WetFeet Student Recruitment Report 2005
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Corporate Websites Have Big Impact
Candidates use first visits to the site as a way to screen
employers in or out of consideration
“Company seekers” use the site to evaluate fit with the employer
–
“Position seekers” look to find available positions of interest
–
Candidates return to the site to submit an application and
prepare for interviews
Candidates view the corporate website as a direct reflection of
the company and workplace
Well-executed sites suggest success, order and efficiency
–
Poor sites indicate backwardness and a lack of concern about
–
employees
“If I Igo to aawebsite and it’s hard to find the application link or it’s
“If go to website and it’s hard to find the application link or it’s
deeply hidden or broken, I Ibecome discouraged because it seems
deeply hidden or broken, become discouraged because it seems
they don’t put much value on finding new employees.”
they don’t put much value on finding new employees.”
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4. Reviews You DON’T Want to Hear
“I'd give the site itself aa C- for bad presentation, little concrete information,
“I'd give the site itself C- for bad presentation, little concrete information,
awful videos that were weak pitches -- all fluff and no substance about the jobs,
awful videos that were weak pitches -- all fluff and no substance about the jobs,
and difficulty in finding anything interesting.”
and difficulty in finding anything interesting.”
“Two that stuck out as being really bad were E-Trade and Geico. E-Trade had aa
“Two that stuck out as being really bad were E-Trade and Geico. E-Trade had
non-functioning jobs section for months. What message does that send? Geico
non-functioning jobs section for months. What message does that send? Geico
has descriptions of several management programs, but then filters you into an
has descriptions of several management programs, but then filters you into an
application process that is obviously designed for hourly workers.”
application process that is obviously designed for hourly workers.”
“I had aabad experience. I Icould not even get my resume to upload and it was
“I had bad experience. could not even get my resume to upload and it was
40kb. When it rejected it, it deleted all of my data and I Ihad to start the entire
40kb. When it rejected it, it deleted all of my data and had to start the entire
process over. I Idid not submit it because I Idid not want to take the time.”
process over. did not submit it because did not want to take the time.”
“Bad websites make me think the firms are too bureaucratic and are places
“Bad websites make me think the firms are too bureaucratic and are places
where I Imight not learn, and I Imight feel smothered.”
where might not learn, and might feel smothered.”
“The job application process was horrible. I Iscrewed up and hit save, and then
“The job application process was horrible. screwed up and hit save, and then
couldn’t go back to edit it. Would have been VERY stressful had it been aareal
couldn’t go back to edit it. Would have been VERY stressful had it been real
application. I Ihit refresh and my started application was gone! Tried using the
application. hit refresh and my started application was gone! Tried using the
application help tips, but the suggestion didn’t work. Closed out and kept trying
application help tips, but the suggestion didn’t work. Closed out and kept trying
to reload, and it still isn't letting me back to the application site.”
to reload, and it still isn't letting me back to the application site.”
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Reviews You DO Want to Hear
“I really liked BCG's website. I Ifound the recruiting portion of the site to be very
“I really liked BCG's website. found the recruiting portion of the site to be very
useful in determining how to approach the interview process. I I also got aa
useful in determining how to approach the interview process. also got
strong sense of how the company differed from its competition and what to
strong sense of how the company differed from its competition and what to
expect when I Imet some of the firm's representatives.”
expect when met some of the firm's representatives.”
“I really, really like the Merrill career site. It is very clean. It is interactive. I Ilike
“I really, really like the Merrill career site. It is very clean. It is interactive. like
how links lead me to other links pertaining to that category only. There is no
how links lead me to other links pertaining to that category only. There is no
non-essential information on any page, and I Ireally like that. It is not too busy.
non-essential information on any page, and really like that. It is not too busy.
It is pleasing graphically. A great job overall.”
It is pleasing graphically. A great job overall.”
“The resume post section was fantastic! Easiest one I’ve ever used.”
“The resume post section was fantastic! Easiest one I’ve ever used.”
“I believe they explain the working experience well: the travel, the culture, the
“I believe they explain the working experience well: the travel, the culture, the
personal development, the professional development, the positions, etc. I I
personal development, the professional development, the positions, etc.
believe this aspect of the website is very strong because it paints aa
believe this aspect of the website is very strong because it paints
comprehensive picture of the lifestyle, the responsibilities... the total
comprehensive picture of the lifestyle, the responsibilities... the total
experience.”
experience.”
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5. Top Ranked Company Websites
Rank Company
Goldman Sachs
1
McKinsey & Co.
2
The Boston Consulting Group
3
Bain & Co.
4
Microsoft
5
Citigroup
6
Procter & Gamble
7
Johnson & Johnson
8
JP Morgan
8
Credit Suisse First Boston
10
General Electric
11
Morgan Stanley
12
IBM
13
Lehman Brothers
13
Merrill Lynch
13
UBS
13
Source: WetFeet Student Recruitment Report 2005
Page 9
Slide 9
Agenda
How Candidates Use Corporate Recruiting Websites
Four Building Blocks of a Great Website: Navigation,
Branding, Content, Functionality
Applying the Lessons to Your Website
Q&A
Page 10
Slide 10
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6. Four Building Blocks of a Great Site
Navigation Branding
Simplicity, clarity, Clear and compelling
consistency value proposition
Intuitive menu Consistency with
structure and links corporate branding
Effective search tools Show, don’t tell
Content Functionality
What do you do? Simple process that
works
What jobs do you
have? Flexible search tools
How can I get one? Treat candidates like
customers
Why should I take it?
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N
Navigation
Candidates want to find (and find their way back to) relevant
information easily
Hallmarks of excellent navigation include: clarity, simplicity and
consistency
Navigational components include:
Menu structure (primary and secondary)
–
Search tools
–
Links
–
Terminology
–
“Websites that are hard to navigate and don’t show me where the application
“Websites that are hard to navigate and don’t show me where the application
materials are get booted from my list for that reason alone. I Ihave aaton of
materials are get booted from my list for that reason alone. have ton of
things to look at and not much time to look at them.”
things to look at and not much time to look at them.”
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7. N
Make the Career Site Easy to Find
Companies must provide a prominent link from the homepage,
and, ideally from all pages within the website
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N
Follow Naming and Location Conventions
Common locations for career links are: top, left side or bottom
Terminology should be straight-forward and easy to understand
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8. N
A Good Menu is the Backbone of the Site
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N
Non-Standard Locations Disrupt Access
“I totally missed the jobs section when I Ifirst visited HP. Typically, I Iexpect the
“I totally missed the jobs section when first visited HP. Typically, expect the
jobs section to be located either at the top or the bottom of aawebpage—never
jobs section to be located either at the top or the bottom of webpage—never
in the middle, and definitely not on the right side!”
in the middle, and definitely not on the right side!”
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9. N
Candidate-Centric Information Appealing
Sections focused on specific candidates help users find relevant
information and make them feel wanted
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N
Company-Focused Structure Confuses
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10. B
Branding
The website = personality of the firm
Candidates use the website to assess their fit
Every company has a “context” which influences credibility
A clear and compelling brand inspires consistent interpretation
“[The main message from the Bain website was] that the company was aa
“[The main message from the Bain website was] that the company was
fun place to work, and that it was aavery good opportunity for newly minted
fun place to work, and that it was very good opportunity for newly minted
college/MBA/PhD graduates. That they have aavery positive corporate
college/MBA/PhD graduates. That they have very positive corporate
culture with aalot of vertical interaction. That there are opportunities for
culture with lot of vertical interaction. That there are opportunities for
change and growth through the externship program. All in all, seemed like
change and growth through the externship program. All in all, seemed like
aagood place to work. Sign me up!”
good place to work. Sign me up!”
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B
Many Site Elements Influence Brand
Navigation and ease of use
Intuitive and organized around candidate’s needs
–
Graphics and design
Color palette and design elements form a powerful first impression
–
Images should fit persona of firm and industry
–
“Flashiness” should not interfere with usability
–
Content and messaging
Friendly, candidate-centered content and images are appealing
–
Presentation and tone also has an impact
–
Context
Messages must ring true to candidates
–
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11. B
Good Branding Sends Clear Messages
Employee-Oriented
Employee-Oriented
“P&G and BCG stand out because it was clear that they put aalot of
“P&G and BCG stand out because it was clear that they put lot of
emphasis on personal development of employees. It’s reflective of aastrong
emphasis on personal development of employees. It’s reflective of strong
culture that clearly has something to give back.”
culture that clearly has something to give back.”
Professional
Professional
“On the UBS site, all the people in the pictures look very professional, the
“On the UBS site, all the people in the pictures look very professional, the
colors on the site are gray, and the layout is very crisp and clean.”
colors on the site are gray, and the layout is very crisp and clean.”
Fun
Fun
“The Bain site attracted me in terms of values and culture. They gave the
“The Bain site attracted me in terms of values and culture. They gave the
appearance of being more laid back and fun to work with than the
appearance of being more laid back and fun to work with than the
McKinsey’s and BCG’s of the world. The Bain site mentioned the words
McKinsey’s and BCG’s of the world. The Bain site mentioned the words
‘fun’ and ‘laugh’ aalot.”
‘fun’ and ‘laugh’ lot.”
Friendly
Friendly
“Lehman Brothers actually has the school contacts’ and recruiters’ emails
“Lehman Brothers actually has the school contacts’ and recruiters’ emails
on the site. This highlights their ‘friendly’ culture and shows their
on the site. This highlights their ‘friendly’ culture and shows their
openness. No other site has personal email addresses on it.”
openness. No other site has personal email addresses on it.”
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B
Consistent Messaging and Images
“‘Commitment is good. Passion is better’ appears on every page and gives the
“‘Commitment is good. Passion is better’ appears on every page and gives the
message that the bank is aapassionate and exciting place to work!”
message that the bank is passionate and exciting place to work!”
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12. B
Messaging Reinforced in Many Ways
“I was impressed by
“I was impressed by
the stress on culture
the stress on culture
and people. It sounds
and people. It sounds
as if working there
as if working there
means you will be
means you will be
recognized as aa
recognized as
person, not as aa
person, not as
statistic.”
statistic.”
“How cool is aaBain
“How cool is Bain
World Cup?”
World Cup?”
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B
User-Oriented Messages Draw Interest
“Their ‘People First’ philosophy (means) they have aahigh regard for the
“Their ‘People First’ philosophy (means) they have high regard for the
individual. This is important for their target recruits.”
individual. This is important for their target recruits.”
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13. B
Inconsistent Messages Hurt Credibility
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Content C
Candidates see one website
Candidates want answers to four questions:
What does the company do?
–
What jobs do you have (for me)?
–
How can I get one?
–
Why should I take it?
–
Accessibility as important as content
Tone and presentation communicate as much as the words
Candidates want the truth
“A site needs to be persuasive. It should clearly explain why I Ishould
“A site needs to be persuasive. It should clearly explain why should
choose their company.”
choose their company.”
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14. Key Content Elements C
“Must-have” Content “Nice-to-have” Content
Company overview Compensation and benefits
Detailed job descriptions Interview tips
Required qualifications Contact information
Locations
Information about the
recruiting process Employee profiles (including
“day in the life” vignettes)
Diversity recruiting practices
“The best websites give aastrong image of the company, get me information
“The best websites give strong image of the company, get me information
for the interviews, describe their business style, and answer all the extra
for the interviews, describe their business style, and answer all the extra
questions I Imight have.”
questions might have.”
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A Good Company Overview Differentiates C
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15. Leave History Texts in School C
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Qualifications Help Self-Selection Process C
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16. Employee Profiles Extremely Powerful C
“Employee profiles are helpful because they allow me to see what people have
“Employee profiles are helpful because they allow me to see what people have
done before working there, what schools they went to, what they studied, etc.”
done before working there, what schools they went to, what they studied, etc.”
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Interview Tips Communicate Care C
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17. Functionality F
Candidates now expect companies to offer job search tools and an
online application form
The online application is the most common aggravation
Many errors encountered
–
Poor usability
–
Time-consuming
–
Tedious and repetitive
–
Privacy concerns
–
Candidates have low confidence in “black box” process
“I didn’t like the application process at all… It took too long. By the end of the
“I didn’t like the application process at all… It took too long. By the end of the
process when I Ihad to fill in job experience, I Islacked off and didn’t put it all in
process when had to fill in job experience, slacked off and didn’t put it all in
because I Iwas just ready to be done with it.”
because was just ready to be done with it.”
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Key System Components F
Job listings search capability
Easy-to-use and flexible tool allowing search on multiple criteria
–
Accessible without requiring registration
–
Intuitive and clean display of results
–
Online application system
The system must work well for candidates
–
The simpler and shorter the application the better
–
Candidate-centered tools (e.g. allow resume upload)
–
Clear expectations management
–
Candidate relationship management (CRM)
Treat candidates like customers
–
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18. Flexible, Powerful & Simple Search Tools F
Page 35
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The Simpler the Application the Better F
“Simple and one-page only. That is aahuge advantage over some of the other
“Simple and one-page only. That is huge advantage over some of the other
banks [whose] online applications [were] long and tedious.”
banks [whose] online applications [were] long and tedious.”
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19. Setting Expectations Alleviates Concerns F
“After submitting aaresume, you should receive aaconfirmation email, and when
“After submitting resume, you should receive confirmation email, and when
you will hear quot;somethingquot; - -even if it is just an email dinging you. If we take the
you will hear quot;somethingquot; even if it is just an email dinging you. If we take the
time to apply, they should have the courtesy to respond at some level.”
time to apply, they should have the courtesy to respond at some level.”
Page 37
Slide 37
Agenda
How Candidates Use Corporate Recruiting Websites
Four Building Blocks of a Great Website: Navigation,
Branding, Content, Functionality
Applying the Lessons to Your Website
Q&A
Page 38
Slide 38
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20. Lessons Learned
Your recruiting website is THE most important representative on
your recruiting team
All websites are NOT alike – and your mistakes will cost you
candidates
Identify your target candidates prominently and design your site
around their needs
Give readers the straight scoop – a good website should send
some people away!
Ease of access is far more important than quantity of information
The one question your site must answer: why go work for you?
Online applications are becoming more accepted – but they are
still job seekers’ most common aggravation
Page 39
Slide 39
What You Can Do…
Assess the site’s fit with your target market
Make two lists – candidate attributes that lead to success or
–
failure on the job
Check the site against these lists
–
Make sure your site has something for your most frequently
–
hired candidates
Understand the user experience
Conduct usability testing to identify critical problems early
–
Submit an application yourself
–
Wear the candidate “hat” and ask yourself the four questions
–
Page 40
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21. What You Can Do…
Compare yourself to others
Benchmark your website vs. your competitors’ (what are their 3
–
words?)
Submit an application to your competition
–
Look outside your industry for creative ideas
–
Invest before you go live – but recognize that it will always be a
work in progress
Conduct a “performance review” before making changes
–
Conduct external testing during development – or, at a
–
minimum, ask recent hires to review prototypes of new designs
Push your vendors to meet your needs, not theirs
–
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Final Thoughts
The corporate recruiting website should be a core component of
any company’s recruiting strategy today
When well-designed, the site will perform many functions:
Serve as the heart of an efficient and effective recruiting process
–
Help candidates gain a deep understanding of your firm—and select
–
themselves into or out of the process
Communicate and reinforce your employment brand
–
How well a site performs depends upon successful execution in
four areas: navigation, branding, content and functionality
The key is to conceive the site from the standpoint of the user
But the website can only go so far – an effective recruiting effort
requires solid execution across all elements online and in person
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22. New WetFeet Recruiting Services
Website Review Recent Research Reports
Competitive Scorecard Analysis rates your Campus Marketing Report 2006
website in key areas as compared to your Trends in campus recruiting and best practices
top 3 competitors from leading employers. $1,995
The Competitive Strengths Summary Student Recruitment Report 2006
reviews the navigation, branding, content Comprehensive research on the competitive
and functionality on your website landscape, application trends, employer
rankings, offer data, compensation
Short and Long-Term Actionable expectations, diversity, effective marketing
Recommendations outlines an action plan tactics and more.$895-$3,500
that can be executed for immediate
results Internships Report 2006
Benchmark your internship program and learn
A Detailed Presentation by a WetFeet how to make it a best-in-class performer $2,495
analyst to your recruiting team
Student Compensation and Offers Report
2005
The only compensation report with detailed data
on specific offers from top employers to top
candidates $595
Campus Diversity Recruitment Report
2005
Research that identifies and explains new trends
in recruiting diversity candidates on campus
Corporate Recruiting Websites 2005
Guidelines for building a top corporate recruiting
site $2,495
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Thank You!
To discuss findings, future research, or other offerings in more
detail, please contact us directly:
Steve Pollock
President
WetFeet, Inc.
spollock@wetfeet.com
415-293-7313
•22