When a small business is having a hard time recruiting, the first reaction is to look at the job advertisement that has been created. You may think that the salary isn’t competitive enough, or that the job description needs rewriting, or that no matter what you do there just aren’t enough qualified candidates applying for the role.
It’s true that these things can all play a part, but there is another factor that people often skip, even though it’s an important one - what happens when a potential candidate searches for your business online?
Before applying for a job, a lot of people take the time to look at a company’s website, social media profiles, and anything else that they can find for a business online. They’re trying to determine whether they would actually want to work there, and for SMEs competing against larger employers, the answer can have a huge impact on recruitment.
Your website is part of the recruitment process
You need to think about your own behaviour when you’re researching a company. If you were considering working somewhere, you would probably want to know what the business does, who runs it, and what kind of environment you would potentially be walking into. Potential employees are going to be doing the exact same thing.
A candidate might discover your vacancy somewhere, but their next move may well be to start researching your website, and what they find here can either strengthen their desire to work for your company, or put them off entirely.
An outdated website, ulcer messaging, or a lack of information about the people in the business can make the job feel less appealing. It doesn’t necessarily mean that the business is a bad employer, but candidates are only ever going to be able to judge what they see, and judge they will. On the other hand though, a website that has been well made can help someone feel more connected with the company, even before they have applied for the role.
People don’t just choose jobs, they choose workplaces
Recruitment isn’t always about money or job titles. People spend a lot of their life at work, so they want to know what the company they are considering joining is going to feel like. They might be looking to join a friendly team, somewhere that they can progress their career, or simply somewhere that they feel like they can fit in.
This is where smaller businesses can have the advantage. Large companies may have bigger recruitment budgets and better known names, but SMEs can often provide a more personal and authentic story. They can introduce the people behind the business, explain why the company exists, and show a level of personality that is difficult to communicate through a job advertisement. The problem though, is that many businesses don’t put that story on the website.
Does your website give candidates an emotional reason to join?
Facts are important. A potential employee needs to know what your business does and what role they are going to apply for. But, facts alone are not enough to create interest.
Imagine there are two companies that advertise similar roles. One has a basic website with a short description of its services, and then a contact form at the end. The other one talks about the team, shares the business story, and gives visitors a genuine sense of what the company values.
More often than not, the more human option is going to win. This doesn’t mean that your website needs to be packed with claims about having the best company culture around, or a bunch of corporate slogans on every page, as this is likely going to put people off.
What you need to do is show them something real. Share your story and the story behind the business. Introduce the members of the team so people can put faces with names. Make sure that you talk about what the company values, what the team values, whether the team has traditions and as much information as you can without being too much.
Recruitment starts before the interview
For SMEs struggling to recruit, improving a website will not magically solve every hiring challenge. The information on the job advertisement is also going to play a huge part, but your online presence can dictate whether a candidate decides to take the next step and apply for the position.
If your company is finding it difficult to attract the right people, it may be worth looking beyond the advertisement. Take a look at your website and think about what impression is created, because you might find that the people you want to recruit are not being put off by the job - they just haven’t been given a compelling enough reason to want to work for you.