Recruitment is tough and competition is always fierce but even more so over the past 18 months so having a website that stands out from the crowd is essential for all recruitment agencies.?
The best recruitment websites in my opinion are more than just digital brochures; they're powerful tools for attracting top talent, building trust with clients, converting candidates and showcasing your agency's expertise in your particular niche(s).?
Slight spoiler alert, to remain impartial I’m not going to delve into specific recruitment websites but instead we'll explore functionality, integrations and design aspects of some of the top recruitment websites in the UK and uncover the secrets to their success.?
Off the back of this we'll also provide practical tips and inspiration for building a recruitment website that ranks well in search engines, engages visitors, and drives conversions.
What makes a recruitment website truly stand out?
Let's highlight the key elements that set the best recruitment websites apart:
- User-friendly design: A clean, intuitive layout with easy navigation ensures a positive experience for both candidates, clients and potential recruitment talent.
- Visually appealing: People love pretty things. Build a technically great website and then focus on the superficial aspects of the website. Aim for a modern and professional feel that suits your brand and market well.?
- Images & video: The use of images and video and the types you choose can really make or break a website. I’ve seen brilliantly designed websites previously but seen designers / clients make questionable image selections, which have totally changed the feel of the site. Spend some time selecting images and ensure there’s a common theme throughout.?
- Navigation bar / menu: I personally love an animated mobile menu. Web developers and designers can get really creative in this area so do a little Google research for inspiration.?
- Animations: I’m not talking cartoons here, I’m talking about text & image animations. A few examples would be content slowly fading in and out as you scroll up and down the page, sections appearing from the left and right or parallax scrolling - where parts of the page move, while other parts appear to remain static. These can take your website from looking good to looking great!??
- Mobile optimisation: With most job seekers using their phones, your site must be responsive and functional across all devices. This applies to your vacancies pages but any candidate facing pages too. Clients are more likely to visit your site on their laptop and desktop monitors but ensure you cater to them as well.?
- Strong Calls-to-Action (CTAs): Strategically placed CTAs encourage visitors to take action, whether it's applying for a job, following your agency on social media, subscribing to your newsletter or contacting your agency. Every single page should have at least one call to action placed at the bottom of the page and others strategically placed around the page.?
- Compelling content: High-quality content, including blog posts, testimonials, and case studies, build trust and position your agency as an industry leader. Regularly updating your site with high quality, targeted keyword content will ensure it ranks well in search engines and brings in organic traffic.?
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Implementing relevant keywords and best practices helps your site rank higher in search results, driving organic traffic. Depending on the domain authority of your site, aim for keywords you have a chance of ranking for.?
- Integrations: We’re talking the likes of integrating your website with your recruitment CRM, Google Analytics 4, Google Tag Manager, chatbots, virtual chat, etc. These integrations will help to cut down consultant admin time, provide your marketing teams with more data to make better informed decisions and provide a better user experience for clients and candidates.?
Actionable tips for building your own best-in-class recruitment website
- Define your target audience: Understand the needs and preferences of your ideal candidates, clients and recruitment talent to tailor your website content and design accordingly. Consult with your current team and get their opinions too.?
- Look at your competition: Draw up a list of your top 10 competitors and then meticulously trawl through each page of their websites, making a note of features, designs choices and content that you like.?
- Invest in professional design: A visually appealing and well-structured website reflects positively on your agency and instil confidence in visitors. Work with a professional graphic designer or UX/UI designer who can put together wireframes based on a few inspirational sites you provide them.?
- Partner with a professional developer: Look to work with a digital design agency that actually has web / software developers on staff and check the company’s LinkedIn profile for proof if need be. It’s basically like working with a recruitment agency that doesn’t employ any recruitment consultants - madness!?
- Create high-quality content: Publish blog posts, articles, and guides that offer valuable insights to both candidates and clients. Look to partner with a professional content writer who has experience in the recruitment sector and your particular niche(s).?
- Optimise for SEO: First ensure your website is technically perfect when it comes to SEO - ensure your developer uses semantic HTML, the website is quick to load, is mobile friendly, has an SSL certificate, includes a sitemap and the URL structure “makes sense”. Research relevant keywords with low competition and incorporate them naturally into your website content, meta tags, and image alt text. SEO is an ongoing process so look to invest in working with a specialist SEO agency on a monthly retainer.
- Utilise social proof: Feature testimonials, case studies, and client logos to build trust and credibility.
- Make It easy to contact you: Ensure your contact information is readily available and consider adding a live chat feature for immediate assistance.
Conclusion
Your recruitment agency’s website is an amazing tool when it comes to attracting and converting clients, candidates and recruitment talent but only if it’s done well.?
Remember, your website is a reflection of your brand & your team and a valuable tool for growing your business.?
Invest in its success, and you'll reap the rewards for years to come.
Author Bio
Rob has been working within the recruitment industry since 2006, selling recruitment advertising space, working within recruitment, running his own recruitment firm, launching job boards, working for in-house talent acquisition teams and creating enterprise level recruitment software.
He now runs Abstraction Labs, which specialises in recruitment website design.
