Why You Should Always Post Your Available Positions on Your Own Website

For many companies, posting available positions is a matter of loading a job description into a third-party platform and hitting submit. The job listing is then distributed far and wide. All the company needs to do is wait for applicants to roll in.

But how many of those applicants are truly qualified, and a great match for each company?

When pressed, I’d guess that many companies find themselves inundated with job applicants who either aren’t a great fit for their culture or don’t understand the company they’re applying to. Companies that fill positions too quickly and thoughtlessly, with poorly-fitting employees, set themselves up to lose money and valuable time through high turnover and repetitive hiring. In turn, companies that are constantly having to train new hires run into productivity bottlenecks, impacting morale and the bottom line. 

These are problems you can easily solve by posting your available positions on your own website.

Before you post a job opening…

You’ll want to be sure you’ve covered all your bases and done your due diligence for the job you’re advertising. Here are some questions you’ll need to answer:

• Did you spend the appropriate time determining what new position is needed? 
• Why would anyone, let alone a qualified candidate, want to work for your company? 
• Have you gathered information from your existing team about how this new hire might support the team and/or your customers? Even new hires can affect employee retention.
• Have you created a dedicated Career Opportunities page on your website that allows candidates to submit their applications for available positions?

Make sure your job opening is fully locked in before you post it. Once it’s ready, it should absolutely find a home on your website.

Tips for Featuring Your Available Positions on Your Company Website

To attract top applicants who are a great fit for your company (and vice versa!), you want to create job postings that go above and beyond the standard. Below are some important tips for helping your job listings stand out.

1. Go beyond the job description.

Don’t ever post, share, or promote only the job description without including information about why they should want to work for you. In addition to listing benefits and giving job seekers a taste of your company culture, consider including quotes and/or photos from existing employees, team outings, and more. Think of this as an opportunity to share testimonials from happy team members!

2. Revisit the job title.

Before you list your job, revisit the job title. Does it align with the job you’re hoping to fill? Explore the current titles on the market, and pay attention to what competitors are (or aren’t) hiring for. You can also talk to your team and get their input.

Make sure there is equity and titles are respected. They should contribute to your leadership or management structure, and your team should understand what “manager” or “director” means (for them too).

3. Include a detailed list of benefits.

Make sure applicants know all the benefits your company offers up front, including health insurance, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) matching, life insurance, maternity/paternity leave, and more. If you’re unable to offer top-of-the-market salaries, explore alternative or creative ways to add to the compensation package, such as: 

• Birthdays, kids’ birthdays, and/or work anniversaries off
• Paid volunteer (community service) days  
• Paid mental health days 
• Bereavement leave 
• Hybrid or remote working options 
• On-site fitness, meditation, and wellness facilities (or reimbursement incentives for pursuing wellness off-site)
• Professional development reimbursement 
• Team outings 
• A clear path forward for employees to grow with the company long-term (influences employee retention)

When it comes to your corporate benefits, don’t be afraid to go beyond the norm and get creative. Tailor your offerings to the target demographic you’re looking to hire, and make sure your culture and benefits are a prominent part of your company website and job descriptions. You may even want to have your marketing team produce embeddable videos and/or social media content where potential candidates can get a glimpse of your culture for themselves.

4. Let candidates know (how) your company embraces sustainability.

Be clear about your company’s commitment to sustainability. According to Deloitte’s 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, 39% of millennials and 42% of Gen Zs have either changed jobs due to their concerns about the climate or are planning to. Forty-six percent of Millennials and 50% of Gen Zs have taken an active role in encouraging their workplace to embrace more sustainability. Capture these candidates’ attention by putting your sustainability initiatives front and center.

5. Tell candidates who you are as a group.

Job seekers want to know what their future team could be like! Sure, mission statements and core values are great to include, but it’s even better to share things that inject personality into your company. Let them see your company culture.

Why Posting Job Openings on Your Website Matters

Now, let’s look at a few of the reasons why it’s so important to house your job postings on your company website, rather than relying only on third-party platforms.

You’re bringing candidates into your ecosystem.

Sending potential candidates to your website gives them the opportunity to learn more about your company culture and the services you provide. Instead of applying through a third-party system and moving on without a second thought, they’re getting a firsthand look at your brand, in your words.

When you do share your job opening on third-party job boards, you can direct candidates to apply on your website. That keeps your hiring process organized since your team won’t be forced to gather applications from multiple sources. It also brings job seekers in to learn more about you.

Be sure to include a “Careers” page on your website so they can dig deeper and learn more about working for your company.

You’re showing them why your employees are your biggest fans. 

Ideally, your team members should be your biggest fans. When you cultivate that kind of environment for your employees, you can then showcase it on your website. And when you bring job candidates to your site to fill out an application, they’ll get a glimpse of the fantastic feedback your team members are already sharing about working for you on the job postings page.

The more your team believes in your company, leadership, and values, the more they will see themselves growing within your organization. And also, the more likely they will be to refer you – even if they are not salespeople. That can extend to your website, where new applicants will be able to see feedback from your current team.

You’re expanding their experience beyond a one-page job description.

Hosting your available positions is an invitation for potential candidates to familiarize themselves with your company early on in the application process. This is more than a job title and a set of tasks–both for you and them. Beyond the job they’re applying for, they need a clear understanding of your company and a more holistic picture of where they could be working.

Keep Your Application Process Open, Even When You’re Not Actively Hiring

Even when you’re not actively hiring for a specific position, consider keeping your application process open on your website. This allows you to continue receiving applications that can then be kept in a queue. You can revisit these applications periodically to see if there are strong candidates to consider.

Because these candidates have already come into your ecosystem, they’re familiar with your brand and what you stand for. The next time you’re ready to hire, you’ll have multiple applications to start with. On the other hand, having some strong applications already in your system could allow you to move up the timeline or reallocate resources to create space for a new, dynamic team member sooner rather than later.

Final Thoughts on Posting Your Positions

Your hiring practices should be part of your sustainability strategy. A thoughtful approach to bringing job candidates into your company ecosystem is a great way to reinforce a stronger culture. 

Next Steps

Need help improving your company’s Employee Engagement System? You’re in luck — we’ve created a downloadable worksheet to get you started.

Schedule a complimentary consult to discuss how to make the most out of your job postings and make your hiring process more sustainable.