Top 3 ways to attract the best employees through your website.
You know your website draws clients to your practice. But it’s also a key place to attract people you’d like to come work for you. “Think of your website like a first date with prospective employees,” says Robert Sanchez, CEO of Digital Empathy, a veterinary marketing and web design firm. “What’s the first thing people will do to check you out as a prospective employer? They’ll go to your website.”
To raise your chances of attracting the type of employees you’d like to meet at the interview stage, Sanchez recommends making sure you have three basic elements:
1. An engaging homepage. Design your homepage to tell your story and highlight what makes your practice different, unique or special, says Sanchez. “Your homepage should make people feel something similar to walking into your practice, meeting you, and having you explain why you get out of the bed in the morning.”
2. A comprehensive “Careers” page. Clearly outline what you’re offering on this page and link to it in the footer (or make it a submenu of your “About” or “Team” page), recommends Sanchez. You’ll want to include:
- A general invitation to apply, such as, “We’re always looking for our next great employee. If you’re interested, apply here,” with a link to an online application form.
- An overview of any open positions. Include a statement providing a general idea of what to expect in terms of salary, such as: “Qualified candidates are paid above the market rate to work for us.”
- A description of your practice model and what you’re set up to do. (High-volume and low-touch, reaching thousands of pets per month? Low-volume and high-touch, forming deep connections with people and their pets?)
- A list of the benefits you offer: 401(k), healthcare benefits, PTO, sick leave policy, etc. “People look for this—they want to make sure you’re offering a package that cares for their essential needs,” says Sanchez.
- Testimonial quotes and videos from different team members talking about why they love working there. “That provides validation from the peer group,” says Sanchez.
Link directly to your “Careers” page from your Indeed profile or wherever you advertise your open positions. “It’s a pretty low-cost way to do some heavy lifting with recruiting for a position, rather than hiring a recruiter for $50,000,” says Sanchez. “Unless you have an emergency need, I would work on your website before investing in recruiting.” The “Careers” page is an effective recruiting tool for positions you need to fill in the next three to six months, he adds.
3. An optimized “Team” page. Prospective candidates will want to see who they’ll be working with, says Sanchez. Include a short introductory paragraph, dynamic photos of team members working together, and team bios. “In each person’s bio, have them speak to the deeper layers about what drives them to be who they are and what brought them here to your practice,” says Sanchez. For each bio, use one or two high-quality, dynamic photos of the person at work or doing something they love outside of the practice.