How to Create an Effective Career Center on Your Website

An essential part of attracting qualified applicants is selling them on your credit union and making it easy for them to apply. An interactive career center on your website can help you accomplish those goals.     

With an increasing number of job seekers using the Internet as one of their sources when looking for a job, adding a career center to your site is a worthwhile endeavor. The number of job applicants who use the Internet for their job searches has been steadily rising according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project Poll. The poll conducted in April 2010 showed that 54% of those questioned use the Internet to look online for information about a job—compared with 52% in 2009 and 47% in 2008.

 

It makes good business sense, then, to provide those online job seekers the information they need to make a decision about applying for a job with your credit union—and what better place than your website? Any number of potential candidates—and that group can include credit union members, potential members, and applicants who want to work in the financial services industry—might turn to your credit union’s site when searching for employment. Make it easy for them to learn about your credit union, find the job openings, and apply.

 

An effective career center should include the following:

• Highlights about your credit union – What sets you apart? Why should a marketing professional, member service representative, or loan officer choose your credit union?
• Credit union brand – Include an overview of your credit union that includes your mission and purpose to convey your brand to potential employees.
• Description of employee benefits – Cover the basics (health insurance and FSA) and include any “unpaid” benefits such as flex time or any employee discount program you may offer.
• List of open positions, including internships, by location – Include the full job descriptions and a link to your online job application.
• Online job application and the ability to upload a resume – Whether you use a simple or detailed application, make it simple for applicants to complete.
• Ability for applicants to create an account and save their information – Job applicants don’t always get the first position for which they interview; allowing them to store their information will save them time when they want to apply for a different position.
• Ability to refer the position to a friend – The person perusing your career center might not be qualified for the open positions—but they might know someone who is. Also, your employees might know some eligible candidates and can direct them to the career center.
• Information should always be current - no applicant wants to get excited about an opportunity only to find out that the job was filled two days ago.

Optional features that you might want to consider for your career center include:

• Employee testimonials – No one says it better than a happy employee! Use their words to help tell why working at your CU is a positive experience.
• Blog – If your credit union blogs about topics that are relevant to employees, include it.
• Alumni area – Let former employees catch up; this can enhance the sense of camaraderie that your credit union has; former employees might see an opportunity to come back.

With an effective career center on your website, you can increase your pool of qualified job applicants, thereby increasing your chances to find the person best suited for the career opportunities at your credit union.