The idea of a careers page is to convert visitors (curious potential candidates) into applicants. Maybe not now, but maybe in the future.
Conversion happens by providing a site that’s simple to use and gives the information that’s most relevant to potential applicants. But given that there’s so much that can go into a careers page, where do you start?
The Alfies is about examining, critiquing, and learning from the best careers pages in the region so that we can all work towards improving their effectiveness.
Every month we look at three careers pages or sites and critique them against crowdsourced criteria from the industry.
This month’s winner (by a very small nose) is MYOB.
Let’s look at why.
MYOB's Career Page
The first criteria Group is centred around the organization.
Not every visitor to your page knows of the history of your business, it’s story, why it exists. In highly competitive markets, a story that resonates can hook people into your brand. Humans thrive on stories, it’s how we make sense of the world around us. MYOB does a great job of telling the stories of not only their customers but also their employees.
Messages from leaders also resonate really well. You only have to look at Glassdoor reviews to see that CEO’s have approval ratings. Why not leverage your leaders? We know that people want to be inspired, and that’s arguably part of a leaders job so why not use them fully?
The second criteria focuses on the Employer Brand.
People want to understand what your business stands for and what they can expect if they worked there. Across the board, we loved the images of real people and not stock images. The video content is great and shows a human side to the business.
All the judges agreed that there was real congruence between the consumer and employer brands. Why’s this important? Because it shows authenticity. No one likes lip service being paid to real-life issues.
The third criteria digs into the EVP.
Employer Branding is great and pretty much all businesses have one whether they know it or not. But how does it translate into something real for people who have real aspirations, needs and ambitions?
MYOB’s employee benefits are clearly defined and easy to find with their own navigation button in the Menu bar above the fold. This is where employers get to back up their claims of being people-centric, by displaying their tangible monetary and non-monetary benefits.
The third-party validations on Glassdoor are easily accessed on the page and with >250 reviews, there’s definite credibility in those numbers.
The fourth and final criteria looks at usability.
Optimising usability and reducing friction points makes the actual conversion of visitors to applicants smoother. It should allow visitors to effortlessly find and interact with the information they need.
The job search function on the MYOB site is simple and logical. Users can search by location and job family, making it easy to quickly get to the information they want. The optimised version is also clean and simple, with an App like feel.
Providing some information about the hiring process would help applicants understand what’s next and avoid the potential feeling of “going into the ether”. A general applications job or button would also allow candidates who’ve felt a connection to the brand but not found a suitable role to register for future opportunities. Enrolling them straight into a newsletter keeps them closer to the brand as well.
In conclusion;
MYOB has clearly invested heavily in their branding and they have done an exceptional job in connecting their consumer and employer brands. The genuine feel of their YouTube page with its user stories is continued on their careers page.
The look and feel are contemporary without coming across as trying hard to be cool. Just below the fold is a nine card video collection that shows “life @ MYOB” and again this is well thought out and the execution is flawless. Any first time visitor to the site would come away with a positive feeling about the brand and real clarity around benefits.
Navigation is intuitive and the uncluttered page makes it easy to find the essential details.
Some of the application process is arguably slightly clunky and counterintuitive. But that’s a product of the evolution in TA thinking as much as anything.
With a few gradual process and content tweaks, this would be an exceptional careers page.
Nice work team MYOB. You’re the inaugural winners of the monthly ALFIE. 😀
Feedback from MYOB
Samantha Barnett from the MYOB team told us, “Thanks for the positive feedback, we are definitely on a never-ending journey of updating our content as we are an evolving business, and need to ensure we are sharing not only the right story but also the true story. MYOB is a special business and we want to make that known to our community.”
Quotes from our judges;
“I took a lot of inspiration from the MYOB Careers page. It is fresh, intuitive and engaging. I adore the video content- a great way of showcasing working life at MYOB, without it being forced down your throat- it truly is authentic and fun!. The site is simple to navigate and provides a world-class candidate experience. Well done MYOB!”
"The job search and application process is very straightforward and simple and you can use your details from both LinkedIn and Seek to apply. The site is mobile responsive and it would be a simple task to apply for a job on the way home on the train."
Full Review from Scott Comte – Snr Consultant @ Crew Talent Advisory
I found the MYOB Careers Page to be very well designed and effective in engaging candidates. The site clearly articulates MYOB’s mission and reason for being. There is consistency in the branding between the customer-facing elements of the MYOB website and the Careers site. The site is easy to navigate and takes the candidates on a journey as to why they should consider working at MYOB. Benefits are clearly highlighted as is the businesses commitment to staff development. Images appear to be of actual staff and are not just stock. There is an excellent use of social media and video which provides potential hires with an insight as to MYOB’s culture. The overall impression conveyed by the Careers site is that MYOB is an exciting place to work.
The job search and application process is very straightforward and simple and you can use your details from both LinkedIn and Seek to apply. The site is mobile responsive and it would be a simple task to apply for a job on the way home on the train.
Maybe it could include some narrative on how MYOB has evolved into the business that it is today and a statement from a member of the executive on the vision/ direction of the business could be valuable. At a more functional level, some details on the recruitment process might be of value to potential new hires. Overall a very good Careers site.
