Is Your 'About Us' Page Scaring Off Potential Employees?

Most partners today recognize the value of actively recruiting and hiring to diversify their workforce. Competition for top talent is fierce, and partners need to appeal to all potential candidates to fill their recruiting pipelines.

When those potential employees take the first step in their research and visit your Web site, do they feel welcome? This may be a good time to stand in the shoes of those candidates and take an objective look at the messages your Web site conveys.

While the first impression of the home page is important -- and hopefully your Web designer is tuned in to using photographs reflecting diversity -- prospective candidates are going to head to the About Us section of the Web site to dig deeper. They are going to be most interested in the culture of the company reflected in pages like Leadership, Company History, Our Team and Community Involvement.  

Does Your Leadership Page Reflect Diversity?
The leadership page may be the single most revealing page on your Web site. When a potential employee checks out the management team, they are looking at the people who will be their mentors and guide their destiny. Ask yourself a few questions about what message the page sends, like:

• Do the profiles and photos reflect a commitment to diversity in management?
  
  
• Do profiles focus on personal or team accomplishments?
  
  
• Does the positioning of photos on the page send a message of inclusion or hierarchy?

Some partners are choosing to forgo the leadership pages altogether and take a team approach, switching to profiles of a cross-section or everyone in the business. You can use photos of team-building exercises and everyday work to convey the "real" personality of your business. 

Is Your Company History Page Interesting?
Not all partners include a company history, but it can be a real selling point. People love a good story and will be interested in how the company started and has grown. Telling personal stories about the people who have contributed to building the organization helps potential employees envision how they can play a role.

Is Your Company Active in the Community?
Especially for young people, contributing to the greater good is an important component of their professional aspirations. Highlighting company-sponsored volunteer activities, from mentoring to fundraising, can be very appealing. Photographs are particularly compelling, helping people envision themselves as part of the team.

Partners Take a Fresh Approach
A few examples of partners who have thought through the messages they want to send through their About Us pages include:

• Black Marble, which looks like a fun environment.
• The Magenium Solutions leadership page includes direct links to management, suggesting a culture of open communication.
• PEI takes a refreshing approach in its "Who We Are" pages.
• Mindshift profiles a number of its employees, providing a personal connection.
• Cireson includes the whole team, demonstrating its commitment to diversity.

Your Web site analytics are likely to reveal the importance of re-evaluating the messaging on your About Us section. Not only potential employees, but customers also want to gauge whether you are the kind of partner they want to work with. In a competitive environment, details matter. Stand in the shoes of those new recruits and customers and imagine what they are thinking when they visit your site.

How do you convey diversity on your Web site? Send me a note and let's share the knowledge.

Posted by Barb Levisay on November 01, 2017