Employer Sites That Click With Job Hunters

Fortune 500 companies that have figured out how to use the Internet to recruit talent are building a considerable lead over those that have not. That’s the conclusion of an annual study of those companies’ Web sites conducted by CareerXroads, a recruiting technology consulting firm in Kendall Park, New Jersey. The study is in its fourth year.

The report singles out 25 companies that excel in communicating effectively with job seekers. What distinguishes them, in most cases, is common sense, like tailoring content to a specific audience, be it college students, military personnel or individuals with a specific skill set. Outstanding companies also provide examples of why people want to work there, showing how real people have developed careers, and even giving details of actual work projects.

Though the list is not ranked, the report’s authors single out Xerox’s “best overall effort” to present an integrated staffing message. For job seekers, there’s “an ability to see yourself” at the company simply by visiting the site, says CareerXroads’ Mark Mehler.

Looking for opportunities at other companies may be a less pleasant experience. The report lists 106 firms whose sites need improvement, 32 of which put links to jobs at the bottom of a home page, bury career pages behind others or even lack any mention of jobs whatsoever. Among the companies the study ranks lowest: steel maker Nucor, security services firm Brinks and retailer Saks Fifth Avenue.

That’s why Mehler sounds a note of caution about the effect of the coming .jobs domain name. “Having jobs in one place will make searching easier,” he says. But before relying on a new domain, Mehler says, companies should try to get it right in the existing one.

—Jonathan Pont