Elements of inspiring "Work for us" job pages

Jun 20, 2012

Table of contents:

1. Tumblr - Location, Location, Location
2. Metalab - Benefits of the job
3. Automattic - Promote the unique aspects of the company
4. Box - The Mission
5. Cuban Council - Design to your strengths
6. Pinterest - Appeal to very specific people
7. Storenvy - Show-off your office space
8. Vimeo - Show your fun side
9. TaskRabbit - Join the family
10. Square - State your vision
11. 6Wunderkinder - Highlight what you will provide
12. Facebook - Culture
13. Twitter - Pictures of the team
14. Apple - Become part of something huge

The “War of talent” is hotter than ever right now in the Internet and technology industries. Established designers and developers are being poached away from their current employers and each new crop of College students seem to be snapped up before they even graduate. The problem is compounded by the increasing number of people starting their own companies.

Over the last 20 years or so, our jobs and careers have been dramatically transformed. There seems to be much more of a desire to be part of a mission rather than a safe lifetime career at an established corporate organisation. People are also far more likely to jump from one opportunity to the next.

In order to attract the best talent for your company, you need to put in a huge amount of time and effort to find the right people and convince them to dedicate their time to your mission. I believe the first crucial step is to create a compelling page on your website that allows a potential applicant to discover why they would want to work for your company on their own.

Here are 15 elements of inspiring “Work for us” job pages that you can use to attract the very best talent to your company.

Tumblr - Location, Location, Location

One of the appeals of taking a new job is the opportunity to move to a new home in an exciting big city. Tumblr was founded in New York and has made the appeal of living and working in Manhattan as the focal point to their jobs board. Tumblr is a fast growing, innovative company that will appeal to a lot of people looking to relocate to the city that never sleeps.

Metalab - Benefits of the job

A lot of new companies and startups are much more relaxed than established companies that are stuck in the corporate mindset. Metalab for example, allows employees to set their own schedule and they give their employees the freedom to work when it suits them. This not only makes for a better working life, but it also allows Metalab to get the most from their employees when they are most productive rather than chaining them up to the 9-5.

Automattic - Promote the unique aspects of the company

Young people aren’t always entirely financially motivated, and so a company like Automattic can appeal to certain types of people by offering unique opportunities to applicants. Automattic is a company that is spread out all over the world. Once a year all employees get together on an all expenses trip to meet each other and work together in the same physical location.

Box - The Mission

Part of being satisfied in your work is the on going achievement and reaching for a goal. By stating your mission as a company, you will find that people will want to join your company to achieve that goal, and things like compensation are far less of a priority.

Cuban Council - Design to your strengths

If you already have incredibly talented people working at your organisation, utilise their strengths to create a really unique “Work for us” page. Cuban Council are world renowned for their design ability and so typically they have a beautiful page that reflects the design and style of the organisation and the high quality of the work they produce. Talented people want to surround themselves with even more talented people, so play to your strengths.

Pinterest - Appeal to very specific people

Perhaps you are looking for very specific people to join and grow your company. By appealing directly to them, instead of having a generic careers page, you are far more likely to attract the best people. As I mentioned under the previous header, talented people want to work with other talented people. By showing that you care about their role, you will have a much better chance of securing the services of the very best people, particularly if their skills have been neglected in previous jobs.

Storenvy - Show-off your office space

Having the opportunity to work in a relaxed and comfortable environment will be a huge appeal for anyone who has previously worked in a depressing office. Talented people want to be excited to come to work and spend the majority of their time in a place they enjoy. If you have a beautifully designed office space, show it off!

Vimeo - Show your fun side

The best jobs are a mixture of accomplishing goals, doing exciting and fulfilling work and having fun a long the way. Nobody wants to go to work and spend their days not having fun. If you can show your company’s fun side, and show that your current employees enjoy and are happy in their jobs, you will attract people who really want to join the team, and not just pick up a pay slip.

TaskRabbit - Join the family

As an employee, you are going to be spending more time with your colleagues than you spend with your family. As an employer, you need to show that your team has that family vibe, where everyone is in it for the right reasons and there will be the support and guidance any potential applicant will need. If you can make joining your company feel like joining a family, applicants will be far more likely to want to work for you.

Square - State your vision

A company is a fantastic way to realise a vision. It allows a group of talented people to work together everyday to work towards a vision and be rewarded financially along the way. Vision is an important aspect of the future growth of a company. Without a clear vision, you are unlikely to attract the best talent as people want to know what they are ultimately working towards.

6Wunderkinder - Highlight what you will provide

Successful companies are usually very willing to provide their staff with all the top of the line hardware and software to allow their employees to produce their best work. If you plan to invest in the latest equipment, use that as part of your hiring appeal.

Facebook - Culture

Part of the appeal of joining certain organisations is the opportunity to work with like minded colleagues. A lot has been made of the “hacking” culture of Facebook. Facebook remains one of the fastest growing companies and so they have created an environment to appeal to those designers and developers who were put on earth to build cool stuff.

Twitter - Pictures of the team

One of the very most important parts of advertising your company as an inspiring place to work is to show the human side of your Organisation. By showing team shots, employee profiles and photos of your office space and people hard at work, you will show that your company is not a faceless money making machine, but rather a friendly and inviting place to work.

Apple - Become part of something huge

Having a prestigious career is something that everyone wants to be proud of. Everyone feels a sense of pride if they can talk about their employer and their work and feel truly happy with the path their are on. You don’t have to be a huge company like Apple to make a difference in the world. Small companies can produce increadible work too, and make a difference in the lives they touch. Being part of something exciting is one of the biggest appeals I can think of for joining a company and producing the best work of your life.

What do you think are good aspects of “Work for us” job pages and what are some good examples I’ve missed? Please leave a comment with your suggestions!