Have Cool Website, Will Attract Talent

A recent Staffing Industry Analysts report revealed that, on average, staffing firm management gave their websites a grade of just 5.6/10. That’s a C. But some websites outperformed, and we learned something about why.

First, candidate-focused websites are associated with statistically significant higher average satisfaction. Healthcare temporary staffing firms stand out as having more candidate-focused websites, and the highest level of average satisfaction. On the other hand, IT temporary staffing firms stand out as having more client-focused websites, and the lowest level of average satisfaction.

Why does this matter? In an earlier survey, we also asked staffing firms to rate how much their marketing tactics contribute to business success. The company website was most frequently cited by staffing firms as providing the “highest bang-to-buck” relative to spend/effort.

And this affects buyers of staffing services as well. According to marketing gurus, the most important quality of a well-designed website is that it fulfills its purpose or function. For example, if the goal of a website is to engage candidates, then first and foremost it should be easy for people to sign up with as little friction as possible. This ensures that these staffing firms are easily attracting and engaging talent, which in turn means they are providing you with candidates — quality contingents — who can get the job done. So ensure that your staffing firms are sending the right message via their website.

Likewise, features — such as SEO optimization and mobile friendliness—also matter in making the most of your site. We are not suggesting that staffing firms must have all the most up-to-date site and slick technology, but taking advantage of at least some would be wise.

Buyers would do well to monitor how these firms stack up when it comes to their websites. Those that are effective in recruiting are those that can deliver candidates.