Black Sun’s third event in the 2021 Web100 series focused on what a great careers website looks like, and the content that most engages prospective employees. Companies are under an increasing pressure to tell a more comprehensive story in order to attract potential employees, we discussed the latest trends in content, features and functionality within careers sites and what employees are most interested in.

Joining Richard Dixon, Chief Digital Officer, and Dan Cowley, Head of Digital Strategy to present the research results was Black Sun’s Head of Knowledge and Innovation, Erika Susanto. Erika said, ‘In the wake of the Great Resignation, companies realise the importance of communicating their purpose, values and culture in an authentic manner not just to attract, but also to retain the best and brightest talent’.

Key takeaways

The Great Resignation – a demand for jobs with purpose

The last 18 months have proved to be transformational and have caused some to rethink their priorities. Studies indicate increasing number of employees are leaving or thinking about leaving their current jobs. Many are now looking for purposeful work - a job that comes with a greater form of meaning - and are willing accept a lower salary to work for a company whose values align with theirs.

Fewer boilerplate purpose statements, but can be better integrated from Careers

Almost 80% of the FTSE 100 companies communicate their purpose on their corporate website – with many moving forward to craft more meaningful and personalised purpose statements.

While overall there is an increased focus on purpose from wider stakeholder groups, there are often not highlighted in the Careers section. Of the 79 companies stating their purpose on their website, only 43 are integrating purpose into their employer brand narrative by introducing it in their careers section.

Rise in Values and Diversity discussions

There is an upward trend of companies discussing their values in general, with 75 companies doing so, up from 63 last year. Within the Careers section, however, only 66 highlight their company values in the employer narrative. This could be a missed opportunity for companies given people’s increasing desire to work for a company whose values align with their own.

Regarding diversity and inclusion discussion, we have seen an uptick this year going from 77% to 88%, but these mostly revolve around gender. Only 35% provide diversity figures easily accessible from the Careers section.

Improved candidates experience

Only 52% of FTSE 100 companies are currently outlining the application process to improve transparency, which is gaining importance in the wake of the Great Resignation. As the role of HR is increasingly widening to include building the relationships with potential candidates, we see more companies providing HR contacts this year. Only about half of that accepts submissions for future roles, which is a missed opportunity to widen the internal talent pool and help reduce recruiting costs.
 

View this year's results

To request a personalised assessment, please get in touch with our Senior Business Developer, Naomi Hawkins.

About Black Sun

Black Sun is a global stakeholder communications company with offices in London and Singapore. We are united by a common purpose of making businesses more valued by their stakeholders. We are powered by a unique mix of strategic insight, creative inspiration and technology advantage, and help businesses communicate authentically how they deliver value to their stakeholders. We believe that inspiring strategic communications can spark positive change and drive long-term, sustainable performance.