18 Helpful Employer Branding Strategies for Job Descriptions

Nick Misa
Latest posts by Nick Misa (see all)

Today I’m going to show you a VERY effective list of employer branding strategies for your job descriptions. In fact, you’ll find 30+ strategies, tips, and examples in this post.

So if you’re looking to build powerful, converting job postings you’ll really enjoy this list.

Employer Branding Strategies on Job Descriptions vs Company Career Page

A lot of your candidates are coming from job boards like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn. So, this means they are bypassing your careers landing page and going straight to your job descriptions.

Companies also tend to focus the bulk of their employer branding efforts on their careers page. Thus, little to no EB efforts are carried over to their job descriptions where the conversions are made.

Why Is Using Employer Branding Strategies Important on Job Descriptions?

Employer branding is important on job descriptions because they are the pages where your primary call-to-action is to “apply”.

So, you want to give candidates as much info as possible to make the decision of whether to apply or not.

Look at your job postings as a one-stop shop, where candidates don’t have to leave your pages in search of extra information.

A List Employer Branding Strategies for Job Descriptions:

1. Job Page URL

This one seems simple but often gets lost in the shuffle when integrating with an applicant tracking system.

So, here’s an example of a branded job page URL vs. an ATS-based URL:

branded job page url vs ats url

So, ideally, you’d want company name and job title to make up the majority of your URL.

Your job page URL should also remain concise when attracting potential candidates. Succinct URLs can also add a sense of professionalism while raising your site’s SEO performance.

2. Job Page Branding

You want your job pages to have a similar aesthetic layout as any other page on your website.

This means keeping a consistent:

This helps reinforce your brand in the minds of top talent. So, in the same way that color psychology affects mood at the office, applying the right themes on your page can invoke a strong emotional connection with potential hires.

Research also shows that potential customers make a subconscious judgment within 90 seconds of entering a store, and 62%- 90% of first impressions come from perceiving the color of the interior design. Similarly, a strong employer brand for your job page could leverage color psychology to convey your organizational vibes and values.

3. Mobile Optimization/Responsiveness

In the era of mobile traffic, responsive job pages are a must.

“78% of people in the US would apply to jobs on their mobile devices.” – Indeed 

Here are some insightful articles on mobile optimization problems and resolutions:

Several simple ways to improve the mobile-friendliness of your career pages, include:

  1. Making the call-to-action buttons more prominent (e.g., contrasting color with the rest of your on-site elements) and responsive. These can help boost application rates and prevent candidates from navigating away from your page before responding to your ad.
  2. Reducing the quality of the media files embedded on your page. Complex scripts and high-resolution videos/images could reduce your page loading speed when viewed across mobile devices that run on 5G or other non-wi-fi networks. Therefore, it is important to note that page load times between one to five seconds generally lead to a 90% increase in bounce rate (visitors navigating away from your site after viewing a single web page). You could also potentially lose a bulk of potential employees from a non-mobile-friendly configuration.
  3. Avoid site plugins and elements that are unsupported on the mobile interface. Ongig’s Career Site Builder lets you conveniently optimize widgets for hiring, such as attracting prospective candidates on their mobile devices.

4. Job Description Text

It’s easy to spend most or all your employer branding time on the visuals (logos, color scheme, pics, video, etc.).

But what about the countless words of text in your job postings?

Employer Brand-wise, there are 2 main areas where your text can boost your EB:

Bias

Readability

All of the following are proven ways to make your job posting text (and thus Employer Brand) more effective:

  • Job Description Length
  • Words per Sentence
  • Shorter Words
  • Write in a Conversational Way

Check out 7 Tips on How to Write the Most “Readable” Job Descriptions for details on each.

Better text = better employer brand.

5. Media

It’s important to include media on your job postings.

Pictures and video boost engagement and time on page which are important metrics.

Great media content above the fold on your job page sets the tone for your job descriptions and catches the candidates’ attention.

“The average web user spends 88% more time on a website that has video.”

Video content remains a top draw among internet users due to its capacity for telling impactful stories in a succinct and visual way. According to marketing expert Zelios Agency, video content can also lead to an 80% increase in conversion on a landing page.

That data should apply to your specialized career landing pages when highlighting your company’s reputation to prospective employees.

6. Company/Workplace Culture Information

There are a couple ways you can get this information into your job descriptions.

  1. Media — Pictures and videos highlighting the workplace and articulating company culture
  2. Company culture snippet within the job description
  3. Embedded text box
  4. Recruiting Widgets — Specifically employer ratings and reviews widgets (mentioned below)

“When making a decision on where to apply for a job, 84% of job seekers say the reputation of a company as an employer is important.” –TalentNow

“75% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before even applying for a job.” –LinkedIn Talent Solutions

7. Ratings & Reviews (Employer Review Sites)

It’s good to provide employer ratings and reviews on your job postings. Any click you can save the candidate and keep them on your pages is a win.

Most employer ratings and reviews options are in the form of a widget.

For example, here’s a Glassdoor widget that has features company rating, CEO rating, employee reviews and more.

Glassdoor Ratings & Reviews Widgets for Job Descriptions

An alternative to Glassdoor is Comparably. Focused on company culture, diversity, gender and salary, Comparably is in the process of creating a recruiting widget for job postings.

8. Benefits

Another employer branding best practice for your job descriptions is including benefits details.

They can also provide that extra push to convert a job seeker into an apply.

And also (you guessed it) saves the candidate extra clicks and research that would take them off of your pages.

“Benefits information about flexible working policies,parental leave, or healthcare is more significant for womenso be sure to include that in your job descriptions as well.” – LinkedIn Gender Report

Here’s a list of 20 awesome employee benefits.

9. Maps/Location Info

Help candidates find out exactly where the job is located. Showing location pinpointed on a map adds more context than just listing city and state.

“Less than 5% of Fortune 500 companies include a map on their JD.” –Source

Add a map and location data to make your job descriptions stand out.

10. Commute Time

We haven’t found a company that provides a widget for commute time. So you’ll most likely need to develop a commute time widget in-house. We also believe creating one is worth the trouble after considering these stats:

  • “Commute time was ranked 4th (43%) in top factors employees and job seekers looked for in job ads.” –Source
  • “A convenient, easy commute ranked 2nd (47%) in what would make Americans more inclined to submit a job application.” –Source

Here’s an example of a commute time widget from Wendy’s:

Wendy's Commute Widget

For more reasons and ways to implement commute time on your job postings CLICK HERE.

11. Employee Testimonials

If you’re looking to add social proof to your job postings, employee testimonials are a great way. We usually see them on company career pages, but they should also be on every one of your job ads.

“Employees rank as the most trusted influencers when communicating about their company’s engagement and integrity.” –Source

Here’s one way to get a testimonial on your job page (embedding a text box).

employee testimonial text box

Feedback from current employees also enables job seekers to understand the company culture better. The social proof from these contributions supports company reviews from sites like Glassdoor and Indeed.

Need help with ideas on how to embed employee testimonials on your job postings? This is a great article.

12. Employer of Choice Awards as Employer Branding Strategies

Looking for more social proof? If you’ve got them, flaunt them.

An employer of choice graphic can help close the candidate in the first few seconds of viewing a job description.

The process of becoming an employer of choice and earning an award may seem daunting. But it’s usually a matter of registering, survey, and paying some money.

A couple of the most popular award companies are:

  • Fortune 100
  • Forbes
  • Top Employers Institute
  • Great Place to Work For
  • Glassdoor

Here’s a Comprehensive List of Employer of Choice Awards.

13. Recommended Jobs

Give candidates more than just a one-and-done experience.

A recommended jobs recruiting widget presents jobs similar to the department, location, and also the skills of the job page the candidate is currently on.

So, here’s an example of a recommended jobs widget for a software engineer job:

Recommended Jobs Widget

AI machine learning and employee feedback are effective ways to optimize the recommended jobs section of your career site. These measures also enable your hiring team to discover the trending job search keywords and job terms to maximize your job posting’s visibility and searchability.

You could also integrate site widgets that gather candidate insights from career sites like LinkedIn to review employee experiences, social interactions, market trends, and job seeker preferences.

14. Optimized Social Sharing to Highlight Your Employer Branding Strategies

Make sure your jobs are optimized for sharing on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

So, when we say optimized we mean:

  • An engaging thumbnail image or video
  • Job Title and location
  • 1-2 sentences of well-written copy
  • Link to the job page

These elements should automatically be grabbed by simply copying and pasting the job link into your post/status update.

Here’s an example of a non-optimized social share job ad (left) vs. an optimized social share job ad (right).

optimized social share job posting

Branding is ultimately about exposure. The same is true about your employer branding strategies. When publishing your JD, it’s advantageous to leverage an ATS that integrates with a wide selection of job boards. While LinkedIn, Monster, and ZipRecruiter are top job board choices, consider diversifying your talent pool with other community-specific platforms like FairyGodBoss and Coded by Kids.

15. Walk Score

Walk Score is a location-based widget that provides detailed information on a specific location.

3 scores are included on the widget:

  • Walk Score: Measures the walkability of any location.
  • Transit Score: How well a location is served by public transit.
  • Bike Score: How good an area is for biking.

View Walk Score’s methodology.

Walk View Screenshot (Employer Branding Strategies blog)

16. Career Blog Content to Boost Your Employer Branding Strategies

Content is a proven channel for lead generation and can be applied to recruiting.

It’s also a great way to provide valuable content to candidates and increase your chances of converting the apply.

If candidates are interested in your company they want to learn more and a career blog is a perfect way.

Some recommended topics to include in your JD as part of your employer branding strategies are early career advice, day in the life, employee spotlights, and also the recruitment process.

Organizing various blog series with a thematic approach could also prove strategic, which could help position your company as a thought leader and people-first organization.

For instance, you could develop a series that unpacks your company’s core values or employees’ experiences from underrepresented communities. These may include a behind-the-scenes look at employee resource groups (ERGs) and HR collaborations such as community outreach events and initiatives.

Having these blog links available on your JD lends more credibility and transparency to your job postings.

Tenable is an example of a great career blog.

Here are 5 Tips for Creating a Company Career Blog That Recruits For You.

17. Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Your employer value proposition (EVP) shouldn’t just be on your company career page. It’s also a major element in your employer branding strategies. Therefore, like many of the other items we touched on, they should be on every one of your job descriptions.

Often known as one of the most important steps in an employer branding strategy, the EVP should answer questions like:

  • Why should the candidate work for your company rather than another?
  • What’s in it for the candidate?
  • Why is your company a great place to work at?
  • What can you offer candidates that other companies can’t?

A couple awesome resources for planning and crafting an EVP:

Framing a compelling EVP as part of your employer branding strategies can boost employee retention by providing your target audience with the most sought-after career incentives and lifestyle arrangements. Similarly, recent workforce research indicates that 72% of employees in the United States prioritize work-life balance.

In addition, consider personalizing your JD branding strategies for optimized inclusive hiring campaigns according to demographic needs. For instance, 78% of women value work-life balance over other career choices compared to 67% of men.

Ongig’s Text Analyzer software provides comprehensive JD vetting that checks for gender neutrality scores while accounting for critical segments and elements. Therefore, leveraging the platform empowers your team to promote impactful and inclusive EVPs at scale.

18. Diversity Statement

Diversity and Inclusion are most likely at the top of your HR priorities. That means including a diversity statement in your job descriptions is a must. But, I’m not talking about an EEOC filled with legal jargon.

I’m talking about a compelling statement from the heart of your company. So, these thoughtful write-ups should promote employee engagement regardless of a new hire’s background. For instance, your diversity statement could encourage equity in payment and professional development for all qualified hires.

Here are 10 Examples of Awesome Diversity Statements and what makes them awesome.

How to Measure the Success of Your Employer Branding Strategies

Creating a compelling employer brand is just the first step. As such, measuring its success is equally important to ensure you’re on the right track.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for your Employer Branding Strategies

Key performance indicators (KPIs) help you track how well your employer branding efforts are working. These KPIs include:

  1. Employee Satisfaction: How happy are your existing employees with their work environment? So, use surveys to get their feedback.
  2. Brand Awareness: How well is your company’s employer brand known in the job market? Monitor mentions of your brand on social media channels and other platforms.
  3. Candidate Experience: Are job candidates having a positive experience during the hiring process? Check your application completion rates and feedback from new hires.
  4. Quality of Hire: Are you attracting the best talent? Look at the performance and retention rates of new employees.
  5. Social Media Engagement: How active is your social media presence? Track likes, shares, and comments on posts related to your corporate culture and company values.

Tools and Metrics for Tracking Employer Branding Strategies

Using the right tools and metrics is the best way to track your employer branding success:

  1. Surveys and Feedback Tools: Use tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to gather positive feedback from employees about their work experience and satisfaction.
  2. Social Media Analytics: Platforms like Hootsuite and Sprout Social can help you measure your social media channels’ engagement and reach.
  3. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): These systems help you analyze the hiring process, track job candidates, and also monitor the effectiveness of your talent acquisition strategies.
  4. Google Analytics: Use this tool to measure traffic on your careers site and see how many visitors are converting into applicants for open positions.

Analyzing Feedback and Making Improvements on Your Employer Branding Strategies

Collecting data is the first step, but analyzing it and making improvements is where you’ll see a positive impact.

  • Identify Trends: Look for patterns in the feedback from new talent and former employees. Are there common praises or complaints? So, this will help you understand your corporate brand’s strengths and weaknesses.
  • Set Goals and Create an Action Plan: Based on the data, set clear goals for improving your employer brand strategy. As such, you will need to develop an action plan with best practices to enhance the candidate experience and attract the right talent.
  • Engage Your Marketing Team: Work with your marketing team to create blog posts and other content that highlight your organization’s reputation and strong brand. So, this will help improve your company’s employer brand visibility.
  • Promote Your Unique Culture: Use your company website and social media presence to showcase your unique culture and corporate social responsibility initiatives. This will also attract the ideal candidate who aligns with your company’s values.
  • Monitor and Adjust: Regularly check your KPIs and adjust your strategies as needed. Also, continuous improvement will help you maintain a competitive edge in the job market.

So, follow these steps to measure your employer brand’s success and make necessary improvements. This will also help you build a strong company culture, attract the best candidates, and become known as a good employer in the outside world.

Why I Wrote This

Job descriptions are an integral part of your recruiting process.

Ongig provides job page overlays that integrate with your applicant tracking system. Job page overlays allow you to take back control of your job pages.

by in Employer Branding