- Top 20+ Diversity Equity Inclusion Titles (with Descriptions) 2024 - October 18, 2024
- A List of Common Offensive (Exclusionary) Words Used in Job Descriptions (2024) - October 18, 2024
- Action Verbs for Job Descriptions: A Comprehensive List for 2024 - October 14, 2024
An About Us statement is a critical piece in a job posting or website. Like any content on your job pages, it’s an opportunity to sell and attract the candidate!
After reviewing thousands of About Us statements through our Text Analyzer job description software, I want to share a few things in this article:
- What content to consider for your About Us section
- Copywriting tips on how to write your About Us section
- 15 Examples of About Us statements that might give you ideas for your own
This article focuses on the About Us statement in job postings. But most of my tips and examples will also help you rewrite the text of the About Us page of your career site too.
The reason that your About Us statement on job postings is so important is that some candidates first experience your jobs through a job posting/ad (e.g. from a job board, Google, a shared link, etc.). They don’t always visit your career site first (or at all).
So make sure you nail the About Us language in all your job postings/ads.
Let’s start with some tips:
Tips on How to Write an Effective “About Us” Statement
The best About Us statements are ones where the writer takes a copywriting approach (something I recommend for all your job content).
Here are some top tips:
About Us Tip #1: Open With a Strong First Sentence
Check out GE’s first sentence of their About Us statement. It is a great way to snag attention:
“GE drives the world forward by tackling its biggest challenges.”
If you’ve got a strong mission statement, that’s another great choice for opening up your About Us statement. Facebook does a great job of this here:
“Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together.”
Positioning purposeful brand values at the start of an About Us section creates a lasting impression of your company culture.
About Us Tip #2: Show Benefit to the Candidate
The About Us section is another opportunity to SELL the candidate. Or what copywriters would consider their readers and potential customers
For example, most candidates love the option to travel. So if you’re in multiple countries and cities, mention it.
Zara, for example, says:
“…ZARA today is an internationally known fashion retailer represented in over 88 countries around the world.”
Or, if training is a big deal in your biz then say something like what Accenture says in their About Us:
“We invest in training and development in a big way, so you can build your future along with ours, creating an impactful career unique to you.”
About Us Tip #3: Be Employee-Centric (or Jobs-Centric)
Your About Us statement on your job postings is a golden opportunity to share employees’ personal journies about their jobs.
IBM, in the first line of its About Us statement, refers to “the IBMer” (an IBM employee):
“IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer.
Their About Us goes on to mention what “IBMers believe in” and that they have with more than 380,000 IBMers serving clients in 170 countries.
Or, check out Instagram’s opening line of their About Us statement. They actually include the word “jobs” in it and talk about the benefit of having huge impact:
“Instagram is a global community of more than 1 billion, which means jobs here offer countless ways to make an impact in a fast growing organization.”
About Us Tip #4: Show Your Size (Big and Small)
Candidates want to know how big a company they are joining. If you’re large, say so.
For example, PepsiCo mentions the #of managed brands they have in their About Us statement:
“…a product portfolio that includes 22 world-famous, billion-dollar brands. From Gatorade to Quaker, LIFEWTR to Lay’s, we make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world.
That’s important because some potential team members might think PepsiCo only deals with Pepsi.
If you’re a large company worried about losing candidates interested in smaller companies, you can mention your roots as a small company. SAP does this in their About Us statement:
“SAP started in 1972 as a team of five colleagues with a desire to do something new. Together, they changed enterprise software and reinvented how business was done. Today, as a market leader in enterprise application software, we remain true to our roots.”
Or, if you’re a large company but you still have the small company spirit, include a statement like:
“We’re a 10,000 employee company that still feels like a startup.”
And if you’re closer to a startup in size and maturity, say that too — don’t pretend to be big in your About Us section. Some candidates crave working for smaller co.s. Authenticity is key, so don’t give the impression that you’re a large company in your About Us section.
And for candidates who prefer working for a large company, you want them NOT to apply to your biz (yet).
Brex does a good job of this in their About Us statement:
“Brex is revolutionizing financial services for businesses, starting with corporate cards for startups. We are building the product from first principles, enabling us to have unparalleled features and a seamless, modern experience for our customers. With backing from top venture firms and industry veterans such as Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, Brex is one of the fastest-growing startups to date…”
About Us Tip# 5: Share Your Values
The About Us section is a perfect place to sprinkle in your core values to engage website visitors and prospective candidates.
For example, check out this sentence in American Express Company’s About Us:
“Customers choose us because they trust our brand and people. We earn that trust by ensuring everything we do is reliable, consistent, and with the highest level of integrity.”
If you’re a values-driven company, you should mention it somewhere in About Us.
About Us Tip #6: Employer Awards and # of Customers = Social Proof
If you’ve won employer branding awards, the About Us statement is a great place to put it. Awards are social proof, a proven way to influence candidates.
Check out 23andMe’s About Us statement — it is chock full of awards:
“The company was named by MIT Technology Review to its “50 Smartest Companies, 2017” list, and named one of Fast Company’s “25 Brands That Matter Now, 2017”. 23andMe has over 5 million customers worldwide, with ~85 percent of customers consented to participate in research.
Or here’s WorkWave’s About Us statement:
- 7 Time winner of Best Place to Work in New Jersey by NJBiz!
- WorkWave has been recognized with multiple awards for its outstanding products, growth and culture, including the Inc. 5000, SaaS Award, IT World Awards, Globe Awards, Silver Stevie Award for Employer of the Year, and Best Place to Work Inc. Magazine
Similarly, we see an award-winning brand identity in Deloitte’s About Us page:
“Deloitte is a recognized leader of top talent. We strive to be an organization where our people can thrive. With a focus on development, flexibility, and well-being, we hire people who are among the best and brightest in the business.”
The outstanding employer rewards include:
- Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®
- For 25 years, Deloitte has been recognized as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the U.S. by Fortune Magazine.
- Glassdoor Best Places to Work 2024
- Deloitte is proud to be recognized again as a Best Place to Work among U.S. companies with more than 1,000 employees.
About Us Tip #7: End Strong!
Finally, you have to end strong. Readers often scan text and focus on the beginning, skip the middle and then focus on your ending.
Some examples of ending your About Us strong:
I see 2 impactful endings that work.
You might end with a call to action to the candidate like Airbnb does:
“In order to build the world’s most loved travel company, we need the world’s most interesting and talented people. Are you one of them? If so, we want to talk to you!”
and Palantir:
“If these types of projects excite you, we’d love for you to join us.”
Or, you could end with your mission like:
SpaceX
“Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.”
and Facebook:
“Together, we can help people build stronger communities — we’re just getting started.”
When in doubt, I recommend you end your About Us statement with a call to action for the candidate to apply.
A couple of other tips on About Us Statements before we get into the full list of the 15:
What Header/Title to Use?
Most About Us sections are titled just that: “About Us”…but you can be different.
You could be more “creatively conversational” such as what PepsiCo does with their About Us section header:
“We are PepsiCo”
You can see PepsiCo’s full About Us statement lower down in this article.
Another option for your About Us header is “About [Name of Your Company]” such as what IBM does:
“About IBM”
Some companies (such as Facebook, Airbnb and SpaceX) go with no About Us header which is fine too.
You have to see how your header/no-header approach looks within the rest of your job posting. If you do choose the header route, it is important to see how they fit with the rest of your job posting. Maintaining a sense of uniformity for a professional appearance and optimal readability is important.
Where in your job ad should you place your “About Us” Statement?
Most employers put their About Us statement at the beginning of their job posting.
Starting your job ad with About Us statement is almost always a mistake.
Check out Why Starting Your Job Postings with “About Us” is Usually a Mistake.
You should instead put your About Us towards the end of your job ad.
2 reasons:
- The candidate cares more about the job specifics and benefits to them (before they care about reading about you as a company)
- Google weighs the opening text of your job description pages and they reward you for unique opening content (e.g. specifics about the job) and penalize you for redundant content (e.g. About Us content identical across all your job pages).
15 “About Us” Statement Examples
Below are some samples of About Us statements from top brands in the world as well as fast-growing newer companies. You might borrow ideas from the About Us statements below to build your own unique About Us template.
SpaceX (no header)
SpaceX was founded under the belief that a future where humanity is out exploring the stars is fundamentally more exciting than one where we are not. Today SpaceX is actively developing the technologies to make this possible, with the ultimate goal of enabling human life on Mars.
Brex
About Brex
Brex is revolutionizing financial services for businesses, starting with corporate cards for startups. We are building the product from first principles, enabling us to have unparalleled features and a seamless, modern experience for our customers. With backing from top venture firms and industry veterans such as Peter Thiel and Max Levchin, Brex is one of the fastest-growing startups to date, and we’re looking for someone to help scale the company with incredible people across the board.
Zara (no header)
Started in 1975 in Spain, ZARA today is an internationally known fashion retailer represented in over 88 countries around the world. Our company requires professionalism, imagination, high energy and team spirit. ZARA will give you the means to excel. ZARA will put you into the heart of the action and the heart of its growth.
PepsiCo
We are PepsiCo
PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader operating in more than 200 countries and territories with a product portfolio that includes 22 world-famous, billion-dollar brands. From Gatorade to Quaker, LIFEWTR to Lay’s, we make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world.
Guiding PepsiCo is our vision to be the global leader in convenient foods and beverages by Winning with Purpose. “Winning with Purpose” reflects our ambition to win sustainably in the marketplace and embed purpose into all aspects of the business.
Our employees drive our culture. No two days are the same; we’re dynamic and full of passionate teams embracing new ideas through our collaborative spirit. At PepsiCo, what makes you unique, makes us better!
IBM
About IBM
IBM’s greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that progress is made through progressive thinking, progressive leadership, progressive policy and progressive action. IBMers believe that the application of intelligence, reason and science can improve business, society and the human condition. Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are the largest technology and consulting employer in the world, with more than 380,000 IBMers serving clients in 170 countries.
Facebook (no header)
Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to build community and bring the world closer together. Through our family of apps and services, we’re building a different kind of company that connects billions of people around the world, gives them ways to share what matters most to them, and helps bring people closer together. Whether we’re creating new products or helping a small business expand its reach, people at Facebook are builders at heart. Our global teams are constantly iterating, solving problems, and working together to empower people around the world to build community and connect in meaningful ways. Together, we can help people build stronger communities — we’re just getting started.
23andMe
About Us
23andMe, Inc. is the leading consumer genetics and research company. Our mission is to help people access, understand and benefit from the human genome. The company was named by MIT Technology Review to its “50 Smartest Companies, 2017” list, and named one of Fast Company’s “25 Brands That Matter Now, 2017”. 23andMe has over 5 million customers worldwide, with ~85 percent of customers consented to participate in research. 23andMe is located in Mountain View, CA. More information is available at www.23andMe.com ( https://www.23andme.com/ ).
SAP
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
SAP started in 1972 as a team of five colleagues with a desire to do something new. Together, they changed enterprise software and reinvented how business was done. Today, as a market leader in enterprise application software, we remain true to our roots. That’s why we engineer solutions to fuel innovation, foster equality and spread opportunity for our employees and customers across borders and cultures.
SAP values the entrepreneurial spirit, fostering creativity and building lasting relationships with our employees. We know that a diverse and inclusive workforce keeps us competitive and provides opportunities for all. We believe that together we can transform industries, grow economics, lift up societies and sustain our environment. Because it’s the best-run businesses that make the world run better and improve people’s lives.
Instagram (no header)
Instagram is a global community of more than 1 billion, which means jobs here offer countless ways to make an impact in a fast growing organization. Instagram was built to connect people to the people and interests they love. Our app has played a critical part in forming meaningful communities where people can connect with each other and share what matters most to them.
GE
About Us:
GE (NYSE:GE) drives the world forward by tackling its biggest challenges. By combining world-class engineering with software and analytics, GE helps the world work more efficiently, reliably, and safely. GE people are global, diverse and dedicated, operating with the highest integrity and passion to fulfill GE’s mission and deliver for our customers. www.ge.comGE offers a great work environment, professional development, challenging careers, and competitive compensation. GE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law.
Airbnb (no header)
Founded in 2008, Airbnb’s mission is to create a world where people can belong through healthy travel that is local, authentic, diverse, inclusive and sustainable. Airbnb uniquely leverages technology to economically empower millions of people around the world to unlock and monetize their spaces, passions and talents to become hospitality entrepreneurs. Airbnb’s accommodation marketplace provides access to 5+ million unique places to stay in more than 81,000 cities and 191 countries. With Experiences, Airbnb offers unprecedented access to local communities and interests through 15,000 unique, handcrafted activities run by hosts across 1,000+ cities around the world. Airbnb’s people-to-people platform benefits all its stakeholders, including hosts, guests, employees and the communities in which it operates.
In order to build the world’s most loved travel company, we need the world’s most interesting and talented people. Are you one of them? If so, we want to talk to you!
Palantir Technologies (no header)
At Palantir, we’re passionate about building software that solves problems. We partner with the most important institutions in the world to transform how they use data and technology. Our software has been used to stop terrorist attacks, respond to natural disasters, discover new medicines, gain an edge in global financial markets, and more. If these types of projects excite you, we’d love for you to join us.
DoorDash
About us:
DoorDash is a technology company that connects customers with local businesses. Customers order meals and other items from their favorite local merchants and Dashers deliver it directly to their doors
American Express (no header)
Since the beginning, American Express has been defined by its ability to innovate, evolve, disrupt and take risks. What has remained constant throughout this history of transformation is our dedication to our customers, to our employees, and to the values on which American Express was built: integrity, quality, respect, and community.
American Express is one of the most respected (employer) brands around the world. Our open, creative, and collaborative culture is a big part of why we regularly win best workplace awards across the globe. So if you’re ready to take on a challenge and make an impact, you owe it to yourself to launch or grow your career at American Express.
WorkWave
JOIN OUR WINNING TEAM!
7 Time winner of Best Place to Work in New Jersey by NJBiz !
WorkWave has been recognized with multiple awards for its outstanding products, growth and culture, including the Inc. 5000, SaaS Award, IT World Awards, Globe Awards, Silver Stevie Award for Employer of the Year, and Best Place to Work Inc. Magazine
Why I wrote this?
My team here at Ongig is on a mission to transform your job descriptions. The About Us section is a key element. Request a demo of Ongig’s job description software if you’d like to learn more about optimizing your About Us content.
