(By Laurie Kahn) It better be! Remember when people worried about how neat their lobby was for people coming in to do business? How first impressions were so important? Your website is even more important, as people come uninvited, globally, and 24/7.
It can be a first impression for many listeners, potential advertisers, and employees. It is the place where visitors come to learn about the company, what makes them unique, details about their products, their mission, what it is like to work there, what results advertisers have gotten, events and so on. They are also looking for contact information, how to advertise, and how to apply for jobs.
Trust me, people are going to do their homework before they pick up the phone or email for more information. And if that information doesn’t get them what they need “on demand,” it may result in a lost opportunity. And in the competitive environment in which we all now work, we don’t want to turn them away.
Your website should be welcoming. It should be an “invitation to learn more” as it is a huge reflection on the company. It should tell a story about what you do, how you do it, why you do it, and why they should want to do it with you! It can let a visitor gauge how creative the company is and how important branding is, thus indicating they have more ability to offer cutting-edge tools, etc. It also reflects how much pride the company takes in their image.
As to recruiting and attracting talent, the website is a crucial tool and needs to be treated as one.
Here are some tips to help make your website more effective for attracting quality candidates:
- Include an easy place to find contacts and include local station address, phone and email — if they need to go to several locations and really dig to get basic facts, you may lose them.
- Assign a primary email address for someone who can get back to them with the requested information in a timely manner– you snooze, you lose.
- Have a “search” tool if possible so people can find key information quickly.
- Make a “Careers” link easy to find — don’t bury it!
- Include pictures or illustrations of what your stations’ cultures are all about…
— Do you have a fabulous office? If so, share pics of it and refer to it.
— Share community events that you have been involved in that show you can bring people together, that your team has fun, that you care about giving back.
— If you have awards for outstanding performance, include these accolades as recognition is huge for employees.
— Include audio or video where happy staff share why they joined your company and why they stay.
— Have a key player talk about why they built the company and what is important and unique about working for them.
— Share some of the benefits you can offer: training, support, tools, insurance, retirement, ability to have flexibility, emphasis on health and workouts, etc.
- If you include a job profile or description, give enough details to attract the right people so they have an idea of your expectations…
— Lose the “100% Commission” from your profile, it scares people away.
— Be realistic about what experience or skills are required, cast a wide net.
- Instead of having a full-blown application online, have a simple way for them to reach out — name, contact, position applying for, and availability — and invite them to have a discussion to learn more. It will get you more people.
Most importantly, it’s radio! It’s entertainment! Get some music and video on your sites!
Laurie Kahn is the creator and founder of Media Staffing Network. She has worked with media companies since 1993 helping them hire top managers and sellers.
