Employment websites serve as a gateway to the application and hiring process at your institution. Out-of-sector competitors intentionally design these sites to convey their work culture, values, and benefits. In contrast, colleges and universities often neglect their employment websites, despite their importance for attracting today’s top talent.
Prospective applicants are looking for more than just a list of job postings—they want to know what it would actually be like to work at your institution. And given the heightened competition for talent, especially with out-of-sector organizations, it is more critical than ever to proactively articulate why applicants should choose your institution over other employers.
Use this checklist to assess your institution’s current employment website. It will help you identify opportunities to increase the number of qualified applicants by improving your website’s functionality, promoting your value proposition, and highlighting inclusion.
Employment website checklist
Is our employment website easy for prospective applicants to access and navigate?
- Our employment website is optimized for search engines, meaning it comes up as the first option if applicants search “INSTITUTION NAME jobs” in Google.
- Our institution’s home page links to the same employment website as the first result when searched in Google (see above).
- Information on our employment website is conveyed in bullets or short, concise blocks of text.
- Our employment website is optimized for mobile use, meaning there are clickable emails/phone numbers, content is easily viewable without zooming, the font is large, and the site has minimal hover features.
- Our employment website strives to incorporate universal design principles, especially equitable use (e.g., high contrast, navigable by keyboard, supports assistive technology like screen readers).
- Our employment website displays the most critical information—such as the link for open jobs, benefits information, and DEIJ actions/progress—prominently above the fold (i.e., before scrolling).
- Our employment home page includes no more than 600 to 1,000 words.
- Our employment home page features at least three visual components (e.g., photos, videos, infographics).
- Prospective applicants can find the link to our full list of job openings without scrolling down and within one click of the employment homepage.
- Our employment website features a separate dedicated page for prospective faculty hires.
- Prospective applicants can access our employment website from the main navigation bar on the institution’s home page and within one click of the institution’s home page.
- Prospective applicants can filter job openings beyond basic categories to help them find relevant job postings quickly. Advanced filter categories include skill, education level, and experience level.
Is our employment website welcoming for applicants from diverse backgrounds?
- Our employment website actively encourages and invites diverse applicants to apply, beyond compliance-focused nondiscrimination statements.
- Our employment website includes a dedicated section or page describing our institution’s DEIJ efforts that are specifically relevant to employees.
- Our employment website provides info for applicants who need accommodation in a prominent location (i.e., in the main text, an FAQ section, or on a designated accommodation page), not just in the footer.
- Our employment website highlights campus resources for employee well-being (e.g., mental health tools, employee assistance program).
- Our employment website features staff demographic/retention data and/or programs to support diverse staff (e.g., employee affinity groups).
- Our employment website outlines faculty demographic/retention data and/or programs to support diverse faculty (e.g., a development program for underrepresented scholars).
- Our employment website provides resources and updates on the institution’s progress on DEIJ efforts (e.g., concrete actions that the university has taken, DEIJ strategic plans).
- Our employment website highlights our institution’s partnerships and impact on the local community.
Does our employment website showcase the value and benefits of working at our institution?
Does our employment website provide resources to help applicants successfully navigate the application and hiring process?
Appendix: Exemplar employment websites
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