Are you a government contracting company looking to attract top talent and capture more applications from qualified job seekers? Then you are in the right place.
Hiring Top Talent is Critical for Govcons
Hiring the right people is crucial to meeting government requirements on services contracts, differentiating your proposal responses, and closing new business opportunities. Your ability to locate, onboard, and retain those rock-star performers is also important for:
- Achieving positive contractor performance assessments in CPARS
- Satisfying contractual obligations
- Avoiding penalties for missed Service Level Agreements (SLAs)
Each of these has the potential to impact your renewal rates and ability to compete for future government business.
The Role of a Government Contractor Website In Recruitment
One key to success in hiring the right people lies in maximizing the potential of your website. An informative, well-designed website, implemented as part of a cohesive digital marketing program, can help you stand out from the competition and make it easier for potential employees to learn about your company and the employment opportunities it offers.
Keep reading to find out how to use your website to get the attention of potential employees for existing or potential government contracts.
Government Contractor Brand Identity
No matter where job-seekers hear about your company — from friends, job boards, social media posts, events, or anywhere else — most will end up on your website’s “jobs” or “careers” section at some point.
This section should be more than just a list of open positions; it must tell your unique story, sell your company as an “employer of choice,” and convert visitors from casual browsers to active applicants.
Your potential employees want to learn more about your company and your open positions, so your website needs to provide enough information so they can make informed decisions while enticing visitors to apply on the spot.
Differentiate Your Company from the Competition
Your employment pages must distinguish your company from other government contractors that will compete with you for qualified employees. This differentiation is increasingly necessary if you hope to attract individuals with particular certifications, security clearances, government program experience, or other unique qualifications that often are called out in government requirements. As requests for information (RFIs), requests for proposals (RFPs), or Sources Sought Notices are released, these people can quickly find themselves in demand. You may find yourself competing for their services with other companies that are pursuing the same contracts.
Government Contractor Strategic Branding—Articulate Your Corporate Mission and Values
People working for or with the government are often mission-driven public servants who are motivated by patriotism or serving the common good. For some roles, you may need to attract former government employees, past contract staffers, or military veterans. To get their attention, showcase your company’s values, culture, and vision for the future and highlight how these align with your customers’ public service missions. By doing so, you can attract like-minded applicants who are not only qualified for your open positions but who also share your company’s goals and the desired outcomes of the agencies you support.
Remember that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are increasingly important to feature for prospective employees, particularly if you hope to attract younger workers. According to a recent Bentley University – Gallup Force for Good Survey, “84 percent of Americans ages 18 to 29 believe it’s important for businesses to promote DEI, compared with just 71 percent of workers ages 50 to 59.” The importance of this topic to the federal government is apparent in everything from long-standing Small Business Administration (SBA) programs and the 2021 Executive Order on DEI to funding requirements in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
You can bring these values to life through a well-executed govcon content marketing strategy incorporating videos or images that showcase your company culture. Utilize employee testimonials or interviews to personalize these stories. The more you can show applicants that your company values its employees and public service missions, the more interest you can generate in your open positions.
Want more best practices for recruiting top talent?
Download our free checklist: Top Talent Acquisition For Government Contractors
Get Your Open Positions Found with Search Engine Optimization
It’s no secret that search engines like Google play a crucial role in the recruitment process.
According to research compiled by career website Zippia, 80 percent of all job searches were conducted online in 2022. The Society for HR Management (SHRM) estimates that “75 percent of candidates start their job search on Google, but many companies do not have websites prepared to respond.”
Unfortunately, many government contractors fail to optimize their websites for organic search engine rankings, resulting in missed opportunities to attract top talent. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a complex topic that requires expertise in both art (in the form of website content and design) and science (involving everything from page structure to proper coding). Failing to understand and invest in SEO usually leads to poor search engine ranking results. This, in turn, limits your reach to potential new hires.
For instance, it’s common for companies to host job descriptions in third-party Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) without realizing these listings will not be crawled and indexed by search engines. As a result, the job listings won’t be found and displayed in free, organic traffic results for relevant keywords and phrases when candidates search for positions. Ignoring these technical details will result in lost touchpoints with potential employees when they are just starting to search for openings.
Make a Strong First Impression
People who work in government contracting are also consumers. They expect digital user experiences that are slick, efficient, and convenient. Top candidates want to work for top companies. A strong, intuitive website design can make all the difference in how they perceive your brand and your business from their first interactions with you.
As a government contractor, you must make a great first impression on potential job candidates. The design of your website is a major factor in creating a positive user experience, and that experience must be consistently good across multiple devices.
Your website must be fast, responsive, and mobile-friendly, making it easy for job seekers to access information on any device without delay. It’s also important to ensure your website is visually appealing. It should have a clear navigation structure with a polished look and feel that reinforces your corporate branding.
Don’t Neglect Your Most Powerful Recruiting Tool
Creating an effective website that attracts top talent requires a combination of strategic thinking, branding, and technical optimization. By implementing the strategies outlined in this post, government contractors can convert their websites into recruiting engines that help them successfully compete for the best candidates and stand out in a crowded marketplace.
By focusing on differentiation, values messaging, search engine optimization, and design elements that make a strong first impression, you can optimize your website to generate more job applications from your desired candidates. Take the time to evaluate your current website, identify areas for improvement, and implement the changes necessary to make your site more effective at attracting top talent. With these steps in mind, you will be well on your way to successful talent acquisition for your government contracting organization.
Not sure where to begin? Ocean 5 Strategies specializes in website design and development for government contractors. Contact us for a free website assessment.
For more information on govcon marketing strategies or web design and development, talk with one of the experts at Ocean 5 Strategies.
Related Blogs:
- Attracting Top Talent: 7 Branding Best Practices for Government Contractor Websites
- Recruiting Top Talent by Promoting Your Government Contractor Brand Identity
- Govcon Marketing Tips to Improve Your Website’s Job Application Process
- Recruit Top Talent by Unleashing Your Employees: 6 Tips for Government Contractors
- 6 Tips to Attract & Engage Top Talent for Government Contractors
