3 mistakes you’re making on your about page that’s preventing you from getting the best talent

So you want the best talent?

You better make sure your About Us page is up to par.

The About page is one of the most important, frequently visited, and commonly overlooked pages on a website. Because it’s where many candidates “meet” you for the first time, it must be carefully executed.

Could your About page be turning off potential hires? Find out with these 3 tips:

1. The writing is hyper-jargony

Candidates coming to check you out want to feel a connection. They want to relate to you. So talk to them on your About page the way you would talk to them in real life.

If your writing is riddled with corporate-speak, you could be turning off talented people looking for an authentic and friendly environment.

“Trying to sound too professional on your “About Us” page results in stiff, “safe” copy and design — the perfect way to make sure your company blends in with the masses.” – Hubspot

The Adventurists and Eight Hour Day get the writing right.

2. You’re talking all about yourself – but not in a good way

Singing your own praises is the most common mistake companies make on this page.

To attract the best talent, focus on how you serve; how you solve a challenge; how you make the world a better place. Quality people want to join companies that are truly innovative and making a difference.

Make it clear why they would be proud to put your name on their CV.

“Your About Page is actually about the person who clicks the link to see it. Talk to that person about why they should bother reading your site.” -Copyblogger

Apptopia gets the balance right.

3. The page is a visual bore

Candidates care how your About page looks. The look and feel reflects on your company personality, and says something about how creative and innovative you are.

Show candidates that you’re unique by incorporating elements such as audio and video, for example. Visual content is on the rise, and the most talented people are not going to be excited by companies who haven’t caught on.

“People like visual content for a number of reasons…Think about the ways you can use more visual formats to stand out from the typical “About Us” page style of paragraph text.” – Hubspot

Cultivated Wit does this well.

 

Above all, your goal should be to make it easy for candidates to feel connected and excited about you. If you can avoid these 3 pitfalls, you’re already ahead of the game!