Introduction

A company’s career portal is the interface that connects job seekers to each company’s respective employment opportunity. Job seekers have encountered a shift in their job search process and instead of only scouring newspaper listings, job seekers find themselves being driven online to search and apply for employment opportunities. Also, there is a greater emphasis being placed on the perception of these potential employers and their culture. The reality today is that career portals function as the first impression a company might make on a job seeker, and as a result, it is important that these portals express the right message, incorporate the desired features and content, and convey to the job seeker that this could be a great place of employment.

So what determines a “good” company career portal? Is it enough to be a profitable or popular company? Is it enough to have a reputable company culture? The answer is an increasingly resounding no. In order to become a successful company, it needs the best employees. Additionally, to be known as an exciting company culture, it is clear that the people employed drive that atmosphere. So which comes first, the chicken or the egg? The success and company culture, or the recruitment strategy?

In large part, it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Construct the environment that you want to nurture. A great place to start is the company career portal. Make your available positions prominent in the job market; define and design the job opportunities that will benefit your company’s success and culture; highlight the strengths of your innovations and the individuals behind them; make the job application process as uncomplicated as possible; aid the job seeker in their search and introduce them to your culture in that process.

Top Rated Career Websites Whitepaper

Selected from the Top 25 Fortune 500 Companies

25

LinkUp’s

Fortune 500 Companies as Examples

We looked at the Top 25 Fortune 500 companies to determine what they are doing, and what they are not doing, in order to recruit the top prospective employees. As the Top 25, they are doing something right. But, does that include their company career portal?

These companies were given a score out of 25 based on five broad criteria.

This category encompasses how visible the respective available positions are to job seekers. The best career portals will be accessible and available to individuals in a number of ways. The best pages include a link to “careers” on their homepage (situated at the top of the page), feature a separate site specifically for their career portal, promote an option to sign up for job alerts or network updates, allow individuals to share jobs found on the page across social media and via email, and incorporate each respective job title into the URL of the specific page. Each of these qualities aid the ability of job seekers to find and access the listed job opportunities.

VISIBILITY How apparent and available each company’s job opportunities are to job seekers

This category refers to the actual portrayal and listing of the specific opportunities available. The best career portals will feature a complete and clear job description written in bullet points, not paragraph form, and focus on the job description, rather than the specifics of the company. These preferred characteristics are important as they give job seekers information on each specific position they look at and allow them to determine which opportunities could be a good fit before applying.

JOB TITLE/DESCRIPTION How clear and straightforward the provided job details are

Companies were rated on:

This category concerns every aspect of the career portal that sets a company apart. The best sites will include details and insights into company culture, employee profiles, links to the company’s social media platforms, awards and recognitions, as well as photos and videos in order to shape the perception of the company experience. These attributes are crucial in order for job seekers to determine if they would fit with a certain company.

COMPANY PROFILEWhat job seekers see when trying to evaluate the company as a working environment

This category refers to how a job seeker encounters the career portal and means of application. The best career portals will allow job seekers to find jobs within two or three clicks; feature an Applicant Tracking System (ATS); incorporate a search function on the main career page; have a search function that allows the job seeker to search based on location, position, and other relevant details; and allow job seekers to upload a resume or application without a complete registration. Each of these aspects allows job seekers to evaluate potential opportunities with ease and are important in order to facilitate the job application process.

USER EXPERIENCE How easily the job seeker encounters the career portal

This category involves the different aspects of a career portal that aid the job seeker in their search. The best career portals will incorporate warnings and details on the possibility of job scams, advise job seekers on resume and interview tips, lay out the hiring process, include an FAQ section, and feature divided sections for different job seekers, such as veterans or students. These properties aid job seekers in their search and demonstrate a company’s willingness to reciprocate the effort that job seekers put into the search.

HELPFULNESS How accommodating each company career portal is to job seeker

Ranked Fortune 500 Career Portals

These criteria were developed through research across a broad spectrum of company websites. Now let’s use them in a real world context and see how the top 25 Fortune 500 career portals score.

1VISIBILITY: 5

JOB TITLE: 5

COMPANY PROFILE: 5

USER EXPERIENCE: 4.5

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 24.5

Notable Features: The career portal includes a link to its career blog, a search feature on its career homepage, and the option to meet and interact with the UHG recruiters. The only feature the career portal does not include is an option to submit resumes or profiles without registration.

UnitedHealth GroupForbes #14

careers.unitedhealthgroup.com

VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 5

COMPANY PROFILE: 5

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 22

Notable Features: This company’s career portal features clear, bulleted job descriptions, an extensive and comprehensive company profile, and includes helpful tips and features for job seekers.

Cardinal HealthForbes #22

2

cardinal.com/us/en/Careers

Notable Features: GE maintains a large number of social media platforms, has an extensive employee profile section, and features a job search function on its main career page, but the job descriptions are too lengthy and the job title does not appear in the URL of the job page.

General ElectricForbes #9

3VISIBILITY: 4

JOB TITLE: 3

COMPANY PROFILE: 5

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 21

ge.com/careers

Notable Features: Great different social media platforms, differentiated by country, a “Work and Family” section, and a clear, well laid out 4-step hiring process. However, the user experience is diminished by the number of clicks necessary to reach the available job opportunities.

General MotorsForbes #7

4VISIBILITY: 4.5

JOB TITLE: 4

COMPANY PROFILE: 4.5

USER EXPERIENCE: 2

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 20

careers.gm.com

AT&T VISIBILITY: 4

JOB TITLE: 1

COMPANY PROFILE: 5

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 19

Notable Features: The site features a search function on the career homepage, quotes and profiles from both former and current employees, but the job descriptions are too dense.

Forbes #115

att.jobs/careers

VISIBILITY: 4

Notable Features: Wal-Mart’s career portal includes a comprehensive social media feed tab on the main page and clear and concise job descriptions, yet fails to include helpful tips and links for job seekers.

Wal-Mart StoresForbes #1

6JOB TITLE: 5

COMPANY PROFILE: 4

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 2

TOTAL SCORE: 19jobs.walmart.com

Notable Features: The career portal features attention-grabbing images and links to different stories that highlight innovation within the company, as well as job descriptions that feature a map of the location of each respective opportunity, yet there could be more helpful tips for job seekers included.

Verizon CommunicationsForbes #16

7VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 5

COMPANY PROFILE: 4.5

USER EXPERIENCE: 3

HELPFULNESS: 3

TOTAL SCORE: 18.5

verizon.com/jobs

VISIBILITY: 4

JOB TITLE: 4

COMPANY PROFILE: 2

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 4

TOTAL SCORE: 18

Notable Features: The portal does a good job of displaying its social media platforms, allows job seekers to search opportunities from the career homepage, and includessections helpful to the job search process, but the company profile does not include videos or many meaningful photographs.

Bank of AmericaForbes #21

8

careers.bankofamerica.com

Notable Features: The Chevron career portal includes a great detailed list of US company characteristics (who they hire, etc), but features a poorly designed job search process and it takes job seekers too many clicks to find open positions.

ChevronForbes #3

9VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 4

COMPANY PROFILE: 4

USER EXPERIENCE: 3

HELPFULNESS: 4

TOTAL SCORE: 18careers.chevron.com

Notable Features: The career portal includes a helpful “Find Your Fit” section to give better insight into different career opportunities, yet has poor visibility and the company profile does not include any video references.

Hewlett-PackardForbes #17

10VISIBILITY: 1

JOB TITLE: 4

COMPANY PROFILE: 4

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 18www8.hp.com/us/en/jobs

VISIBILITY: 4

JOB TITLE: 1

COMPANY PROFILE: 5

USER EXPERIENCE: 5

HELPFULNESS: 3

TOTAL SCORE: 18

Notable Features: The career portal does a great job of creating an “IBMer” identity for its employees. It features an engaging news section, social media platforms separated by country and allows applicants to submit their contact information, rather than requiring registration. However, it has dense and unclear job descriptions.

IBMForbes #23

11

ibm.com/employment

VISIBILITY: 3Express Scripts Holding

Notable Features: This career portal includes extensive profiling of different aspects of the company, a unique box linked to their LinkedIn page, and a live Twitter feed incorporated in the page, but the career link is not featured on the company home page.

Forbes #2012

JOB TITLE: 1

COMPANY PROFILE: 4

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 17careers.express-scripts.com

Notable Features: The career page features clear and concise job descriptions and a list of grand openings to aid job seekers in the search of new opportunities, but the portal has poor visibility. Overall, the site uses too much text and description, rather than attention-grabbing or compelling photographs and video.

Costco WholesaleForbes #19

13VISIBILITY: 2

JOB TITLE: 5

COMPANY PROFILE: 3

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 3

TOTAL SCORE: 17

costco.com/jobs.html

VISIBILITY: 1

JOB TITLE: 4

COMPANY PROFILE: 3

USER EXPERIENCE: 3

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 16

Notable Features: The site features a very helpful description of how to use the ATS, but there is no career link on the company homepage, there is no option to share available job opportunities via social media, and company and employee profiles are too text heavy.

Fannie MaeForbes #13

14

fanniemae.com/portal/about-us/careers

J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.

Notable Features: The company includes a drop down career menu on its homepage, yet there is no consistency across the three divisions of the company and the sites are not very user friendly or helpful.

Forbes #1815

VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 5

COMPANY PROFILE: 2

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 2

TOTAL SCORE: 16careers.jpmorganchase.com/career/careerhome

Notable Features: The site features a useful “career” drop down menu on the company homepage and only requires two clicks to search for jobs, yet does not include employee profiles and the job descriptions include too much information on the company and are poorly formatted.

McKessonForbes #15

16VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 1

COMPANY PROFILE: 3

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 16

mckesson.com/careers

Notable Features: The portal includes good, differentiated company videos and labeled career opportunities, but poor visibility in terms of the job link and the lack of ability to share opportunities.

apple.com/jobs/us

VISIBILITY: 1

JOB TITLE: 3

COMPANY PROFILE: 3

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 4

TOTAL SCORE: 15

AppleForbes #5

17

KrogerForbes #24

18VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 3

COMPANY PROFILE: 2

USER EXPERIENCE: 5

HELPFULNESS: 2

TOTAL SCORE: 15

Notable Features: This career portal offers applicants the option to post a resume without registration, but has a poor company profile and does not include many helpful sections for job seekers.

kroger.com/topic/careers

Notable Features: Phillips 66 includes good promotion of its social media platforms and mobile app, as well as a great career development section, but there is an obvious lack of company photographs or videos.

Phillips 66Forbes #6

19VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 3

COMPANY PROFILE: 1

USER EXPERIENCE: 3

HELPFULNESS: 5

TOTAL SCORE: 15www.phillips66.com/EN/careers

VISIBILITY: 3

TOTAL SCORE: 13

JOB TITLE: 1

COMPANY PROFILE: 3

USER EXPERIENCE: 4

HELPFULNESS: 2

Notable Features: The site enables job seekers to find the open positions in a few clicks, but the job descriptions feature too much dense text and not very many helpful tips for the applicants.

CVS Caremark Forbes #12

20

info.cvscaremark.com/careers

Marathon Petroleum

Notable Features: The site allows job seekers to easily search for positions based on job experience, field, and location. There is also a fraud alert section to warn searchers about job scams, but there is a lack of job tips and the user must register to submit an application.

Forbes #2521

VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 3

COMPANY PROFILE: 2

USER EXPERIENCE: 3

HELPFULNESS: 2

TOTAL SCORE: 13

marathonpetroleum.com/Careers

Notable Features: Valero’s company page lacks a social media presence, contains too much text for the company profile, few meaningful photographs, and not much content that is helpful to the job seeker.

Valero EnergyForbes #10

22VISIBILITY: 2

JOB TITLE: 4

COMPANY PROFILE: 2

USER EXPERIENCE: 3

HELPFULNESS: 2

TOTAL SCORE: 13valero.com/careers

TOTAL SCORE: 12

VISIBILITY: 2

JOB TITLE: 2

COMPANY PROFILE: 4

USER EXPERIENCE: 1

HELPFULNESS: 3

Notable Features: The Ford Motor page features good news and FAQ sections, yet does not have a career section on the Ford Motor homepage, requires too many clicks to search the available job opportunities, and has unclear job descriptions.

Ford MotorForbes #8

23

corporate.ford.com/careers

Exxon Mobil

Notable Features: Exxon features a great company profile, including its social media platforms and an interactive “About Us” section but it has poorly organized job descriptions and no helpful sections to aid job seekers in their search.

Forbes #224

VISIBILITY: 3

JOB TITLE: 1

COMPANY PROFILE: 5

USER EXPERIENCE: 1

HELPFULNESS: 1

TOTAL SCORE: 11corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/company/careers

Berkshire Hathaway

Score: (0) – No career/employment section on the corporate page. As a result, Berkshire Hathaway is not officially included in the ordered list. As a test of consistency and brand management, we evaluated three random career pages of Berkshire Hathaway holdings. On average, it earned a score of 13.

Notable Features: Overall, the sites were inconsistent, each with very different features and inclusions.

Forbes #425

VISIBILITY: 2

JOB TITLE: 3

COMPANY PROFILE: 3

USER EXPERIENCE: 2

HELPFULNESS: 3

TOTAL SCORE: 0

Conclusion

Overall, the results of the research were surprising. The average score of the Top 25 Fortune 500 companies was about a 17/25. The scores ranged from an 11/25 to 24.5/25. The low average and broad range were interesting, as they signal the shortcomings and discrepancies between the Top 25 companies.

On the other hand, certain career portals had unique and compelling features which made them stand out. Distinct features, such as the option to meet the recruiters, make those career portals memorable and inviting.

Each page had its strong points, as well as areas in need of improvement. But in today’s day and age of technology, the career portal is the essential tool for hiring and job search. To create an exceptional career portal, it is not enough to treat this list as a checklist. It is about the extra features, sections and differentiating characteristics. Make your career portal an extension and accurate representation of your company culture - not only through employee profiles, but also through illustrative job descriptions, page layout, and social media presence. In the end, a company’s career portal, especially in the competitive and evolving world of the Fortune 500 companies, can make all the difference.

About LinkUpLinkUp is the fastest-growing job search engine on the web. Our mission is to provide job seekers with the purest, most efficient, most relevant and rewarding job search experience imaginable. Online, or on the go. Unlike job search boards and aggregators, we drive real job seekers directly to real jobs on real employers’ websites. No hoaxes, scams or hurdles. That’s why we say it’s time to search with your eyes wide open. For a sea of hungry (but frustrated) job seekers, LinkUp is a direct route to incredible employment opportunities that match your particular skill set. Find us online www.linkup.com.