After the Job Ad, They Google You

An electrician with twelve years of experience sits in his van during lunch break, scrolling through job ads. Three of them sound almost the same: varied tasks, fair pay, family-like team. None of that helps him decide. So he types the companies' names into Google.

What he sees on his phone then decides whether he gets in touch. Not the ad.

The ad only gets him to the door

Job ads are short, follow fixed templates and therefore all sound alike. That's down to the format, not to you. Their job is to make someone aware of your company. Something else has to convince him afterwards, and that's your website.

Someone who has a steady job doesn't apply out of curiosity. Changing means new colleagues, a new boss, another probation period. Before he takes that risk, he wants to know what he's getting into. If all he finds on your site is "Services", "About us" and a legal notice, he stays where he is. And you never find out he was there.

What he looks for on your site

What he would work on

A few photos of jobs from the last months, with two sentences on what was tricky about them. An experienced tradesperson sees right away whether that's his level. "Varied range of tasks" can't do that.

Who with

A team photo, first names, who is responsible for what, and above all: who his contact person would be, with a face. Ask your team beforehand whether they want to be on the site, and never put words in anyone's mouth.

What with

Tools, machinery, vehicles, workshop. Someone who has worked with old equipment for years looks closely. If you're well equipped, show it.

What exactly to expect

Precisely the points ads write around: How are working hours organised? Within what radius do you work, are there out-of-town assignments? Can people take further training or more responsibility? You don't have to commit to every detail. "Mostly within 30 kilometres, rarely overnight stays" is better than silence.

What happens after applying

Three sentences are enough, for example: We'll get back to you within two days, then we'll have a short call, and after that you come for a trial day. If people know what's coming, they're more likely to get in touch.

Where it often fails technically

This is the part many companies overlook, even though it decides applications.

He's on his phone

If the page loads slowly, the text is tiny or he has to zoom, he's gone before he's read anything.

The path to applying is too long

Cover letter, CV, certificates as PDFs: nobody sends that from their phone during lunch. A short form with name, phone number and trade, or a number with the line "Just call us", lowers the hurdle enormously. He can send the documents later.

The jobs can't be found

If open positions are only linked as PDFs or sit at the very bottom of the footer, neither he nor Google will find them. Every job belongs on its own page. With the right structured data, it can then also appear directly in Google's job search.

"Careers" is missing from the menu

Anyone who has to search for it usually doesn't.

Ad and website as a team

The ad doesn't have to explain everything. Keep it short and point to a fixed address like yourcompany.com/careers. The rest is there. The limited space in the ad becomes a reason to click further. And when your team or projects change, you update one page instead of rewriting every ad.

What belongs on your careers page and how to address different groups of candidates, we explain in our article on careers pages.

The five-minute test

Take your phone, open your current job ad and then your website. Imagine you're the electrician in the van.

• Do I know more after two minutes than after the ad?
• Can I see what I would work on and with whom?
• Can I get in touch from here in under five minutes?

Every no is an application you won't get.

Better less, but real

Everything on the site has to be true. If someone finds out after three weeks that the website promised more than daily work delivers, they're gone again after probation. Two real project photos are worth more than ten stock images, and if you name a salary, name what you actually pay.