3 Things HR need to know about Google for Jobs

Google for Jobs could be the biggest shake up in the way candidates apply for jobs since Indeed first
started scraping job boards back in 2004. Currently only available in the US, Google for Jobs is likely
to roll out to the UK market in the coming months. So what is it, how does it work, and how can you
make sure your jobs appear on what will surely be the new starting point for any candidate
searching for a job? Here’s our introduction to Google for Jobs:

1. What is Google for Jobs? 

Most candidates begin their job searches with a search engine, which will then direct them towards
a job board landing page. And because search engines already know your location (in most cases),
you have the beginnings of a fairly personalised job search. For example if a candidate searches for
“HR Jobs”, most of the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page) will be something like
www.jobboard.com/hrjobs-in-your-location. Once on the job board, candidates can then filter their
job search further by location, seniority, qualifications etc, until they have a shortlist of jobs.
Candidates can then click into each job to view the job description and potentially apply. 

Google for Jobs aims to change that process by making it easier than ever before for candidates to
find jobs. On the face of it, Google for Jobs is exactly that: a Google search exclusively for jobs.
Google for Jobs will allow candidates to search, filter and view job descriptions, all within the search
engine itself. So when candidates click through to a job board (or your careers site…more on that
below), they have already conducted their preliminary searches and are ready to apply. All of this is
designed to drastically improve candidate experience and reduce data duplication and candidate
dropout rates. Sounds like a no-brainer doesn’t it? But let me tell you- there’s some really smart
stuff going on behind the scenes. 

2. How does it work? 

Google for Jobs is an extension of the Google Jobs Cloud API, which was announced in November
2016. The Google Jobs Cloud API uses Google’s world renowned matching technology to serve
candidates the most relevant job results possible. The API has been developed in collaboration with
global leaders in the digital recruitment space such as Career Builder, Glassdoor, Monster and
Facebook. 

The API includes some unbelievably smart features including:

• Semantic Job Title search 

Google utilises the power of machine learning to understand what your company specific job
titles mean and serve candidates the most relevant results. For example, if someone
searches for an HR Director role, Google will serve them results for all possible iterations of
that job title such as SVP, HR Lead, HR Business Partner etc. 

• Commute Search 

Goodbye radial job search- hello the future. Google have used the power of Google Maps
data to serve results to candidates based on actual commute times from their home
address. Not only does provide a vastly more accurate idea of ‘distance to work’ it also
opens opportunities to candidates- that might have been excluded by a rudimentary radial
search.

3. What do HR and Recruitment need to do? 

Sounds good doesn’t it? So here’s what HR and Recruitment need to do to be ‘Google for Jobs
Ready’. 

First- you need to ensure that you have the right back office tools in place. If you are not using an
Applicant Tracking System (ATS) or recognised recruitment software, then you may struggle to gain
notoriety on Google for Jobs. Google may struggle to find and index the jobs on your website. 

Next- Ensure your job titles and descriptions are accurate. We mentioned above that Google will use
machine learning to understand internal job titles and serve the best possible results to job seekerbut
consistent and relevant job information is a powerful candidate attraction tool. Go over your job
descriptions with a fine-toothed comb and ensure they are as accessible and enticing as possible. 

Finally- Clean up your candidate experience. Google for Jobs is a major initiative to improve
candidate experience and reduce drop-off rate. Google are doing their part- but they can only do so
much. Once the candidate lands on your site, you need to ensure their experience is as slick as it
possibly can be. Apply with social profiles and CV parsing are great features to help speed up
applications and reduce drop off rate. 

In summary- with Google for Jobs arriving in the UK at some point in the near future, now is the time
to start preparing. Ensuring your jobs are as visible as possible will stand you in the best possible
position to attract top candidates once this gargantuan paradigm shift in recruiting lands in the UK.