What Is a Careers Page and Does Your Company Need One?
What Is a Careers Page?
A careers page is a public webpage where candidates can view your open roles and submit applications. It typically includes a list of current openings, brief information about the company and culture, and an application form for each role. Some careers pages also include information about benefits, team photos, and links to the company's social profiles.
Does Every Company Need a Careers Page?
Yes, if you're hiring more than occasionally. Without a careers page, every job posting links to a third-party job board. When candidates click through, they don't see your brand — they see Indeed or LinkedIn. A careers page gives candidates a direct, branded experience that reflects what it's like to work at your company.
A careers page also gives you a stable URL to share on your website, in email signatures, and on LinkedIn. It becomes the canonical destination for anyone interested in working with you.
What Should a Careers Page Include?
A strong careers page has four things:
- A brief company description. Two to three sentences about what you do, who you serve, and why it matters. Don't lead with your founding year or your office perks.
- A list of open roles. Organized clearly with title, location, and employment type visible at a glance. Candidates should be able to scan the list and find relevant roles in seconds.
- An easy application form. Name, email, resume or LinkedIn URL, and an optional cover note. Don't require candidates to create an account or fill out twenty fields. Every additional field reduces application completion rates.
- A consistent URL. Your careers page should live at a stable URL — ideally on your own domain (careers.yourcompany.com) or a branded subdomain (yourcompany.essentialats.com). Link to it from your main navigation.
How Do You Get Traffic to a Careers Page?
Traffic to a careers page comes from several sources:
- Job board listings that link back to your page. When you post to Indeed or Glassdoor, include your careers page URL rather than a generic application link.
- Your company website. Add a "We're hiring" link or a "Careers" item in your navigation whenever you have open roles.
- Social media. Post about open roles on LinkedIn and link directly to the careers page.
- Employee referrals. Share the careers page URL with your team and ask them to circulate it.
Search is also a meaningful source. If your careers page is indexed and includes relevant keywords (role titles, location, company name), candidates searching for those terms may find it directly.
Should Your Careers Page Be Indexed by Google?
Yes, in most cases. An indexed careers page means your job listings appear in Google search results, which drives free organic traffic. The only reason to keep it private is if you're in a confidential hiring situation — for example, if you're replacing someone who hasn't yet been told.
Essential ATS makes careers pages indexable by default and generates an XML sitemap to help Google discover your listings.
How Does a Careers Page Differ From a Job Board Listing?
A job board listing (on Indeed, LinkedIn, or Glassdoor) puts your role in front of active job seekers but gives you limited control over the presentation. The application goes to the job board's system, not yours.
A careers page puts the candidate in your environment. You control the design, the application form, and the data. Candidates who apply through your careers page tend to be more deliberately interested in your company specifically, rather than just responding to a job board.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to create a careers page? With a tool like Essential ATS, a careers page is included on the free plan. You can have a live, branded careers page set up in under 30 minutes at no cost.
Can I host my careers page on my own domain? Yes. Essential ATS supports custom domains on paid plans, so your careers page can live at careers.yourcompany.com rather than on a shared subdomain.
Do candidates prefer applying through a careers page or a job board? Candidates generally don't have a strong preference as long as the application is easy. What matters most is that the form is short, mobile-friendly, and doesn't require creating an account.
How often should you update your careers page? Update it every time a role opens or closes. An outdated careers page with closed roles listed as open damages candidate trust and wastes everyone's time.