Recruitment specialist Meridian Business Support has launched a new, intuitive website in a move to further integrate its new arm of the business following the company’s acquisition of Westaff. The new online portal, which will combine social media and other opportunities for conversation, will mirror the face-to-face processes that are found within its traditional branch network.
Meridian predicts growth within the recruitment industry and has invested in the new online proposition to compliment standard job board advertising and become more interactive and dynamic. It will also allow the company to offer comprehensive job searches directly from its own site, without the need for intermediaries. The website offers improved candidate conversions, better usability and increased functionality for consultants, clients and candidates.
Increased unemployment created by the recession has created job boards cluttered with candidates, making it hard for the right match to be made. Meridian’s new website will address this by keeping candidates up-to-date with the latest sector-specific news and information through tailored blogs, RSS feeds, job alerts via email and the ability to share information with friends and family. The site’s clear navigation also allows candidates to visit their specific sector pages.
For clients, branded campaigns can be created on the website, allowing added search engine optimisation, branding opportunities and in turn, increased candidate conversion rates. Candidates are sourced from a wider pool of resources, offering a better calibre of applicant. Clients also have the ability to communicate directly with Meridian through the portal.
“The whole project will allow Meridian, clients and candidates to broaden their horizons, and we have backed this up both online and offline with comprehensive staff training at all levels. We expect the portal to allow us to quadruple our annual profit from online sources and already, just four days after the site went live, we have seen significant growth in volume and exposure,” says Jo Lee, marketing manager, Meridian Business Support.
“We have made it so easy for our consultants to add jobs to the site, and with free advertising for our clients, there is really no excuse for this growth not to continue,” she adds.