Cheezhead Recruiting News and Opinion

So you’ve just spent a bunch of money on the latest applicant tracking software (ATS), or your IT guy has finally posted your jobs on the company Web site.

So, now your internet recruiting strategy is done, and you’re ready for  search engines to spider your job openings so they can be found by job seekers, right? Not so fast.

If your job descriptions are dynamically-generated, there’s a good chance your jobs aren’t on Google, Yahoo!, MSN or any search engine.

Here’s how to check:

1. Go to a job description on your site.
2. Copy the URL in your browser’s address window (ex: http://careers.yourcompany.com/servlet/av/search)
3. Go to Google.
4. Paste the address in the search box.
5. Click search.

One of two things will happen. 1) The page has been indexed and you’ll see the word "cache" on the results page. Or 2) The page hasn’t been indexed, and as a result you won’t see the word "cache" when you search the URL.

• Good job

• Bad job

The good job is a listing on Progressive Insurance’s corporate Web site. The bad job is a posting on State Farm Insurance’s corporate site (which takes you to HotJobs, by the way (BOO!)).

Hmm, Progressive is the fastest growing company in the insurance industry. State Farm is struggling – big time.

Coincidence? Maybe, but I’d make sure search engines can find your jobs anyway.

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