How to get Shortlisted for the NORAs

If the standard two-word answer “Be Excellent” isn’t enough for you, then read on.  Now that the thirteenth annual National Online Recruitment Awards have launched, and nominations are invited, the question I am most asked is “What do we have to do to get shortlisted?”

Whilst it may be too obvious to say, if your recruitment website isn’t already brilliant, then it’s probably too late to change it now.  However, there are a few things that can be done before any of our judging panel visit your website, and assess it from a jobseeker’s point of view.

1. Basic housekeeping. Review your website thoroughly. Imagine you are a jobseeker, who is viewing your service for the first ever time. Clean up any remnants of code, graphics, text etc which are unnecessary.
2. Ensure concise instructions and/or explanations are made of any part of your process which isn’t crystal clear.
3. Meticulously walk through the process of searching for, and applying to a particular job. Address any and all illogical kinks that you find.
4. If you provide market news and career guides, make sure they are up to date and relevant.
5. For goodness sake, use social media properly, regularly, and consistently. It’s not our place to tell you how, but you already know how important this is in engaging with jobseekers.
6. Checkout the many and varied Finalists from previous years in our awards archives.  You’ll note that Finalists and Winners each year have been those who were making significant efforts to engage with, and delight, their target audiences.
7. Nominations for the NORAs are open to the general public. If you want your candidates to nominate you, then ask them to. Put a message in your newsletters, email alerts, blogs and social media channels.
8. Register for the NORA 1-Click_Nomination system. Firstly this ensures we have your contact information, and the correct award you’d like to be considered for. Secondly, this gives you a discreet means of encouraging your candidates to simply nominate your site, and give their reasons, without leaving your website.

If you need any further information, please check out the rest of this awards site for our rules, judges and awards definitions, as well our archives of previous Finalists. Please also feel free to contact us directly on mail@NORAuk.com or 0141 637 9000.

Stephen O’Donnell

Chairman