Monday, I spent the day looking through career pages to find the best ones on the web. And while I saw many fantastic pages – including Bonobos, Spotify and Kickstarter – my runaway favorite was ESPN’s.
The site did a great job of the basics: it is easy to find open jobs, it entices you to want to work there and it succinctly highlights the type of people ESPN is looking for. However, it is also incredibly interactive, has great content to entice entry-level workers and shows that the company has a crystal-clear understanding of what they are looking for at each job.
The Career Control Room
My favorite part of the career site was the “Career Control Room”. Here, there is a list of characteristics (pictured below). Candidates check off the four that most relate to them, i.e. practical, stable, creative and cooperative, and then ESPN shows the job that fits them best.
I loved this for a few reasons. First off, it shows that ESPN really understands what type of person it is looking for at each position within the company (for example, if you are practical, stable, creative and logical, you’d be a good fit for the cross-platform media and content team).
That understanding is the cornerstone of good hiring. If a company can clearly define the job and the attributes it is looking for in an applicant, there is a very high chance it is going to hire a strong person.
The second thing I loved about the Career Control Room is it is a great experience for the candidate. All they have to do is select four personality traits that relate to them and they get the perfect jobs to apply for. It makes applying for a job at ESPN simple and fun.
Great For Entry-Level Employees
Don’t have any experience and want to work at ESPN? No problem. The career site has anentire section explaining the training programs for entry-level workers at all the main departments in the company.
For example, I checked out their Content Associate Program, which people would enter if they want to work in production at ESPN (pictured below). The site clearly defines the program, breaking down the percentage of time employees spend working in each area.
It also clearly defines the type of person ESPN is looking for the job. This is a great program to bring in eager, fresh talent to ESPN and the career site does an amazing job of explaining it.
Everything Else
The ESPN career site has everything else you’d expect from a career site for a company of its prominence, and everything is executed perfectly. For one, the site is attractive and easy to use.
Searching for jobs is relatively simple and applying for a job is okay (you have to build a profile and fill out forms, which is time consuming, but pretty typical at most large companies). There is also a Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter page for ESPN Careers.
The “Working Here” page is strong, highlighted with a video message from the president of the company, an emphasis on ESPN history and the “social responsibility” ESPN requires as part of the job. This is pretty standard stuff, but it is all presented beautifully on an easy-to-navigate site.
Overview
Overall, ESPN has one of the best career sites on the web. It is interactive, it is beautiful, it is user-friendly and there is content for all types of applicants.
In the past few years, many competitors have popped up to challenge ESPN, including FOX and NBC launching sports-only networks, along with the MLB Network, the NFL Network, the NBA Network and more. And yet, nobody has come close to overthrowing the “worldwide leader in sports.”
In 2013, the company brought in $11 billion in revenue, its highest total ever, according to Business Insider. That number is projected to increase in 2014, as subscription fees for cable customers continue to increase, according to BI.
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