Energy company RWE npower has made £1m of savings from web applications since launching its new careers site last autumn, largely through a reduction in agency spend. 

The website, which it developed with specialist recruitment website design and digital marketing company 4MAT, has experienced a 120% increase in visitors since launch and a 400% increase in mobile visitors. Sixteen per cent of visitors are accessing the site on a mobile device, up from just under 8% previously.

The site was never intended to replace agencies but rather help npower use agencies where they can add value. Adam Templeman, npower resourcing manager, said the site has proved an extremely effective direct hiring tool but believes the benefits run much deeper. “Candidate engagement is up and their experience is much richer through the attraction and application stage,” he said. 

A microsite for hiring managers is being developed and npower is currently working with The Chemistry Group to build a hiring manager’s toolkit.

The website has become the hub for a range of recruitment activity including a recent graduate competition, which allows entrants to access video on a mobile site via a QR code. In terms of attracting and engaging candidates, 4MAT will be working on expanding the use of social media with the implementation of a new Facebook interface. 

In common with Krispy Kreme and Hire Strategies, one of npower and 4MAT’s original aims was to address the uncomfortable gap that sometimes exists between a well-designed corporate careers site and an ATS.

David Johnston, corporate web consultant at 4MAT, believes employers are finally realising the importance of this as well as maximising the benefits of a corporate site to tell candidates what it’s like to really work at an organisation: “It’s not just about having jobs on the site any more, it’s also about telling a story.”