Why your recruitment website copy isn’t landing (and how to fix it)

I spent last week reviewing a bunch of recruitment websites, and I could’ve copied and pasted half of them.

Same phrases. Same layouts. Same problems.

It’s not that the businesses were bad. In fact, many of them were clearly successful. But the websites? They weren’t pulling their weight.

They felt dated. Hard to navigate. And too often, they talked about themselves rather than the people they’re trying to reach.

Here are the 7 most common problems I saw... and how to fix them.

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1. You’re talking about yourself too much

When every second sentence starts with we, you’ve already lost the reader.

“We’re passionate about people.”
“We pride ourselves on our results.”
“We’re a boutique recruitment agency specialising in…”

Your ideal client or candidate doesn’t care how passionate you are until they understand what you can do for them. And when your homepage reads like a mission statement, they’re forced to do the mental gymnastics of working out what any of it means for them.

What to do instead:

Flip the lens. Focus on what your audience is trying to do, not what you’re trying to say.

Instead of: “We connect great people with great companies.”
Try: “Looking for your next role? Or the right person to fill it? We help both sides find the best fit.”

You don't have to remove every “we,” but simply shift the focus from internal chest-beating to audience relevance.

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2. Your site layout is working against you

A website is not a filing cabinet. But a lot of recruitment sites are structured like one. With endless dropdowns, duplicate pages, and no clear journey from one page to the next.

There’s no prioritisation. No guidance. Just tabs for every possible service, team member, blog post, job ad, and internal update.

Why that’s a problem:

People don’t browse your site the way you structured it. They’re scanning for relevance, clarity, and the next step. When there’s no obvious path, they bounce.

What to do instead:

Simplify the structure. Group related content. Think about who’s landing on each page, what they’re trying to do, and what action you want them to take next.

If you’re a recruiter working with both job seekers and hiring managers, give each audience a clear path. That might mean separate landing pages, a fork-in-the-road homepage, or a simplified nav bar with audience-led labels.

Rule of thumb: one audience, one action per page.

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3. Your design is making you look 10 years older

I know — I’m a copywriter, not a designer. But I’ve seen enough websites to know when the words don’t stand a chance.

If your design feels like a time capsule from 2014, it undermines everything else. Think:

• Glossy stock photos of overly enthusiastic office workers
• Tiny grey fonts
• Spinning sliders with generic taglines
• Logos with white boxes around them
• And mobile layouts that require pinch-zooming and prayer

Design doesn’t need to be flashy. But it does need to be functional... and feel current.

Why it matters:

Design sets the tone before your copy even loads. It influences trust, professionalism, and how seriously someone takes your business.

A dated site makes people wonder if your processes are also behind the times. And in recruitment (where trust and speed matter) that’s a dealbreaker.

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4. Your voice doesn’t match your market

This one’s trickier to spot, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

You might be targeting digital-first startups… but sounding like a government careers portal.

Or you might specialise in regional roles… but your copy reads like it was plucked from a Big Four website in 2009.

When the voice doesn’t match the audience (or worse, doesn’t sound like anyone) it feels forgettable at best, and fake at worst.

What to do instead:

Start with who you’re speaking to. What tone do they expect? What will cut through the noise for them?

You don’t have to be quirky. But you do need to be consistent, and real. If your LinkedIn posts sound friendly and human, but your website reads formal and corporate, there’s a disconnect.

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5. Your team page is full of ghosts

Outdated bios. Team members who’ve moved on. Empty job titles. Headshots that scream 2015.

It might seem minor, but your team page is one of the most visited on your site. People want to know who they’ll be dealing with. And when that page looks neglected, it raises red flags.

Why it matters:

Recruitment is a relationship business. If your team page looks like no one’s touched it in years, it undermines the human side of what you do.

And if someone on your team is no longer there, that’s a fast way to lose trust.

Quick fix:

Set a reminder to review this page every quarter. Update photos, bios, titles, and contact info. It doesn’t need to be perfect — just current.

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6. Your copy sounds like ChatGPT wrote it (because it probably did)

I’ve seen the signs:

• Phrases like “In today’s fast-paced recruitment landscape…”
• Sentences that somehow say a lot and nothing at all
• American spelling on an Australian website
• Formal tone with zero personality
• SEO keywords jammed in every sentence

I’m not anti-AI. But if you copy-paste straight from ChatGPT and call it a day, your site is going to sound exactly like every other site that did the same thing.

And it won’t sound like you.

What to do instead:

If you’re using AI as a starting point, great. But you still need to add context, insight, and voice. You still need to shape it for your business, your audience, and your market.

People want to read something that feels real. That sounds like a person. That reflects your values and your work.

If your content feels flat, generic, or oddly robotic, your readers will feel that too.

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7. Your blog hasn’t been updated since 2022

Look, I get it. Blogs aren’t always the priority. But when your last post is two years old, it looks like you’ve closed up shop, or just stopped caring.

That little “last updated” timestamp? It tells your audience how much you value your own site. And if you don’t, why should they?

Why it’s a missed opportunity:

Fresh blog content can help with SEO, nurture potential clients and candidates, and demonstrate expertise. Even one article a month makes a difference.

What to do instead:

You don’t need to blog weekly. But if you’re going to have a blog, keep it fresh. And if you’re not using it, hide it from the nav until you are.

A dormant blog is worse than no blog at all.

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Final thoughts (and a quiet nudge)

Most of the recruitment websites I looked at weren’t broken. But they weren’t working either.

They were just… there. Existing. Saying the same things, in the same way, to the same audience, and hoping something would land.

If that sounds familiar, I can help.
I’ve worked with recruiters, SaaS companies, and service providers to turn outdated websites into clear, confident, high-converting ones. The kind that speak to real people, not just tick boxes.

Want a second set of eyes on your site?
Book a free intro call or send me your link — and I’ll tell you what’s working, what’s not, and what to fix first.