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Free Careers Website Audit: a 40-point scorecard and checklist for employer brand and TA leaders

02 November 2026

Melanie Murphy CMO

A free 40-point scorecard for your careers website: 8 areas, 5 checks each, clear criteria for Yes, Partly and No, and a benchmark from 60 large employers so you can see how your results compare.

Summary
How it works
8 areas, 40 checks
What 60 employers scored
Run it in 90 minutes
What to do with your score
FAQ

40checks across 8 areas

14checks you can measure with free tools

6.8median score of 14 for 60 large employers

90minutes to run the audit (our estimate)

Executive summary

We built a free scorecard with 40 checks in 8 areas: speed, search visibility, accessibility, design and mobile, employer content, job pages, apply and conversion, and measurement and ownership. Each check scores Yes (1), Partly (0.5) or No (0). It comes as a spreadsheet and a printable checklist.
14 of the 40 checks can be measured with free tools, and we ran them on the careers websites of 60 large employers on 30 October 2026 so that you can compare your own results. The median employer scored 6.8 out of 14 (range 3 to 10.5).
Strongest: automated accessibility score (77% full marks) and complete JobPosting markup (72%). Weakest: mobile speed. In our strict mobile lab test no site earned full marks on home page or job page load time, or on the Lighthouse performance score, and only 18% handled expired jobs with a validThrough date.
The other 26 checks cover content, design, job pages, applying and measurement. They are expert criteria, not data, and are labelled that way.
Labelled Happydance subgroup: the 8 Happydance careers websites had a median of 8.5 out of 14 on the measurable checks, against 6.8 for the sample. With 8 sites, treat that as indicative.
Allow about 90 minutes (our estimate) with a laptop and a phone. Re-run it every quarter.

Why audit your careers website

A careers website is where candidates decide whether to apply. Problems usually sit in different teams: speed with IT, search visibility with marketing, content with employer brand, and the application with talent acquisition. A scorecard puts everything on one page, so you can agree what to fix first. Most checklists for this topic are generic website audits. This one is built for careers websites and for the people who own them.

How the scorecard works

Work through the 40 checks. For each, follow the test and choose Yes, Partly or No using the stated criteria, so two people should score the same site the same way.
Add up your points for each area (out of 5) and in total (out of 40).
Use the bands as a guide, then fix the lowest-scoring areas first.

Score bands

0 to 14.5Foundations needed. Fix the basics first: speed, job page markup and the application journey usually give the biggest early gains.

15 to 24.5Developing. The basics are in place in places. Pick the two lowest areas and fix those before adding new features.

25 to 34.5Solid. A well-run careers website. Focus on the weakest area, and on re-checking regularly.

35 to 40Leading. Very strong. Keep re-checking each quarter and test improvements rather than redesigning.

The bands are our judgement of what the totals mean. They are not drawn from the benchmark data.

The 8 areas and 40 checks

Each area has five checks. A "measured" check can be tested with free tools; an "expert criterion" is our judgement of good practice.

1. Speed

S1 Home page Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) on a mobile test (measured)
S2 Job page LCP on a mobile test (measured)
S3 Lighthouse mobile performance score on both pages (measured)
S4 Total Blocking Time (TBT) on both pages, a lab measure of how long the page is busy (measured)
S5 Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) on both pages (measured)

2. Search visibility

E1 Job pages carry Google JobPosting structured data with every required property (measured)
E2 Job title, text and markup are in the initial HTML, not added only by JavaScript (measured)
E3 Jobs carry a validThrough date, or expired jobs are removed or return a clear not-found status (measured)
E4 Recommended properties: employmentType, identifier, directApply and baseSalary where you can state pay (measured)
E5 Job pages are not noindexed or blocked, have a canonical that points to themselves, and a sitemap is declared in robots.txt (measured)

3. Accessibility

A1 Lighthouse accessibility score on both pages (measured)
A2 No colour contrast failures on the home page or a job page (measured)
A3 Buttons and links are big enough to tap, at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels or with enough spacing (measured)
A4 A keyboard user can search, open a job and complete the application, and always sees where focus is (expert criterion)
A5 Pages stay usable at 200% zoom and at 320 CSS pixels wide, with no sideways scrolling or lost content (expert criterion)

4. Design and mobile

D1 Searching, reading and applying all work comfortably on a phone, without pinch zooming (expert criterion)
D2 The home page shows one clear primary action (for example search jobs) in the first screen, not covered by banners or pop-ups (expert criterion)
D3 The careers website looks and sounds like your brand and links smoothly to the corporate site (expert criterion)
D4 Candidates can search and filter by the things they care about (for example location and job family), and no-result searches help them (expert criterion)
D5 Candidates with no suitable job today can leave details or sign up for alerts (expert criterion)

5. Employer content

C1 The site says in plain, specific words what you offer people and what you expect from them (expert criterion)
C2 Stories from named employees of different roles, levels and places, kept up to date (expert criterion)
C3 Each main job family has a page that shows what the work is like and what the career path is (expert criterion)
C4 Candidates can see where roles are based, and whether they are office-based, hybrid or remote (expert criterion)
C5 Benefits, development and (where you can) pay information is concrete rather than a list of buzzwords (expert criterion)

6. Job pages

J1 Job pages have a title tag of 60 characters or fewer and a meta description (measured)
J2 The job title is plain and searchable, and a short summary at the top says what, where and what type of role (expert criterion)
J3 The description uses short sections and lists (role, requirements, benefits), and avoids unnecessary jargon (expert criterion)
J4 Pay or salary range is shown where your market allows or requires it (expert criterion)
J5 An apply button is visible without hunting, and the page links to similar jobs, the team or the location (expert criterion)

7. Apply and conversion

V1 A candidate can complete and submit the application on a phone (expert criterion)
V2 Candidates can start applying without first creating an account (expert criterion)
V3 The application asks only for what is needed, shows progress and lets people save and return (expert criterion)
V4 Fields have labels, errors say what is wrong and how to fix it, and nobody re-enters information already given (expert criterion)
V5 After applying, candidates see a confirmation and are told what happens next and when (expert criterion)

8. Measurement and ownership

M1 You can see visits, job views, application starts and completed applications (expert criterion)
M2 Job ads, social posts and emails use tagged links so you know which channels produce applications (expert criterion)
M3 Someone owns the careers website, and content changes take days rather than months (expert criterion)
M4 Speed, search visibility and accessibility are re-checked at least quarterly (expert criterion)
M5 Applicant privacy notice, cookie choices and a way to report an accessibility problem are easy to find (expert criterion)

The full scoring criteria for every check (what counts as Yes, Partly and No, and how to test it) are in Appendix A and in the spreadsheet.

What 60 large employers scored

Share of 60 large employers earning full marks on each measurable check

Share scoring Yes, higher is better. S = speed, E = search visibility, A = accessibility, J = job pages.

S1 Home page loads fast on mobile0%
S2 Job page loads fast on mobile0%
S3 Lighthouse performance score0%
S4 Page responds quickly to taps5%
S5 Page does not jump around38%
E1 Job posting markup is complete72%
E2 Job content is in the first page load47%
E3 Expired jobs are handled18%
E4 Recommended job properties47%
E5 Indexing basics37%
A1 Automated accessibility score77%
A2 Text contrast58%
A3 Touch target size68%
J1 Title tag and meta description32%

Lab tests on one home page and one job page per site. The speed results are low partly because the test is strict.

The chart shows the share of the 60 sites that earned full marks on each of the 14 measurable checks. The speed results are low partly because the test is strict: Lighthouse simulates a mid-range phone on a throttled mobile network, so use the result to compare your pages over time and against others tested the same way, rather than as a verdict on real-world experience. Search visibility checks show where the gains are: only 18% of sites carried a validThrough date, and 47% had the job title, text and markup all in the initial HTML.

Across all 14 checks the median site scored 6.8 (range 3 to 10.5). That means a typical large employer has room to improve on roughly half of the measurable points.

Labelled Happydance subgroup

Median score on the 14 measurable checks

Out of 14, higher is better. The subgroup is reported separately and is not part of the 60-site sample.

Happydance subgroup (8)Other sites (60)

Median score of 148.5
6.8

Indicative only: 8 sites, automated checks.

The 8 Happydance careers websites in our test scored a median of 8.5 out of 14 on the same checks, against 6.8 for the 60-site sample. The subgroup is reported separately and is not part of the sample. With 8 sites it is indicative only, and the checks are automated.

How to run the audit in about 90 minutes

Before you start (10 minutes). Choose the home page, one live job page and the application. Use a real phone. Open a private window so cookies and logins do not change what you see.
Measured checks (30 minutes). Run PageSpeed Insights or Lighthouse on mobile for the home page and the job page, then the Rich Results Test on the job page, then check robots.txt and the sitemap. Score S, E, A1 to A3 and J1.
Manual checks (40 minutes). Work through the keyboard and zoom tests, apply for a test job on a phone, and read the content as a candidate would. Score the rest.
Agree and plan (10 minutes). Add up the points, note the two lowest areas and agree an owner and a date for each fix.

What to do with your score

Speed

Compress and resize images and video posters, defer third-party scripts (chat, analytics tags, consent tools) and remove unused code. Re-run the test on a mobile profile after each change.

Search visibility

Add complete JobPosting markup in the page HTML (not injected later), add validThrough and remove or mark expired jobs, make sure canonicals and the sitemap are correct, and keep titles short.

Accessibility

Fix colour contrast and tap target size in the design system first, since they repeat across pages. Then run the keyboard, zoom and form tests by hand. See the careers website accessibility guide.

Design and mobile

Test the journey on a real phone, simplify the first screen to one main action, and add a route for candidates with no suitable job today (alerts or a talent community).

Employer content

Write the Give and Get in specific words, refresh employee stories with real people, and add a page for each big job family. Use evidence candidates can check.

Job pages

Standardise a job page template: plain title, short summary, scannable sections, pay where permitted, a visible apply button and links to similar jobs.

Apply and conversion

Apply for your own job on a phone and time it. Remove fields you do not use, allow saving, remove the account wall where you can, and confirm what happens next.

Measurement and ownership

Name an owner, tag your links, and set up a monthly view of visits, job views, application starts and completions. Put the quarterly re-check in the calendar.

Limitations

The 14 measured checks use lab tests on one home page and one job page per site. Your other pages, and real-user data, may differ.
The benchmark sample is 60 large employers, not a random sample of all organisations. Results are in aggregate and no employer is named.
The 26 expert criteria are our judgement of good practice and have not been validated against hiring outcomes.
Automated accessibility checks find only part of the problems. Nothing in the scorecard is legal advice.

Frequently asked questions

What should a careers website audit include?

A careers website audit should cover speed, search visibility (including job posting structured data), accessibility, design on mobile, employer content, job page quality, the application journey, and how you measure and own the site. The scorecard covers these in 40 checks.

What does a careers website audit look like?

You test a small set of real pages (the home page, a job page and the application), score each check against clear criteria, add up the points by area and agree the biggest fixes. The scorecard turns that into a score out of 40.

How long does a careers website audit take?

The scorecard takes about 90 minutes for one person with a laptop and a phone, by our estimate. A deeper audit of every page template takes longer.

How often should we audit our careers website?

At least quarterly for the measured checks, because speed, search visibility and accessibility can change with every release. Review the content and application checks twice a year.

Is the scorecard free?

Yes. The spreadsheet and the printable checklist are free to use.

Does it work for any careers website?

Yes. The checks are vendor-neutral and apply whatever your site is built on, including an applicant tracking system career page.

Who should run the audit?

Ideally a small group: someone from talent acquisition or employer brand who owns the site, plus colleagues from marketing, IT or web, and an accessibility lead if you have one. One person can score it, but fixes need the group.

Sources

Google Search Central, Job posting structured data: developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/structured-data/job-posting
Google web.dev, Web Vitals thresholds: web.dev/articles/vitals
W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, 12 December 2024: w3.org/TR/WCAG22
Chrome for Developers, Lighthouse: developer.chrome.com/docs/lighthouse
Original data: Happydance Lighthouse 12.8.2 runs and crawl of 68 careers websites, 30 October 2026.

Right of reply and corrections

If you own a careers website that was tested and believe a result is wrong, tell us and we will check it and correct it. Employer names are not published, and results are shown only in aggregate.

Appendix A: all 40 checks and scoring criteria

Show all 40 checks and scoring criteria

#	Check	Yes if (1)	Partly if (0.5)	No if (0)
S1	Home page Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) on a mobile test	LCP 2.5 s or less	LCP over 2.5 s and up to 4.0 s	LCP over 4.0 s
S2	Job page LCP on a mobile test	LCP 2.5 s or less	LCP over 2.5 s and up to 4.0 s	LCP over 4.0 s
S3	Lighthouse mobile performance score on both pages	90 or more on both pages	50 or more on both pages	Under 50 on either page
S4	Total Blocking Time (TBT) on both pages, a lab measure of how long the page is busy	200 ms or less on both pages	600 ms or less on both pages	Over 600 ms on either page
S5	Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS) on both pages	0.1 or less on both pages	0.25 or less on both pages	Over 0.25 on either page
E1	Job pages carry Google JobPosting structured data with every required property	JobPosting present with all required properties	JobPosting present but a required property is missing	No JobPosting markup
E2	Job title, text and markup are in the initial HTML, not added only by JavaScript	All three are in the source	Some but not all are in the source	None are in the source
E3	Jobs carry a validThrough date, or expired jobs are removed or return a clear not-found status	validThrough is present (or expired jobs are reliably removed)	Handled for some jobs only	Expired jobs stay live with no expiry signal
E4	Recommended properties: employmentType, identifier, directApply and baseSalary where you can state pay	3 or 4 of the 4 are present	2 of the 4 are present	0 or 1 of the 4 are present
E5	Job pages are not noindexed or blocked, have a canonical that points to themselves, and a sitemap is declared in robots.txt	All four are true	Three are true	Two or fewer are true
A1	Lighthouse accessibility score on both pages	90 or more on both pages	70 or more on both pages	Under 70 on either page
A2	No colour contrast failures on the home page or a job page	No failures on either page	Failures on one page	Failures on both pages
A3	Buttons and links are big enough to tap, at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels or with enough spacing	No failures on either page	Failures on one page	Failures on both pages
A4	A keyboard user can search, open a job and complete the application, and always sees where focus is	Everything works and focus is always visible	Works with minor problems (for example weak focus styling)	Blocked, or focus is lost or trapped
A5	Pages stay usable at 200% zoom and at 320 CSS pixels wide, with no sideways scrolling or lost content	Fully usable at 200% and 400%	Usable at 200% with some problems at 400%	Content is lost, overlaps, or needs two-way scrolling
D1	Searching, reading and applying all work comfortably on a phone, without pinch zooming	Smooth from search to submit	Works but with friction in one step	A step is hard or impossible on a phone
D2	The home page shows one clear primary action (for example search jobs) in the first screen, not covered by banners or pop-ups	One clear action, nothing covers it	Action is present but competes with banners or other prompts	No clear action, or a banner or pop-up blocks it
D3	The careers website looks and sounds like your brand and links smoothly to the corporate site	Consistent look, tone and navigation	Mostly consistent, with a jarring step	Looks like a different organisation
D4	Candidates can search and filter by the things they care about (for example location and job family), and no-result searches help them	Search and filters work well and no-result pages offer alternatives	Search works but filters or no-result help are weak	Search is missing, slow or often returns nothing useful
D5	Candidates with no suitable job today can leave details or sign up for alerts	Easy to find and works	Exists but is hard to find	Not available
C1	The site says in plain, specific words what you offer people and what you expect from them	Specific, believable and easy to find	Present but generic	Missing
C2	Stories from named employees of different roles, levels and places, kept up to date	Varied, real and updated in the last 12 months	Few, old or all from one group	None, or only stock content
C3	Each main job family has a page that shows what the work is like and what the career path is	Pages exist for all of them	Pages exist for some	No such pages
C4	Candidates can see where roles are based, and whether they are office-based, hybrid or remote	Clear for every location and role type	Clear for some	Missing
C5	Benefits, development and (where you can) pay information is concrete rather than a list of buzzwords	Concrete, with examples or numbers	Mostly generic	Missing
J1	Job pages have a title tag of 60 characters or fewer and a meta description	Both on all three jobs	Only one of the two	Neither
J2	The job title is plain and searchable, and a short summary at the top says what, where and what type of role	Plain title and a clear summary	Title is clear, summary is missing or long	Internal job codes or unclear titles
J3	The description uses short sections and lists (role, requirements, benefits), and avoids unnecessary jargon	Easy to scan and to the point	Mixed quality	Wall of text
J4	Pay or salary range is shown where your market allows or requires it	Shown on jobs where it is allowed or required	Shown on some jobs	Not shown, although it could be
J5	An apply button is visible without hunting, and the page links to similar jobs, the team or the location	Visible apply button and useful onward links	Apply is visible but there is nowhere else to go	Apply is hard to find
V1	A candidate can complete and submit the application on a phone	Completes easily	Completes but with friction	Fails or is very hard
V2	Candidates can start applying without first creating an account	Can apply without an account (or sign-in is optional)	Account is needed but quick to create	Long registration before applying
V3	The application asks only for what is needed, shows progress and lets people save and return	Short, shows progress and can be saved	One of these is missing	Long, with no progress or save
V4	Fields have labels, errors say what is wrong and how to fix it, and nobody re-enters information already given	All true	Mostly true	Labels or errors are missing
V5	After applying, candidates see a confirmation and are told what happens next and when	Confirmation plus clear next steps and timings	Confirmation only	Nothing, or an error-like page
M1	You can see visits, job views, application starts and completed applications	All four, reviewed regularly	Some are tracked	Not tracked
M2	Job ads, social posts and emails use tagged links so you know which channels produce applications	Used consistently	Used on some channels	Not used
M3	Someone owns the careers website, and content changes take days rather than months	Named owner and changes in days	Owner is clear but changes are slow	No clear owner
M4	Speed, search visibility and accessibility are re-checked at least quarterly	Re-checked at least quarterly	Checked once a year or after a rebuild	Never
M5	Applicant privacy notice, cookie choices and a way to report an accessibility problem are easy to find	All easy to find and accurate	Some are present	Missing

Appendix B: benchmark results for the 14 measurable checks

Show the benchmark for all 14 measurable checks

#	Check	Yes (of 60)	Partly	No
S1	Home page loads fast on mobile	0%	3%	97%
S2	Job page loads fast on mobile	0%	5%	95%
S3	Lighthouse performance score	0%	10%	90%
S4	Page responds quickly to taps	5%	15%	80%
S5	Page does not jump around	38%	13%	48%
E1	Job posting markup is complete	72%	10%	18%
E2	Job content is in the first page load	47%	45%	8%
E3	Expired jobs are handled	18%	0%	82%
E4	Recommended job properties	47%	28%	25%
E5	Indexing basics	37%	48%	15%
A1	Automated accessibility score	77%	23%	0%
A2	Text contrast	58%	23%	18%
A3	Touch target size	68%	13%	18%
J1	Title tag and meta description	32%	65%	3%

Download the free scorecard

The 40-point scorecard comes as a spreadsheet and a printable checklist, free to use.

Get the free scorecard