This month we’re releasing the first in a series of major new upgrades to the Jobs Go Public platform. These upgrades will benefit all our users, making candidates’ job search easier while also streamlining your recruitment processes.
Our first upgrade comes with some fantastic new features for jobseekers, such as the ability to sign into Jobs Go Public with a social media account, a brand-new job search engine, and improved accessibility for users on our job board.
Improved accessibility on Jobs Go Public
One in five people in the UK are disabled, and a further 10% of the population speak English as a second language.
Websites which aren’t designed with access needs in mind are losing out on a huge amount of traffic. In fact, more than two thirds of people with access needs have left websites they found too difficult to use.
In the digital age every jobseeker should have equal access to work opportunities. Jobs Go Public is committed to making our technology inclusive to all candidates and breaking down barriers to employment.
Not only does this create a better environment for all jobseekers, but this will also improve candidate access to our clients’ vacancies, diversify the applicant pool and ultimately foster more inclusivity in our public services.
That’s why we’re excited to announce our partnership with Recite Me, whose assistive technology helps to ensure websites can be accessed by all web users.
Who are Recite Me?
Recite Me’s mission is to create an inclusive digital environment through bridging the gap between online accessibility and usability.
The Recite Me software is a cloud-based assistive toolbar which can be integrated with websites and allows users to customise the site in a way that makes information more accessible or easier to process.
For example, users with visual impairments may require extra assistance with reading text on the webpage, and neurodivergent candidates may have sensory needs which make processing large amounts of visual information more difficult.
The tools available include:
- A screen reader
- Reading tools such as a screen mask and dictionary
- Customisable website and font styles
- On-demand live translation with over 100 languages (including 35 text-to-speech options).
What does the accessibility toolbar look like?
Users can access the Recite Me toolbar at the top right of Jobs Go Public by clicking “Accessibility tools”, above the navigation menu. This will expand the toolbar to offer three different types of tool and a settings menu.
Screen reader
The first type of tool available is the screen reader.
This aids candidates with visual impairments to independently access information on the webpage, and can also help neurodivergent candidates with conditions such as Dyslexia and ASD to more easily process information through both auditory and visual media.
Users can either click and highlight elements of the webpage or have the screen reader automatically read out the content as they move their mouse.
The screen reader features:
- A natural reading voice
- Adjustable reading speed
- Option to choose between male and female or from 35 text-to-speech language options.
Customisable styling options
The style section of the toolbar offers 3 different customisation options:
- Decrease or increase font size, line spacing, and character spacing
- Select from multiple font options (including Open-Dyslexic)
- Choose from dark or light colour schemes, or customise colours to individual needs.
Users have a high degree of customisability to aid processing of information. This is particularly important for candidates who may have processing difficulties and can also create a more comfortable reading environment for candidates who speak English as a second language to enhance their understanding of written information.
Reading aids
The Recite Me toolbar also offers tools to enhance the reading experience and aid comprehension. This is useful to ensure that candidates can process important information in your vacancy listings. These tools include:
- A ruler to read text line by line
- A screen mask which hides content to focus in on particular sections of the page
- Dictionary and thesaurus for less common words on the webpage
- A language tool which translates all text on the page on-demand (candidates can choose from over 100 languages)
- A magnifying tool to zoom in to sections of the webpage and enlarge sections of text.
Bringing good people together
With over 25 years working with public sector organisations and jobseekers, we truly believe in breaking down barriers and empowering good people to connect. We’re incredibly excited about our partnership with Recite Me whose tools will allow you to connect diverse talent with new opportunities.
Our new upgrades will enable us to support all jobseekers on their career paths and ensure your hiring processes are inclusive and accessible from start to finish. We don’t just want to create an inclusive job board, but also empower you to build an inclusive workforce.
To truly understand the power of these enhancements, we invite you to explore the Recite Me toolbar on the new Jobs Go Public platform. Click "Accessibility tools" above the navigation menu and witness first-hand how these features can make your recruitment processes more accessible and diverse.
If you have any further questions or would like to find out more about how to support jobseekers on their journey, please get in touch with our team at marketing@jobsgopublic.com.