Employers beware: is your online reputation discouraging jobseekers?

Most jobseekers these days are well aware of how an inappropriate tweet or Facebook picture can negatively impact how they are perceived by employers. However it’s not just candidates who need to be aware of their online presence. A recent study conducted by our Hong Kong offices found that 76 per cent of surveyed jobseekers would be influenced by a company’s online reputation when considering choice of employer.

What’s more, candidates now have more power than ever. Today, they have more resources to research your company online via employee forums, customer review sites, press releases and social media when they research a prospective employer.

Consequently, competition is fierce for attracting the most valuable candidates. So, how can you manage your online reputation to attract the best talent?

Use social media to position yourself as an employer of choice

Social media is a great way to position yourself as an employer of choice. These platforms allow you to provide insights into what it’s like to work at your organisation, whilst promoting your vacancies, successes and brand values.

However, it’s important to appreciate the myriad ways in which your social media accounts can actually damage your company’s online reputation. For example, some of your followers could make negative comments or leave poor reviews. If you ignore them and hope that not many people see them however this will only serve to put you behind your competitors using their strong social media presence to appeal to jobseekers. If your followers are making negative comments – it is important that you remain open and responsive. Take any feedback on board and always respond in a professional manner.

Social media is a specialist skill, not to be underestimated. Find somebody with flawless spelling, a consumer focus, and the experience to know how to represent a brand on social media; plus the portfolio to back this all up.

You should also consider how your employees are representing your company on their personal social media accounts. Have clear guidelines regarding how they should conduct themselves when representing your company – whether it’s when wearing branded items in pictures or speaking about your company in status updates.

Social media may come with its risk, but done properly, you can use it to your advantage when reaching out to the talent pool.

Look at your employee reviews and develop an action plan

Current and ex-employees now openly feedback on every aspect of your organisation – from the interview process to progression opportunities, on online forums, such as Glassdoor. Therefore it is essential that you look out for these to see what the people you hire have to say and respond accordingly.

Take the rough with the smooth, no business will have 100 per cent positive reviews. You should, however look for any common trends that may need addressing. Nothing should come as a shock if you are running your business the right way and have culture of visibility, openness and transparency. Therefore any unexpected and recurring feedback should be taken on board as you work towards implementing the necessary changes for a better environment. You should also conduct exit interviews with anybody planning to leave for this same purpose.

In making these changes, you should notice a happier workforce. At this point, you are ready to encourage these happy employees to act as brand ambassadors during and after their time at your organisation – leaving positive online reviews to outweigh the negative. Sifting through the online criticisms and making improvements can take time and effort, but this practice is essential for attracting and retaining quality employees.

Take control of your PR image

Understanding your audience and the people you are trying to attract is essential to ensuring your message reaches the right people. You must decide which online publications to target, for instance if you are trying to attract marketers then you should target the marketing trade press. Once the publications have been identified you must then decide on the type of candidate you are trying to appeal to and the messaging most likely to attract them and draw them into your employer brand. For instance, surveys have shown that Millennials take businesses corporate social responsibility activities into account when making a decision as to whether they join a company or not, so if you are trying to attract more junior employees then you must make sure you are clearly communicating what your business does in that area. Maintaining a good reputation across online media is important to your brand in general, to make sure you track mentions of your company.

In summary, thanks to the increase in online review sites, social media and digital press – jobseekers are able to shop around when it comes to deciding on their future employer. They will assess things like your marketing, customer service and employee engagement and retention strategies. Consequently you may need to take an honest look at your current online reputation, consider the feedback, make some changes and employ the best people to help you do this. Doing this will take time, effort and even budget, but it will pay dividends to the quality of your workforce in the long run.

Hopefully you found this blog valuable. Here are some other related blogs that you will also enjoy:

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