According to a survey, 99% of employers agree that managing a company’s recruitment brand is key in inviting the best candidates to apply to them. While this number is impressive, it’s surprising that only 45% of companies allocate time and resources to working toward a positive recruiter brand.
Remember that as a recruitment agency, one of the main customers you handle are your applicants, and in a world of modern consumerism, your candidates’ online reviews speak volumes. One heavily weighted negative review can send your reputation as a recruiter down the drain. But there are ways to contribute to what candidates will say about your agency, from steering their experience to be a positive one to addressing their rantings online.
While word of mouth really can’t be stopped, what is mentioned about your firm can still be actioned. So, let’s discuss to understand better why your applicants’ post about their experience says a lot about brand reputation and what steps you can take to counteract the possibilities of a tarnished recruitment brand.
Online reviews stay forever.
Whatever is posted on the internet will stay forever, and deleted information can still be retrieved. Of course, you’ll want applicants to say nice things only about your recruitment firm, but sadly, it’s unhappy candidates who have more to say than satisfied ones.
What’s worse is that negative reviews are more believable than words of praise. More than half of job seekers are swayed not to apply for an opening only because of one negative review. With one of three job hunters admitting to posting about their untoward application experience online, there’s indeed plenty of online content that can discourage future candidates.
If there are negative reviews already about your agency online, the best thing to do is to address them right then and there. Scour your website and social media accounts for complaints about the recruitment process, and reply to those comments. Tell them that you appreciate their feedback and your firm is doing something about the hiring process, thanks to their review. It’s also better for the public to see you answering the complaint. It shows that your agency is doing something about any shortcomings.
On the flip side, to encourage positive reviews, reach out to the candidate directly after the hiring process. See it as part of experience management, where the applicants are welcome to impart their positive takeaways from the process, whether they were hired or not. You may also write a testimonial about the candidate on their professional profiles for other companies to see. The candidate will appreciate this and motivate them to write a positive review and say good things about the firm.
Feedback about your recruitment brand always have impact on clients.
Aside from making sure your candidates go through a smooth process so that they only write favorable reviews, remember that you also have clients to attend to. What candidates say about your recruitment firm, mainly through online means, will impact how you keep clients and attracting new ones: 72% of applicants say they’ve spoken about their unfortunate experience in recruitment sites, while 27% of them will blatantly tell others not to enter the hiring process with a specific company. Imagine the impression these reviews will leave on potential clients.
The previous advice also applies here concerning answering negative reviews where candidates have posted them. It would be nice for potential clients to see that your firm is active in correcting its wrongs and ample effort for improvement. Since online reviews stay forever, emphasize the more positive ones so that your recruitment brand gets a stronghold. You may post your firm’s positive reviews on your social media handles and website. Make sure as well that newer, fresher reviews make it to the public eye right away. You’ll never know who’s reading about the firm and reviewing your recruitment brand.
There’s always room for improvement.
Simply put: everyone needs feedback. Whether it’s a good or bad one, candidate experience is the best way for your firm to grow and improve its processes. Since applicants are at the receiving end of your services, they are the best ones to ask. If past applicants were keen on emphasizing your firm’s shortcomings, current applicants shouldn’t experience the same. Likewise, if former candidates raved about your service, the next ones should go through the same positivity.
When it comes to the timing of gathering feedback, it’s best to ask candidates about reviews immediately after the hiring process. Aside from memory about what they went through still being fresh, this is a good point of neutrality. Please don’t ask them when a result has been delivered; knowledge that they passed or failed the application might affect what they’ll write about the firm.
You can be in control of your recruitment brand.
Here’s a challenging truth: the candidates and companies your firm handles are those who will attest to what truly your brand of recruitment is. That’s why it’s imperative that you gain a handle on what is written or said about your firm. So, if you’re wondering if there’s a way to expedite the collection and evaluation of reviews so that you can strengthen your recruitment brand at the soonest, Great Recruiters has got your back!
With a reputation management platform at hand, your firm can request for reviews from applicants in real time so that your team can study what is and isn’t being done right. Key points in the recruitment process can be identified for scrutiny, and since reviews come as applicants go, you are assured that the information you receive is current.
Your firm can be set up in no time to aid your clients in gaining quality employees through this reputation management platform. With data visualization and dashboards that are easy to manage, you can take hold of your recruitment brand in no time.
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