Just like in consumer marketing, employment branding (a crucial part of the recruitment process) is built on many moving parts that make up the overall image. And just like in consumer branding, employers need to constantly identify the parts in motion, including the ones that aren’t fully in the marketing team’s control. In 2014’s Fortune 500 Top 100 Employment Brands Report, WilsonHCG defined these parts, broke them down into objective categories and measured them from a candidate perspective. In reviewing the results, employers may be surprised by how heavily certain categories weigh in the overall effectiveness of an employer brand, especially considerations that weren’t proactively produced by their own team.
Candidates are taking their job search into their own hands and are no longer accepting the rose-colored glasses that employers are handing out in their branding efforts. Candidates are on the hunt for the real story. They’re not easily impressed by the perfect company culture content all tied up with a neat bow; they want the good, the bad and the ugly thrown into the mix. It is this mentality to uncover more that has led companies like Glassdoor to become a popular choice for candidates’ search for the truth. And this is exactly why several categories on this employment branding report relied on data from sites such as Glassdoor, including employee reviews, candidate experience, accolades, CEO ratings and more.
Employee impact on the brand
While employers are making grand plans for their content development, they might be overlooking a valuable resource that candidates rely on: their employees. Current and former employees are out there providing candid feedback on social media, through word-of-mouth and via review sites. These are the same insights that could make or break a company’s recruiting process and any traction made on its employment branding efforts. If your organization is not paying attention to this, then consider the employer brand incomplete.
Improving and leveraging employee feedback
Bad reviews and consistent cons can raise red flags for candidates, that’s a given. But even lack of activity, branding and reviews can be a cause for concern. Even if a company can’t invest in the branding capabilities of Glassdoor, it can occasionally remind employees about the option of leaving an anonymous review. Additionally, set alerts and periodically review employee feedback. It can provide a genuine look at what employees like and would like to see changed about your company. This will help guide the benefits to offer to employees and market positions effectively to candidates.
Risk control and reputation management
Rather than being defeated by the less-than-flattering reviews out there, a company should use this knowledge in a proactive way. Create a strategy that includes monitoring and responding to Glassdoor reviews, whether that means simply addressing the issues internally or developing branding campaigns that provide more accurate information. Also, be sure to train recruiters on how to overcome concerns and candidate objections caused by any undesirable postings. Being actively prepared to address these situations can allow recruiters to control the conversation and provide the information candidates need to deem whether or not the company truly is right for them.
With one-way marketing tactics, your employment brand will never become competitive. The way to make it strong and trustworthy is to encourage the parts that incorporate two-way communication, such as review sites, candidate experience and employee testimonials. Get that feedback and use it! This is essential not only for branding efforts, but provides insights on areas to optimize or improve upon internally, creating a healthier organization.
