Yes, you read that right. How customer reviews hurt your recruiting efforts. You might question how a customer’s review can negatively impact whether or not you find qualified employees, but the two are actually very intertwined.

Right now, businesses are operating in a candidate driven market. There are more jobs than people to fill them and the power is in the hands of job seekers and those already holding jobs. Chances are, if you want someone who will be a great fit for your open position, they likely are working somewhere else. Many qualified candidates are already in jobs where they’re content and only passively looking at new positions. In these cases, you need to offer a strong, cohesive brand. Every detail of your brand’s digital footprint needs to be strengthened.

It’s no longer enough to update your career page content, your LinkedIn profile, and Job Board Profiles. In a candidate driven market, you need to clearly communicate your brand value and culture in multiple online channels. Not only does this give your prospective candidates a solid sense of “who you are”, it helps them identify if they are the right fit and combats the impact of negative reviews, if you have them.

It’s no longer enough to update your career page content, your LinkedIn profile, and job board profiles.

Culture Impact

We all know that job candidates are researching the companies they’re considering. When looking for jobs, 76 percent do general research. Of those doing online research, 61 percent are actively scouring a company’s social profiles and online reviews to determine whether or not they’ll apply.

People want to be proud of where they work. Negative customer reviews, even one, can change the way a business is perceived. You may be turning away job seekers without even knowing it. Even worse, you could ultimately be influencing current employees. Potential applicants who get the impression that a business does not care about its customers is going to think the same when it comes to the company’s employees.

Company reputation

In fact, 50 percent of people looking for work said they would turn down an offer from a company that has a bad reputation, even if they were being offered a pay increase for the position. You need to be conscious of the impression online customer reviews send of your business.

Plan ahead on how you’ll handle negative reviews. Having a plan set in place makes it easier to tackle any negative reviews without wasting time worrying about how you’ll approach them. Being prepared means you do not have to worry about it happening because you know what to do.

Another way online reviews impact your business’s reputation is by conveying disorganized or dysfunctional management or it could also send the message that there’s a fundamental issue with the product or service you’re offering, particularly if multiple customers have raised issues. No one, especially someone who already has a job and feels content there, wants to work for a business they are not confident can adequately provide their product to buyers.

If you are interested in learning more on how to improve your brand and attract great employees, contact Gary at [email protected] or 717-823-6939.

If you’re ready to get serious about recruiting, give us a call.