Employers who communicate, WIN!

As an employer, you are looking to improve your company with each new hire. But what if your reputation precedes you and as a company, you’re struggling to find new hires? This article will discuss how to figure out where your bad reputation comes from and how to avoid a bad reputation by better communicating with applicants.

●       Check and respond to reviews

Sites like Glassdoor, Better Business Bureau, and social media can be helpful when it comes to looking at your online persona. Of course, as you search for reviews about your company, you’re hoping for positive ones that will improve the face of your business. As you come across each positive review, genuinely thank them for leaving a review. Be prepared for negative reviews as well and respond to them just as kindly as your positive reviews. Ask them how you can improve so you can better understand their reasoning for leaving a poor review.

Your goal here is to figure out your reputation and how you can improve it. While you’re searching for insight, you’re also indicating that positive and negative feedback matters, and that you’re taking it seriously. As you come across positive reviews, share them. People are generally going to be more trustworthy of positive reviews from outside sources, than your company’s positive reviews of itself.

●       Communicate

As the resumes come in, how does your company handle them? Stephen Bruce, PhD/PHR explains in an article for HR Daily Advisor that, "More than half of employers (52%) respond to less than half of the candidates who apply. What these employers may not realize, however, is that not only do most candidates expect an automated reply that acknowledges their application, the majority (84%) also expect a personal email response, and 52% anticipate a phone call." By ignoring people who have applied, not only are you losing potential candidates, but you’ll also lose customers. The same article states, “58% are less likely to buy from a company to which they’ve applied if they don’t get a response to their application; 69% are less likely if they have a bad experience in the interview; and the same is true of 65% if they didn’t hear back after an interview.” By valuing your applicants and treating them like you’d treat potential customers, you’ll hopefully keep their business, even if they don’t get the job.

Applicants appreciate a response to their application, whether they get the job or not. In these circumstances, respond with an automated email or letter. You should respond to the applicant when their application is received, just a basic “thank you” for their submission. Then you should use a rejection letter for every applicant that doesn’t get the job. While the term “rejection letter” sounds harsh, from an applicant's perspective, it’s actually good to hear that the job is taken and that they can look elsewhere for a job. Leaving an applicant waiting for a response, especially if they’ve contacted you about the status of the job, is a way to get negative feedback. Keep all applicants, even those who don’t qualify for the position, in the loop.

 Ensure that the job posting and recruitment process explains every detail for the job. You don’t want an employee to start their first day of work feeling that the job advert and the actual job were completely different. Be upfront about what is necessary for the job.

 ●       Improve your recruitment process

Have you sat down and gone through the recruitment process as if you’re a new hire? If not, do it now. How are you treated and how do you feel afterwards? Do you feel as if you’d be a valued member of your company or just another person in a cubicle? You want each potential employee to have an experience that they can share with others, as they spread positive experiences about your company. Keep waiting times short and meetings efficient; you don’t want potential hires to feel that they waited for hours for a long, drawn out meeting.

 By following these steps, you can streamline and improve your hiring process to hopefully effectively communicate with applicants and thereby maintain a positive reputation amongst potential employees.

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Holly is part of the content team at Engage EHS. Holly has worked in the health and safety industry since graduating from university. When not writing about health and safety practices, Holly can be found researching new travel locations.