We have all heard about those companies that have an awful reputation, we don’t want to associate our business with them and people certainly do not want to work for them. They have poor reviews and can’t seem to shake off that negative image they have acquired.

There are many reasons why a company can have a bad image, but often it is due to a bad employer brand. Let’s start by defining what employer branding (EB) is.

Employer Branding: is what your employees, (past, present and future) think about your company.

In a world where everything is accessible through social media, we as employers need to make sure that our brand is desirable to future employees. With Websites like Indeed, Glassdoor and Ratemyemployer, it’s important to be aware of what people are saying about our company. Of course we can’t control all of it ourselves BUT we can certainly do our part in influencing our reputation. The better your reputation, the easier it gets to attract talent!!!

Here are 2 ways to make a positive Impact.

1. Always put your best forward when interviewing candidates:

Many employers inadvertently self-sabotage by acting in ways that upset potential hires. For example, leaving a candidate too long in the waiting room, or not having their CV readily available makes you seem unprepared. Things like leaving your phone on or taking a call during an interview can also make a candidate feel like you do not really want them there.

Some employers discredit a candidate within the first 5 minutes of meeting them and spend the rest of the interview trying to have it end as soon as possible. The person walks out of there, having had a negative experience and trust me they won’t be referring their friends and word of mouth travels quickly, especially with social media.

You must convince every single candidate you ever interview that they absolutely want to work with your company. You must treat every candidate with the same respect, (irrespective of the position they applied for) and sell them on how amazing it would be to come and be a part of your team. Your candidate must walk out of your offices feeling great and talking to others about their positive experience with your company.

The advantages to this method are numerous. Whatever the outcome, a candidate will always remember a pleasant, positive and informative interview. When you make someone feel at ease and actually take the time to consider them, they will think a lot more highly of your Employer Brand and, with the power of social media these days, your image and reputation is everything.

2. Have your current employees rate you on Indeed/Glassdoor/Ratemyemployer

This is very important because employee ratings permit you to monitor your reviews and correct negative trends. Not all reviews need to be positive, but if they are constructive they allow you to deal with many issues within the company . Getting more employee ratings also does wonders for your brand. A company that has 4000 reviews, vs 50 will be considered more interesting to work with, especially if those ratings are positive ones.

In short: Do what you have to do to make your employer brand likeable. Imagine having a constant flow of talented individuals sending you their resumes because they like your employer brand.  Increasing your company’s desirability will give you the upper hand and you will always have the choice between who you want to hire.

by: Christopher Livingstone, Partner, Recruiter Manager at Proforce Personnel ( Headhunter – Certified Personnel Consultant – Staffing – Recruiter )

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