How Employee Testimonials Give You a Recruiting Advantage

employee storytellingemployee testimonials

Oct 3

How many “We’re hiring” messages are you seeing in a day right now? A lot, no doubt. If you need to hire, you’re probably trying to get the word out in as many places as possible. However, if you’re always leading with “We’re hiring,” your message is blending in with every other company with the very same message. What you need to do, is to stand out and be memorable in the minds of your candidates and referral community. The way to do that is with employee testimonials.

When you lead your recruiting message with employee testimonials you get a competitive advantage over other companies seeking to hire the same talent. Employee testimonials will not only differentiate your company, you’ll find out what employees truly value and that’s the type of info that's critical when it comes to drafting recruiting messages that answer questions, overcome objections and inspire people to change their status quo. That’s all while backing up your claim that you’re a good employer.

Why Doesn’t “We’re Hiring” Work Like It Used To?

There are several reasons why you can’t go about recruiting as you’ve been doing it for decades. There’s a lot of competition for sure, and that means a lot more power in candidates' hands to make choices about who they want to work for.

Even if the unemployment situation was not so dire, there’s another reason why your recruiting process is broken. Technology has changed human behavior, and people are using the same online behaviors they use as consumers to explore and research job opportunities.

That means that they’re visiting many online destinations to learn about your company, get their questions answered, and stir up feelings of trust that are essential to confident decision making – whether that’s deciding to apply or deciding to take a job offer.

Related: Four Reasons to Switch to a Proactive Recruiting Strategy

Let Your Employees Do the Talking Instead

There’s probably a lot that you need to change about your recruiting process to match up with real candidate behavior, but the one first step that you can take that will have an immediate impact on your ability to stand out in candidate minds is to gather and utilize employee testimonials in your recruiting messages and here’s why.

1. Credibility

Your employees are three times more believable than your company voice when it comes to your employer reputation. You may say “We value work-life balance” but an employee testimonial can tell a mini-story about how that played out in real life.

2. Communicate Employer Value

When someone is thinking about moving to a different job, they’re after a better future in some way – and it’s not always about more pay. Testimonials paint a picture of the value you can offer them, apart from wages and benefits, whether it's professional development, work-life balance, or a collaborative environment.

3. Answer Questions

Job candidates have questions that they want answered, and they often want these questions answered before they apply. Employee testimonials give you a way to answers questions that give people a glimpse of how you'll treat them in different situations.

4. Overcome Misconceptions and Objections

Testimonials help candidates discover something totally new about your company that may have kept them from applying or even considering your company in the first place. Misconceptions can be about what sort of jobs you have, what sort of people work there, and what sort of company you are.

5. Personalize Your Company

Testimonials associate names and faces to your company making you more personal and approachable. Showcasing real people in the marketing tactics you use to promote your job openings with testimonials will be much better at building relationships with candidates as they engage with your content online.

6. You Become More Memorable

Testimonials act like a tag in the minds of your candidates and referral community making you memorable. Whether it’s the message, the photo of the employee, or both, you’ve got a better chance at stirring up emotion with employee testimonials compared generic “We’re hiring” shout outs. It’s emotion you need if you want to get someone to act.

Stimulate Action with a Good Employer Reputation

As you weave employee testimonials into your recruiting messages, you’ll become more intentional about managing your employer reputation. A good reputation gives job candidates the “go” light that it’s worth it to take the next step in your hiring process. Hopefully, your next step includes come options… but that’s for another article.

Need a Recruiting Competitive Advantage?

I can teach you how to interview employees and turn what they say into compelling messages that you can use to attract more interest and convert interest into action.

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Lori Creighton

I work with small businesses to improve their recruiting outcomes by creating an 'always on' employer brand. By shifting from job-specific promotions to a value-driven message based on employee experiences, a brand narrative is crafted that resonates with what employees value most in their workplace. Eager to share what I’ve learned, I offer my insights and strategies to marketing peers through resources and courses, designed to enhance their employer branding efforts and integrate recruitment marketing into their skill set.