Time for an Employer Reputation Audit

Did you know that you have an employer reputation? It’s called your employer brand and you can either leave it to chance, or you can manage it. It’s much better to manage it if you want to have a say in the narrative that is being shared about your company in its role as an employer.

Companies that actively manage their employer brand use marketing tactics to help job seekers make confident career decisions. By creating online touchpoints that help candidates learn about their company, they’re able to nurture relationships and communicate their credibility as a good employer.

Effective employer brand management translates into cost and time savings for businesses. According to LinkedIn’s “Ultimate List of Employer Brand Statistics”, a well-managed employer brand can mean:

• 28% reduction in turnover

• 50% reduction in cost-per-hire

• 50% more qualified applicants

• 1 -2 x faster time to hire

What’s Your Employer Reputation Right Now?

Before you can start to improve your employer reputation, you should get an understanding of the current state of your brand. A simple employer brand audit will help you uncover opportunities to build your reputation and improve the results you get from recruiting and talent attraction.

Doing an employer reputation audit helps you to identify the places where your employer brand is showing up. Then you can evaluate the message that is being communicated. For now, take notes about how you’re communicating as an employer in the following digital locations by answering these questions.

Website and Careers Page

1. Do you have a careers page?

2. What does it tell candidates about what it’s like to work at your company?

3. Is it just a job listings page?

4. Does your website provide a good experience? Is it up-to-date and mobile friendly?

5. Is your online application process easy to use?

Social Media Presence

1. Are you posting content consistently or randomly?

2. Are you sharing behind the scenes photos or company news?

3. Do your graphics include photos of real people?

4. Are employees engaging with your posts?

5. Are you posting about careers?

Reviews, Testimonials and Third-Party Recognition

1. Do you have reviews on Glassdoor or other job boards?

2. Are you a “Best Place to Work” or “Top Workplace” and if so are you displaying your certification?

3. Do you have employee testimonials published on your website?

4. Do your Google reviews have any employer focused comments?

5. Is anyone talking about your company online other than you?

Employer Reputation Matters

The reputation your company has as an employer matters and it helps you attract and retain talent. Your reputation builds expectations for how people will be treated. Your reputation travels through word of mouth through your online network and local community. A good reputation opens the door to opportunities to attract quality candidates and validate current employees’ decision to work for you.

The First Rule of Marketing – Show Up

The simple audit that is described in this article pertains to the first rule of marketing – you have to show up. If you’re not showing up, you could be invisible to people who could become great employees – if only they knew about you. You also could be missing out on referrals from people who are happy to share news about your open positions.

The next step in managing your employer reputation is to have the right message – one that doesn’t just say “We’re hiring!”