You’ve probably heard horror stories of staffing firms getting toppled by a damaging online review or social media mishap. It can be scary to think of how quickly your reputation can unravel over a passing online comment that might not even be accurate.
More than 41% of companies who received negative online reviews or critical social media comments said their revenue and brand value were badly hit.
Luckily, you have more control over your online reputation than you realize. Here are a few of the perks of staying on top of your online reputation.
1. You’ll improve candidate experience and recruiter performance
Recruiters are on the staffing front lines. They’re the sole representatives of your entire firm, and gambling their reputation is a hit on everyone.
You can stay in control of your recruiters’ reputations by asking for candidate feedback throughout the relationship. By asking early and often, you’ll quickly acknowledge star recruiters. You can also catch areas that need improvement so you can resolve small issues before they become big ones. You’ll make sure candidates are getting the authentic experience they expect.
2. You’ll collect reviews and testimonials at any part of the process
If you’re like most staffing firms, you’ve lost candidates and never found out why. So don’t be like most staffing firms.
By getting feedback throughout the relationship, you can pivot before a candidate ghosts you. You can do this easily by having a link to a simple feedback form available to candidates. You can ask them directly to leave feedback. You can also put the link in your email signature and on your website. You’ll then get all your results in real time (which is pretty cool).
3. You’ll own your positive reviews — and topple reviews from external sites
Happy candidates rarely leave a review unless you ask for one. And it’s the unhappy candidates who typically leave reviews on external sites.
But when candidates have the option to leave a review with you first through your feedback form, they’re less likely to leave a second review elsewhere. You’re catching valuable feedback and leaving candidates with a warm feeling about your firm.
Think about it: external review sites are often pushed further up in search results — and 91% of searchers don’t go past the first page. So make sure you own that first page by posting your glowing reviews on your website and social media. This way, when potential candidates search you, the reviews and company stories you’ve chosen will be their first click — instead of an external site that doesn’t give the full picture.
4. You can share your great reviews across multiple channels
When you’re in control of collecting your reviews, you’re also in control of displaying and sharing them! Make sure you’re sharing that great feedback to Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn or embedding your kudos into an email or blog post. Readers will then be ported right to a page you curate, full of the stories you feel represent you the best, bypassing external sites that only show a small part of your story.
Candidates often won’t search elsewhere if their first impression is this positive and thorough.
5. You can compare across departments and industries
Your immediate team’s performance is only a small part of the bigger picture of your reputation. You’re all part of the same company, so everyone’s reputation is your reputation!
Knowing how your entire company is faring with their candidates will give you a clearer picture of how you fit into the firm’s reputation as a whole — and give you insight into what may need to be adjusted.
Thankfully, this sort of thing is automated these days. Reputation management tools offer a dashboard of analytics so you can compare feedback across departments. With enough data, you can track patterns and drill down to specifics so you can catch patterns to improve recruiter performance.
You can also compare your stats to others in your industry so you know where you stack up.
6. You’ll outshine your competition
Most staffing firms don’t prioritize feedback. If they do, it’s often in the form of open-ended questions in email. They’re losing out on essential metrics. Additionally, candidates may feel ignored or disrespected by recruiters who don’t ask them that simple question: how are you and how is this process going for you?
Low-pressure feedback forms and instant results will let you improve faster than your competition.
And that’s great news because candidates who feel heard — regardless of whether they get the job — are more likely to turn into advocates for your firm by telling their friends about you, referring potential candidates or even by becoming a client themselves down the line.
Want more tips? Click here for 3 Benefits of Driving a Great Candidate Experience.