Your Online Reputation May Be Hindering Job Applicants

Have you ever posted a job opening…and a very small number of people applied? It’s a bit like throwing a party and having few people respond to your invitation, right?

While there are many reasons you may not be receiving many job applications (it’s a very tight job market, for one), you really need to practice active management of your online reputation. You need to make sure that what people say about your company isn’t hindering job applicants from responding to your company’s postings.

The Risk of Negative Comments Online

The burgeoning of online media has been great for many aspects of job hunting. Prospective employees can find postings on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. They can read what to expect in interviews or salaries on sites like Glassdoor.com. They may find comments about the company in a Google search.

But it can also have a downside. People who have an ax to grind with your company can post negative comments in multiple places online. Glassdoor is one, as is Yelp and all the social media sites.

The problem is that the comments can be on any subject — the company’s brand logo, its products, or just a personal opinion of an interview. And negative comments can turn top prospective employees off.

Manage Your Online Reputation

How do you deal with that possibility? Companies need to actively manage their online reputation. Here are 3 ways to do that.

Search for your company’s name frequently

The first method is simple, but tried-and-true. Act as if you were a prospective job applicant, and search for your company’s name. What comes up?

If you have a good reputation, what should come up is your company’s website and positive comments, if any.

But a general search for your company’s name will also lead you to any negative comments. Finding them will allow you to practice reputation management.

By the way, do an image search for your company’s logo as well. Image searches can also bring up comments.

Monitor the company’s social media accounts

If your company has social media accounts, such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, make sure that the comments are monitored.

View comments here as valuable information, even if it is negative. Social media is the site of a conversation between your company and its potential customers and employees.

Respond appropriately to negative comments

Now, the crucial question. Should you respond if you find negative comments?

In general, negative comments need a response as part of your brand management. It’s important, though, to respond in the right way.

If the negative comments are true, the response needs to change the company and then say you’ve done that. Does your company pay below a market salary, and is that criticized on Glassdoor? Then you need to be prepared to remove the source of the negativity.

If they aren’t true, your company’s response needs to be professional and brief. If someone complains on Twitter about a product’s life span, for example, simply reply that many people have enjoyed the product for x years.

Never, never get into a highly negative and emotional exchange with any commenter online. It will create a bad perception about the company even if the comments are true.

Contact a Staffing Firm Today

Do you need to make sure you get more job applicants? An experienced staffing agency can help, with knowledge of the market and experienced people. We can recruit and help you develop a plan. We’re happy to help. Contact us today.