Culture
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By Zut-Ying (Sue) Del Valle, CHRP

How important is social feedback to HR departments?

Every year, companies spend thousands of dollars on recruitment strategies and programs aimed at attracting the best talent, reaching passive candidates and broadening the employment brand recognition in the minds of potential candidates.

After much research and ever-lasting management meetings, the sales pitch is always the same regardless of the industry – the employment value proposition, or in the candidate’s mind, a story of how wonderful the company is and the things the company is willing to do for them in return for their service. Unfortunately, all of this information that we provide candidates has been passed through the legal and marketing department, edited and re-written several times and carefully reviewed by human resources executives before it is made accessible to candidates. 

The truth is that candidates are not overly interested in the well printed documents; they want to go underneath the surface, and hear what existing employees really have to say about the company – they want the real story without the edits. The 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer, which survey’s more than 30,000 people, found that “rank-and-file employees have more credibility than chief executives.” In fact, the report goes to show that there was a 75 per cent increase from 2011 in the amount of respondents that trust social media as a place where they might find information about a company. This is the end of the “employment brand” as we know it, and the beginning of a new reality.

The power of a negative review
We do it all the time when making an investment or purchasing a product. We like the product, we’ve seen the commercials and read the labels, but we want to see what others are saying first. As part of our due diligence, we ask our friends, colleagues and read the reviews before making our way to the store. And yet, after reading several consistent negative reviews, we feel hesitant to buy the product or make the investment thinking to ourselves, “What if I end up having a bad experience, too?” or we quickly decide not to buy. We simply do not feel that we’re ready to take that risk, and so we base our decision on what others have to say, and on their experiences.
A company’s employment brand is not much different than that product.

Candidates have seen the website, heard the pre-recorded “testimonials” and followed you on social media, yet nothing speaks to them more clearly than what current or former employees have to say about the organization. The Internet has changed the way that candidates obtain information about the company; websites like Indeed.com, Glassdoor.com, Ratemyemployer.ca and social networks (amongst others) allow current and former employees to anonymously share their experiences and rate their companies as an employer of choice. By simply searching the words “company reviews” they find themselves in front of comments that will begin to shape their perception before making a decision.

It is true that not all candidates will base their decision solely on the negative comments (although some will), but if the work experience turns out to be consistent with those comments, they too will become unwanted advocates to your employment brand. The issue is not whether your employment brand is being affected or not, but rather if those reviews are a true representation of your culture. This would mean that you do not just have a talent acquisition problem, but also a retention and engagement problem.

Could we be afraid of the truth?
For many executives, the validity of social data is questionable and viewed as inaccurate information, perhaps in fear that the feedback received may be true. Executives opt to take a reactive approach to the external feedback, and continue to build on their existing efforts driving engagement. Unfortunately, without understanding what is really affecting our culture, we often invest in the wrong programs, and continue to head down in the wrong direction.

It is true that we have little control on what gets posted over the Internet, and organizations cannot be changing gears every time a negative comment is posted, but embracing social data (rather than running from it) and using the information to review our internal processes and employment value proposition can be extremely beneficial to the organization (both externally and internally). The best course of action that executives can take when they feel that their employment brand is being misrepresented is to simply ask their people.

This will (i) confirm if the external feedback is correlated with internal sentiments; (ii) help determine if they are investing in the right “people” programs; and (iii) provide an opportunity to change direction before it becomes too late.

Beyond the pretty pictures

Companies are constantly on the lookout for the best talent (especially if they come from a competitor). They want the “engine” of the organization to be driven by the most innovative, experienced and motivated employees. In the same manner, people are looking for the best company. They are interested in working for a reputable organization where their service and experience will be valued and supported.

They will compare your organization to others in the industry, review all the comments, compile their learnings and make a final decision based on where they feel they will have the most positive experience. As mentioned earlier, candidates are more interested in what is found beneath the surface, rather than the pretty pictures and words displayed on your careers page. To be successful, executives must pay attention to what is being said about the company and take proactive measures to remain competitive in the market.

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