talent management
THE INTERNET HAS CHANGED THE
WAY THAT CANDIDATES OBTAIN
INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMPANY.
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 re-views”
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 com-ments
(although some will), but if the work experience turns out to
be consistent with those comments, they too will become unwant-ed
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 re-tention
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 ef-forts
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 ben-eficial
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 (es-pecially
if they come from a competitor). They want the “engine”
of the organization to be driven by the most innovative, experi-enced
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 oth-ers
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 compet-itive
in the market. ■
Zut-Ying (Sue) Del Valle, CHRP is a human development project co-ordinator
at Golder Associates, where she supports human resources
and talent acquisition leaders across the globe.
Illustration by VKA/Shutterstock
54 ❚ MAY/JUNE 2014 ❚ HR PROFESSIONAL