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5 Simple Ways To Ruin Your Employer Branding

Job seekers are becoming more selective when searching for employment. They will take into account many aspects of what a company has to offer such as the salary, benefits, culture, and working environment.

Your company may offer jobs to excellent candidates but they could turn the offer down or only work at the company for a short period of time because of one reason: bad employer branding.

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Let’s take this situation as an example:

You, as the employer, managed to hire Muhammad, who is a top candidate to work for a crucial position. When it was his first day, he came in but he wasn’t greeted by anyone and nobody knew who he was. He had to introduce himself as a newbie and this made him feel unwelcomed.

His first impression of your company was rather chaotic; opposite to how he initially expected and this left him disappointed. He decided to resign after two months as he secured a job that treated him better. Later, he left an anonymous negative review about your company and the review is read by many other potential candidates who are considering applying to your company.

The scenario above is one of the many ways you can damage your employer brand. Your company must be presented as an employer of choice by many employees. Employer branding is a powerful tool to grab the attention of job seekers and to show them your company’s credibility.

With the power of social media, it may take years to build an employer branding and just seconds to ruin it. Here are 5 other simple ways you can ruin your employer brand:

1. Not respecting your candidates

Unfortunately, not many companies provide the best hiring process experience for job seekers. The candidates typically put in a great effort when applying for jobs; from crafting a good CV or resume, writing customised cover letters, filling in the application forms and more. However, most companies do not return the same energy. 

It is not surprising to say that there are companies that ignore and leave candidates in the dark or keep them waiting for responses. Instead of receiving a follow-up email from the company, the candidates would have to send an email themselves asking about their application status.

If you cannot treat your potential candidates well and with respect, this perception will taint your reputation to serve as a good employer.

2. Non-practical hiring process

A hiring process should be quick, practical and easy. It is better for candidates to go through a 3-step application process rather than a 10-step process. The lesser the step, the better.

Job searching can be stressful as it involves researching, preparing documents and submitting applications. Even as an employer, the recruitment process also takes time and effort in order to find the right candidate to fit for the job.

It is important to make the process less hassle with clear step-by-step procedures that can benefit both parties. A lengthy application process will make you lose a number of great applicants that could apply to your company.

Also, having too many interviews with too many people involved in the process will tire the candidates and make them lose interest faster. You need to structure a constructive recruitment process that will help you and the candidate feel at ease.

3. Posting poor job ads

The first thing job seekers would look at when searching for jobs is reading the job ads, be it online or offline. 

When writing a new job posting, don’t write it at the very last minute and post it right away. Put in an effort to proofread and double-check if there are any errors and vague information stated in the ads.

The job ads represent your image as an employer and the candidates will not only go through the ads, but they will also go through the company’s profile. Consider the job ads as one of the ways to impress and attract candidates to apply to your company.

4. Misrepresent your company’s culture

Misrepresenting your company is another way to ruin your employer brand. This can be done by providing false information on the values and mission of the company. Not being entirely honest about your company’s culture will cause the candidates to avert their attention from considering working with you.

Do not post or talk about things that your company does not even follow and practice. For example, if your company promotes a work-life balance, you should provide evidence to prove that. It can be images of the office environment or surroundings and previous non-work-related events held among the employees. If they notice any slight inconsistency, they will give up and consider other companies that showcase better employer branding.

5. Not posting beyond job openings

Job seekers, especially the younger ones, care about more than just a job description. They rely a lot on social media to learn more about their potential future employer. This is where you need to make use of the online platform to share a variety of content about your company.

If your company happens to be most candidates’ choice, they would want to know what it feels like to work at your company. The best way you can do as an employer is to provide insights on what your company does on a daily basis, share all of the achievements and activities, promote employee stories and more.

With social media and business becoming more transparent, employers must be aware that words travel fast, therefore any information shared online will build your company’s reputation for the better or for worse. Being a preferred employer will make your company more appealing to potential job seekers out there. 

If you’re looking for further guidance on employer branding or want to know how not to ruin it, feel free to contact us as we’re always happy to assist!

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