Employer branding is becoming more and more interesting for B2B decision-makers. A special aspect of this: dealing with bad employer reviews. They can also scare away B2B candidates, as they apparently showcase how potential business partners treat their staff. This is why the marketing of this topic should be highly professional.
Employer branding: chances and risks for enterprises
Enterprises leverage employer branding in the “war for talents” by positioning themselves as a good employer – both towards their own staff and potential candidates. Online platforms like Kununu can, however, throw a monkey wrench in the works. After all, here is where both current and former employees share and review their experiences with the company publicly. First and foremost, this offer is geared towards job-seekers. It gives them a glance into an organisation that they otherwise would hardly get from the outside. They find out first-hand how the company treats its employees, how managers behave or which benefits are offered. In other words: applicants receive an impression of the company’s culture from just one employer review.
But giving reviews has an impact that goes far beyond these borders. For instance, such portals today are also interesting for the area of B2B. Whether business contacts are made depends on the respective image of a partner. Should they be shown on Kununu and similar to be a bad employer, this generally throws a bad light on the company. If the staff complains of too much stress, unjust treatment or lack of further training options, then the productivity, the motivation and, ultimately, the quality of goods or services is affected. In turn, positive employer reviews underscore professional leadership.
Many companies are already very aware of this, strive for a good employer review and purposefully leverage employer branding. They have recognised how important this review is in light of the labour shortage. Because they can use this lever to score with more and more B2B partners, they tackle this topic strategically.
3 tips for good employer branding
A poor rating on Kununu and similar is not exactly something worth advertising. Some companies therefore try to balance out negative reviews with bogus kudos. But such tricks usually come to light and make everything even worse. It would make more sense to face the critique in order to handle it competently and, if need be, improve employee leadership.
Tip 1: Turn employees into brand ambassadors
As the meaning of employer branding increases, so too should the self-confidence of the management to encourage staff to participate. Across all departments, not just on the management level. After all, the more good (real) reviews that are provided from various departments, the more credible the results. Another advantage: negative reviews from current or former, resentful employees take the back burner.
Tip 2: Integrate candidates
How a company ticks is often seen in the application process. Which is why human resources heads should encourage job candidates to voice their opinion. In this respect, it is not essential if the candidate was accepted or not. In any case, the link to an online site for applicants or a review portal, for instance, gives the impression of openness and fairness.
Tip 3: React to poor grades
Regardless of how good a company treats its employees – there will always be negative reviews now and again. The company’s responsible persons should react to these in order to have the last word. After all, bad reviews that remain uncontested lead to the field being handed over to the opponent. The confrontation should always be subjective and underpinned with arguments. What’s more, it also makes sense to start up a dialogue with the reviewer. The important thing is to give an individually formulated answer. If you simply copy and paste from a pre-defined host of answers, it shows that you are not really interested in employer branding.
