As a result of the incredible growth of websites like Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google, and Facebook, online reviews are becoming the most important and most crucial variables influencing customers’ purchasing decisions.
It is not just customers who are writing reviews of companies. Employees are making their voices heard, also.
REVIEWS CAN IDEALLY BOOST YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND
A vital part of any effective employer branding and recruiting strategy is the capability to respond to employees; reviews and feedback on employee review websites such as Glass Door and Indeed.com.
Your recruiting prospects and brand reputation can be affected not only by what employees are saying online on
these sites, but also by how your company responds.
Of course, employers face their own unique set of rules and regulations, which means that Responding can sometimes be tricky — especially if the review is negative, or if, for example, its writer is a disgruntled former employee.
Need help getting started? Here are some best practices for Responding to employee reviews:
RESPOND TO ALL REVIEWS WITHOUT FAIL
This demonstrates that you are actively working to boost your employer brand. What’s more, it reveals prospects that you value feedback shared by all former and current employees — without any discrimination or preference for particular people or organizational levels.
ASSIGN SOMEONE FROM THE EXECUTIVE TEAM TO MANAGE ALL YOUR REVIEWS CAREFULLY
According to Glassdoor, the perception of an employer brand improves for 69 percent of its users when an executive responds to reviews.
You may want to consider assigning ownership of employees’ reviews to someone from your executive team. Set up alerts so that he or she can keep up with and Respond to what employees say online (something you can do is use RebelFish Local’s Review Monitoring, Collecting and Marketing Platform) — eliminating blind spots and unnecessary delays.
Respond within 24 to 48 hours if you can; if this is not possible, aim to have a response within seven days of the review being posted.
NEGATIVE FEEDBACK! STAY VERY PROFESSIONAL
A professional, non-defensive Response can help neutralize a bad review. Instead of Responding to accusations and validating the negative points raised by the employee, focus instead on writing a response that reinforces the positive and showcases your company’s values.
Do not lose your cool, and do not feel as though you’ve got to always talk about your aspect of the narrative or publicly comment on personnel issues.
BE THOUGHTFUL AND DEMONSTRATE EMPATHY
There’ll be occasions when it is vital to address particular issues raised by employees in their reviews. In such scenarios, be kind, considerate, and respectful. In case an apology is justified, do not be afraid to say sorry. Empathetic Responses humanize your brand and allow potential candidates to remain attracted to your opportunities.
For example, it won’t damage your reputation to say, “I’m sorry that our efforts are not meeting your expectations. But I’m thankful you took the time to share your feedback so I and others on our team can reflect on it and make improvements.”
CORRECT THE ISSUE
Even much more crucial than your Response to unwanted negative reviews is your capacity to utilize employee feedback to enhance the employee experience. Do not only pay lip service: do it and fix any issues discussed in reviews.
Another reason for using feedback this way is to prepare your company for times when a candidate who has read your reviews might ask probing questions about the employee experience.
ENCOURAGE CURRENT EMPLOYEES TO LEAVE REVIEWS
Transparency doesn’t stop after you have responded to all your reviews. Generate new reviews by encouraging your employees to share their feedback on company review sites. It’s a great way to capture and understand the voice of your workforce.
Just remember not to set any requirement that the review should be very positive. Anyhow, employees tend to feel much more goodwill toward a business which needs them to be authentic and provides platforms and opportunities for them to share genuine feedback.
Want to learn more about how to automate your review monitoring, review collecting and review marketing watch the quick video below.
If you interested in finding how we can help you your company improve your employee review rating and help develop a stronger reputation online with the power of employee reviews and employee review videos, please CLICK here to contact us for more information.
