BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Businesses that fail to align their recruiting practices with their branding strategy risk losing top talent and potential revenue - with social media further amplifying these consequences, according to a new study by Alexander Mann Solutions, a provider of world-class talent and resourcing capability.
The global report - which surveyed consumers in the United States, the United Kingdom and China – found that more than half (52 percent) of respondents said a negative interview experience would impact on their purchasing decisions. Fifty-percent of American respondents said a bad interview experience would push them to reconsider buying from the interviewing company, compared to 58 percent in the United Kingdom and 47 percent in China. Of course, netting a few disgruntled customers is an inevitable part of doing business. However, social media now enables a handful of displeased job candidates to quickly spread their dissatisfaction and potentially influence thousands – or even millions – of people. In fact, 75 percent of American respondents said they would be likely to share a negative interview experience with their personal and professional networks.
“There’s a crucial ‘sliding door’ moment for interviewing candidates. Not only are they potential customers, but during the interviewing process, they also have the potential to become part of the brand,” explains Lisa Chartier, head of U.S. resourcing communications for Alexander Mann Solutions. “Companies that don’t consider the implications of this very emotional process are – at best – letting a potential customer go. At worst, these companies are damaging their brands on a much larger scale.”
Considering the hefty investment most companies make in building their brands, safeguards should be put in place so that job candidates and former employees are not tempted to damage a brand because of a negative human resources experience. To mitigate this risk, the report urges businesses to apply their branding strategy throughout the entire employment lifecycle – from interviewing candidates to transitioning employees to alumni. Although businesses often overlook this stage of the employee lifecycle, departing employees continue to interact with brands as potential customers, product advocates, and possibly, future hires.
“There are three primary phases within the full employment lifecycle - the candidate touch point, the employee touch point, and the alumni touch point - each with several touch point opportunities for engagement within them. Each of these touch points is vital in ensuring that an employee, or potential employee, has a positive brand experience that they are likely to carry forward with them,” Chartier says.
Job Candidates Welcome Social Media Checks
In a surprising shift, the report also finds that 80 percent of Americans don’t mind if a potential employer checks their social media profiles – including Facebook and Twitter – during the job interview process. Since the advent of social media, Americans have been urged to hide their social media profiles from potential employers, but in reality, Americans now expect their online life to add weight to hiring decisions. One out of two Americans (50.3 percent) said that an employer checking their social networking profiles during the application process wouldn’t make any difference to their view of the company, with 29.7 percent saying that it would have a positive impact on the their view of that company.
“The tide has turned on the way job candidates use social media. In today’s world, consumers are regularly engaging with brands on Facebook and Twitter, so it’s natural for this interaction to extend into the job application sphere,” Chartier says. “While some brands have been slow to use these channels to support their employer brands and talent management strategies, these findings should open the door for them to confidently move in this direction. In general, taking a more thoughtful and strategic approach to the entire interview process will lead to a longer, more rewarding relationship between the candidate and the employer – no matter the outcome of the interviewing process.”
Download Alexander Mann Solutions’ full whitepaper, “Candidates, Consumers and Your Global Brand.”
Editor’s Note: The findings are based on answers from 540 respondents located in the United States (29 percent), the United Kingdom (36 percent), and China (35 percent). Gender responses were split evenly at 49 percent for women and 51 percent for men. Eighty-eight percent of the sample were confirmed to be employed at the time of response.
About Alexander Mann Solutions
Alexander Mann Solutions builds world-class talent and resourcing capability for organizations and is the recognized global leader in Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO). The company is a trusted advisor that delivers its services through innovative outsourcing and consulting services that include permanent, contingent, internal mobility, graduate and talent resourcing programs. Alexander Mann Solutions was founded in 1996 by Rosaleen Blair, the Veuve Clicquot 2007 Business Woman of the Year.
For more information, please visit www.alexandermannsolutions.com