By MaryLee Herrmann
Smart communities are treating the current job market like they’re on Match.com.
They know high-quality, passionate, caring employees are checking them out online before applying for work, to see if the community is a good fit.
Want to stop getting ghosted?
Want to up your online game?
That doesn’t just mean updating your website. Job seekers know that your own website is like your mom filling out your online dating profile—of course, it paints you in a rosy light, it’s YOUR OWN SITE. Not exactly an impartial perspective.
Your potential hires are looking for reviews that aren’t afraid to spill the beans—tell what it’s really like working in your community.
Turning to Google
One of the best ways you can attract prospective employees and assure them that your community is a great place to work is by really giving them something to Google–honest reviews by people already in the know, your current employees.
It’s well known that employees will remain with a company where they feel valued and respected and part of the team. That connection is a trust built between you and your staff members.
If only your present employees could share on Google that they feel their skills and compassion are appreciated in your community. (Yes, there’s a way, we’ll get to that!) Then people seeking that same work environment, that same give-and-take relationship, will find your job opening particularly attractive.
Getting the Positive Reviews
To really make your communities appeal to prospects, Nick Waslien, President and CEO of Savant (formerly CareQuality), a Foresight partner, says you need something to make your company stand out. You do that with specific, positive comments that catch the eye of your next awesome employee.
One thing you can do is ask employees to post reviews on job sites–LinkedIn and other websites. But you know that the least-happy employees are the most likely to post. Venting is fun.
And even when your happy employees do post, they’ll probably say something like, “Great place to work!” which isn’t convincing and doesn’t tell job seekers what they need to know.
Here’s how Nick and the Savant team get the best reviews:
- They conduct one-on-one surveys with staff members over the phone.
- The trained interviewers follow up on vague replies and ask more questions to get to the nitty-gritty.
This info not only helps you know what is going well and what might need your attention, but detailed responses provide valuable insight from your team which you can also share online to help attract additional quality employees.
“Do you like your work environment?”
“Yes, I really like working here.” (Box checked, and this is where many outdated surveys end.)
“Okay, and can you tell me why?”
“My bosses are nice.” (‘Nice bosses’, check. Yeah, that doesn’t tell you much.)
“What do they do that you appreciate?”
“They let us know when we are doing a good job. We have a monthly team party, which helps us blow off steam and get to know each other better.” (Now, we’re finally getting some real details!)
You’ve now got specific, detailed insider reviews to post on your Facebook page—you better believe prospective employees are hitting up your social media. And you can ask your staff to share their reviews directly on Google using Savant’s Review Request Tool. Plus, you can put them on your website with a Savant widget.
Seeing positive reviews makes the difference in whether the prospective hire bothers to apply and send in their resume.
Savant is also developing an integration with LinkedIn, which will roll out in early 2022, making it even easier for you to share reviews.
The Second Date . . . and Third and Fourth (AKA Staff Retention)
Another benefit of having Savant ‘s information at the ready is you know employees’ concerns. Even your new team members are interviewed in a timely manner, so you don’t end up on the sad end of being ghosted. “Hey, where’d you go?”
Upcoming: We’ll get into how Savant ‘s data assures a mutual commitment and makes sure you retain your new hires.
For now, your new candidate has become a quality addition to your team. It’s a match successfully made by you and your new glad-to-be-there staff member. Guess you could call Savant your high-tech matchmaker. (Your mom approves, too.)
You can get started with Savant and increase your prospects today—with no long-term contract. Click here to learn more.
