Your recruiting process is contributing to your success and public image, as well as the other way around.

The list of desirable employers is based on reputation, "word of mouth," and the public relations that each company has worked hard to build. Many factors are considered when referring to a good employer, but the following data shows us, statistically, what are the first thoughts that society has when evaluating the reputation and recruitment process of managers.

What do we mean by company reputation*
● 71.03% of candidates consider the good company reviews from current and former employees;
● 58.27% believe that a good employer brand is based on the salary and benefits package they offer;
● 35.68% believe that reputation begins with a recognizable name and logo.

This means that the company's reputation is made up of a mix of its brand and its online and offline presence. At the same time, the reputation is being influenced by a community of former and current employees who genuinely recommend (or do not) that organization.

What does the reputation of an employer/ company mean?

The complexities and subtleties of the reputation idea show how complicated people are, how easy it is for bad information to stick around and spread, and how much work a company has to do to keep a good reputation for a long time. So, for a company with a good culture, happy communities, and successful business goals, employee motivation is not just a short- and medium-term effect, but also a long-term collective contribution.

Elements of a good reputation

The following factors can be used to determine whether a company's reputation is good or bad:
● the first words people use to describe it;
● survey confidence scores;
● the ratio of positive to negative reviews on the official pages of the company, or the social media sites where customers can leave comments on each specific business;
● employee retention after being assimilated into the community of the company;
● the degree to which a business manages the relationship with employees who resign or are let go;
● the fluidity of the recruitment process (illegal tactics or lacking ethics, too many steps to complete, or unprofessional approaches becomes more easily known);
● the organization's opportunities for advancement and professional growth, as well as its willingness to offer horizontal or lateral moves.

The feedback from current and former employees

Every employee who talks about the company makes the company look a certain way. Whether voluntarily or involuntarily, the opinions expressed set standards for listeners, who may accept as true what they hear without further research into the business. This is due to the fact that the amount of information coming in is already too much, not necessarily because those people are shallow. Because of this, many people choose to limit their research to what they hear from trusted friends and acquaintances. This gives them more time to think about other things.

Negative reviews

Negative reviews will be easier to remember because they are part of the brain's defence system against possible threats. Listeners will recognise that there is a negative factor and be cautious and protect themselves in the future, even if they do not recall where exactly the information came from.

Positive reviews

People are more likely to remember positive opinions if they include specific, relatable, and interesting details that can be expanded on, rather than just being neutral and general. The pathos with which an employee chooses to discuss that company also has a significant impact on the impression that is made.

The best way for a business to get good reviews is to offer real benefits that employees value and can use in their everyday lives. So, the HR and marketing departments will make good decisions that reflect good values if they focus on results and not just on how they look. Furthermore, it's essential for the company to understand that any PR decision must go through a strictly internal process before it can be seen by the public.

The salary packages

People who are close to you will definitely ask about your salary, even though salary information is confidential. How are raises implemented? How much transparency was there during the recruitment process? These are reasonable questions to ask since the market is never fully informed and most interviews are stressful for the people taking part in them.

Future employees value a competitive salary package not only because it means a better quality of life and more stability, but also because they see it as a sign of how the company treats its employees and how well their needs and wants are taken into consideration in a capitalist society. Companies that offer attractive salary packages essentially say that they want their employees to be happy with their lives so that they are comfortable, safe, and in a setting that supports their development.

The manager's attitude

"Who will I be working with?" is a question that candidates might also ask friends or recruiters. They are aware that 90% of their work in the company is influenced by their relationship with the manager and that her/ his attitude directs how things are done throughout the team, establishes a culture among co-workers, and a way of relating to results based on either fear or achievement. Most employees would rather know about all of these things ahead of time. How a manager handles accountability, mistakes, or internal conflicts shows a lot about the company culture.

For instance, when someone makes a mistake and is criticized for it, especially in a public setting, the message is not one of constructive criticism but rather one that encourages the individual to keep their mistakes to themselves rather than admitting them the next time. It's critical for a manager to have a positive, growth-oriented mindset, just like when raising kids. Reprimands won't address the source; instead, they will simply help you avoid this symptom or impact in the future.

Opportunities for promotion

Both vertical and horizontal career paths are possible within a company. The next natural step for an employee's advancement may not always be into their manager's position, but rather into a job that supports their development and learning curve. If an employee has been in the same job for too long, they might be stuck into working patterns that block both their performance, as well as growth. Because of this, some professions, like medicine, are filled with people who win contests, make discoveries, write articles, go to congresses and seminars, etc., to get their degrees and advance.

Even if this cannot be applied to all sectors, there are some techniques that can be used to promote each person's healthy development in the organization. People who want to work for a company want to know that they can grow there and that there are no systemic barriers.

Extra-salary benefits

Employees may freely, openly, and cheerfully discuss a variety of topics, including fringe benefits. Once a manager consults the teams, she/ he can be surprised by how innovative and original their ideas might be. Therefore, the fringe benefits shouldn’t be just a default set of advantages, but also well-tailored to the specific needs of the respective team.

A company that promotes a healthy lifestyle focuses on people’s well-being and can offer a variety of benefits, such as gym memberships, health plans, childcare, extra vacation time, or massages at the workplace. Giving holiday or cultural vouchers shows that a company cares about its employees' work-life balance and encourages them to use both. Businesses that offer customized team building, subscriptions, or courses for each person show that they value each person's uniqueness and support their interests and hobbies.

General atmosphere at work

Depending on how their manager treats them, teams can either have a lot of internal resentment or a lot of collegiality, fair play, and respect. To keep a good reputation, a company should encourage its employees to talk to each other in a healthy way. As a result, the environment created will be one in which people thrive, can perform, and enjoy talking about.

The care shown towards the employee's physical and mental health

Businesses need to be connected to the modern world and open to new ideas, especially as they hire more people. Today, many companies have plans in place to support employees with their mental health, but it's important that these plans are more than just PR stunts and actually help their people. To show that you care about everyone in your organization, you need to listen to their needs, respect their private time, offer days off, have in place HR Managers who are attentive but not intrusive, and conduct training on how to approach difficult times and maintain a constructive attitude.

The selection process that contributes to the good reputation of an employer

Things an employer may do to promote themselves in a positive light even during the hiring process:
● be open to candidates' questions about the company, just as she/he raises them during the selection or interview process;
● have a transparent, personalized, and open announcement about the job they're offering;
● don't write standard and vague messages about the position they want to fill;
● be honest about the compensation package, non-salary benefits, the culture of the company, the bonuses offered, professional opportunities, and the courses the employees will be able to enrol in;
● to be as objective and fair as possible in the selection process, putting aside one's own subjective perceptions:
● support diversity & inclusion, be oriented towards equal opportunities, in order to show real political correctness and not just one of form;
● to integrate the organization's values into the messages sent, to show what type of decisions will be made inside the company.

How reputation influences the recruitment process

Before the interview, most candidates will have done research on the company and formed an opinion about it. So, it's also up to the employer to clear up any misunderstandings and be transparent about the organization's goals, the role being offered, and how they want to work with the new hire. There may also be a link between how many people in the relevant market are open to joining your organization and how happy the company's employees are. Also, people who are interviewed will remember how easy it was to get hired, which will help the company's reputation.

Transparency, open communication, and a positive attitude at work will help build a great reputation that will attract top talents to the team.

*According to a study conducted by eJobs https://www.forbes.ro/studiu-ejobs-6-din-10-angajati-romani-isi-aleg-viitorul-angajator-functie-de-reputatie-115735