With Expert Insights from Taylor Meadows, Head Strategist, Employer Brand at Glassdoor
Building and maintaining a strong employer brand is an ongoing journey, but it becomes even more critical when a business is going through a challenging time. This isn’t always due to a tough economy; it can be the result of management turnover, a merger resulting in redundancies (and as a result involuntary separations), shifting business priorities, cash flow challenges or even a change in product-market fit. Really anything that can spark uncertainty, where candidates and employees alike may question if the company is the right “fit” for them.
A positive employer brand attracts top talent, reduces recruitment costs, and fosters a more engaged and productive workforce. Here are five key takeaways from our conversation with Taylor Meadows from Glassdoor, to help you navigate difficult times and protect your employer brand:
1. Leverage the Power of Alumni Engagement:
Your company’s reputation is shaped by a three-way conversation: current, former, and potential employees. As Meadows explains, “The best employer brands will attract new talent to the business, validate the experience (and pride!) of existing employees and reflect the actual experience departing employees had during their tenure.” Positive testimonials from departing employees who left on good terms hold immense value.
Actionable Tip: Meadows suggests establishing an “Alumni Resource Group” on Glassdoor’s new Bowl feature. This online community fosters connection and knowledge sharing among departing employees, potentially leading to “boomerang candidates” who may return to your company in the future. As Meadows noted, “it may even inspire a boomerang candidate back to the business if it tells an authentic story.”
2. Prioritize a Thoughtful Offboarding Experience:
Offboarding is often an overlooked aspect of the employee lifecycle, but it’s your last chance to leave a lasting positive impression. A bad offboarding experience can lead to negative online reviews and tarnish your employer brand.
Actionable Tip: Tailor your offboarding process to the reason for departure, as suggested by Meadows. For voluntary departures, host a celebratory farewell and encourage them to leave a Glassdoor review, featuring the experiences they enjoyed. For involuntary departures, demonstrate compassion by offering outplacement services, mental health support, and a generous severance package. Meadows recommends creating a pathway for feedback through employee reviews: “The best strategy would be to create a pathway for feedback and transparently communicate how it would be actioned on.”
3. Respond to Reviews with Transparency and Empathy:
Responding to reviews on platforms like Glassdoor demonstrates that you value employee feedback, both positive and negative. It’s an opportunity to showcase your commitment to continuous improvement and employee well-being.
Actionable Tip: Develop a strategic review response strategy. Respond promptly and empathetically to all reviews. Acknowledge concerns raised by employees, validate their feelings, and outline specific actions you’ll take to address the issues. This transparency builds trust and demonstrates that you take employee feedback seriously. As Meadows noted, “a thoughtful offboarding experience is a strategic employer brand play…it showcases tact and care.” When responding to negative reviews, Meadows advises using “warm, compassionate and actionable language” to show that “employees are cared for even after they depart, even if their experience wasn’t great.”
4. Encourage Regular Review Sharing Throughout the Year:
Review behavior is typically driven by situational experiences, according to Meadows. Employees might leave a review after a promotion or to express frustration with a company restructuring. However, the best employers don’t rely solely on these situations.
Actionable Tip: Encourage employees to leave reviews throughout the year. Meadows suggests considering including invitations in happy birthday notes, digital work anniversary cards, or company milestone communications. This helps generate a balanced set of reviews that accurately reflect your company culture, with a mix of positive and constructive feedback.
5. Foster Open Communication During Difficult Times:
Transparency and clear communication are essential during a challenging business environment. A lack of communication can breed fear and uncertainty among employees, potentially leading to negative word-of-mouth or online reviews.
Actionable Tip: Meadows advises on leadership transparency: “Leadership transparency may answer (most) questions, provide clarity into why the decision was made and also reduce worry or concern an employee may develop about their own performance or capabilities.” In addition, in the event of the worst-case scenario involving employee reductions, “I’ll also note that leadership communication is key in delivering news of a reduction; the tone and delivery of bad news has the ability to impact the legacy that a company’s reputation has. The idea is to communicate delicately and thoughtfully so that both the departing employees’ experience, and the company’s employer brand, are serviced and protected.” Hold town halls or team meetings to address concerns and explain the situation. Be honest about the challenges the company faces, but also communicate a clear plan for moving forward.
Ultimately, a positive employer brand can be maintained even during difficult times. By prioritizing a positive employee experience throughout the entire lifecycle, and focusing on employee well-being, companies can demonstrate their commitment to their workforce and potentially prevent negative sentiment from spreading. If experiencing tough times (or even if not), companies should offer resources and support programs, including mental health support services for employees, and severance and outplacement services to departing staff. Most importantly, they need to be transparent and authentic, and celebrate successes (big and small). Recognition through these celebrations demonstrates that you value your employees’ contributions, regardless of the business climate. Even during difficult times, celebrating successes can boost employee morale and showcase a positive company culture.
Taylor Meadows is Head Strategist, Employer Brand at Glassdoor. Meadows has designed and launched Indeed’s Employer Brand Activation Workshop, helping clients define and market their EVP. In addition to being a keynote speaker and presenter, Meadows has made numerous expert appearances and has been cited through multiple national publications.
