Imagine this: You’re a job-seeker who has just been offered positions within two major companies in your sector. What factors will influence your decision? If you’re like most people, these two considerations are at top of your list: pay and workplace culture. You fire up Google search, where you learn that Company A ranks slightly higher than Company B in terms of the average employee salary. But your search also leads you to a blog entry written by a former employee of Company A. Therein, she accuses the business of engaging in discriminatory practices. Comparatively, you find only positive accounts written by employees of Company B. Which one do you choose?
In recent years, the business world has grown exponentially more competitive, which means that it has become increasingly crucial that businesses maintain a positive image in order to attract not only dedicated clients, but also the top-quality employees. Moreover, the old adage “image is everything” has never held more truth than it is does in the here and now. In the new millennium, traditional forms of word-of-mouth have given way to the vast, often stormy seas of the internet. In turn, prospective employees can gain instant access to information concerning the working environment at almost any business. And, whether it appears in the form of a poll comparing workplace satisfaction across a number of companies or that of a blog entry detailing a former employee’s experiences working for a particular business, a negative review of a potential employer can send a prospective employee running fast in the direction of a competitor.
Fortunately, there are a number of ways to go about protecting your business’s brand identity—and thus maximizing your potential for attracting the best of the best among job-seekers in your field. This process starts within the workplace itself. In addition to ensuring that its workers receive fair compensation for their abilities and efforts, an employee-friendly workplace should make available to its employees resources to help them deal with any potential problems that may arise in their professional lives. A worker with a disability, for instance, should be made to feel comfortable requesting any accommodations necessary for him or her to perform an assigned task to the fullest potential. And when the inevitable workplace dispute arises—be it a disagreement over a project or an accusation of misconduct—all parties involved should be treated with the utmost respect and professionalism throughout the resolution process.
Once an employee-friendly workplace has been established, with all due policies and procedures in place, the company can advertise itself as such. In turn, that company is highly likely to find itself on the radar of talented prospective employees seeking positions within a business that treats its workers well in every respect. Moreover, because many potential clients also prioritize employee satisfaction when choosing whether or not to patronize a business, a company’s efforts to ensure that its workers love their jobs will reap rewards across the board.
This article is brought to you by Staffing Kansas City, a full-service Kansas City employment agency that provides contract-to-hire, direct hire and temporary placement services.
