How you fare on company review platforms determines what talent you attract: Study

Professionals nowadays carefully review any job opportunity by scanning company reviews to assess the reputation of the organisation and the career growth offered before deciding to join 

A company’s work culture, its people partnerships and its perception as an employer brand is information easily available and accessible as an open book, on sources that are heavily sought after by people before choosing a workplace. Today’s professionals no longer look for jobs. They look for career development and long-term growth opportunities.

Hence, through a host of information channels available to them, they carefully review any job opportunity by scanning company reviews to assess the reputation of the organisation and the career growth offered. A recent survey by JobBuzz (a TimesJobs platform) confirmed that 60 per cent of the professionals research an organisation before accepting their job offer.

A clear majority of the 660 professionals studied in the survey agreed that whether one is at the beginning of job search, preparing for an interview or contemplating a job offer, being armed with information about the prospective company is in one’s best interest.

Over 35 per cent of professionals rely on company-review platforms to check out and research a prospective company. About 30 per cent use web search and scan through articles, stories, media mentions and Wikipedia to gather insights about the organisation they are looking to work with. In addition, the survey also revealed that about 19 per cent of the professionals rely on word-of-mouth to get an understanding about the work culture, leadership and other aspects of the organisation and 16 per cent scan the company website for relevant information.

The quality of talent an organisation is able to attract and retain is crucial to its success in today’s highly competitive environment. In line with that, Nilanjan Roy, head of strategy, Times Business Solutions says, “The study clearly shows that companies that are active on employer review sites are able to engage with top talent and build their reputation as one of the best places to work, giving them the critical edge as an employer of choice.”

Company reviews help assess organisations candidly

Emphasising the importance of company-review platforms, 35 per cent professionals agreed that they could assess the company comprehensively, across multiple parameters. Nearly 30 per cent feel they are a big benefit when you are unsure of which company to select, since they give you a lot of information and provide suggestions.

Another 15 per cent say they do not rely only on company reviews, but seek out other sources as well while making career decisions. Interestingly, on the other hand, 20 per cent professionals felt that most reviews on such websites were planted or fake. Anyhow, the significance of having a good number of positive reviews on a company-rating website must not be discounted.

This is further supported by the fact that 25 per cent of professionals use company-rating websites every time they get a job offer. About 45 per cent say they use it sometimes, when they are not very knowledgeable about the company, while 20 per cent say they rarely use it and 10 per cent say they access other sources for company information.

Company culture is the most important factor

The study also revealed the checklist of parameters, which professionals use to assess a potential employer. Among the factors mentioned, company culture is the most crucial for almost 40 per cent professionals, for 35 per cent of them work–life balance is their focus while checking company reviews. Nearly 30 per cent professionals say salary scales are of high importance for them, while rewards and recognition are a decisive factor for another 30 per cent. 25 per cent look at the learning and development opportunities critically.

Reviews impact employee perceptions

The impact of company reviews on a professional’s decision can be gauged by the fact that 90 per cent of the surveyed professionals’ perceptions had been altered after reading a company review. For 50 per cent professionals, it had positively impacted their decision to take up the job at a specific company, implying the review has created a good impression about the company. For 40 per cent professionals, it had negatively impacted their decision creating a bad impression about the company. Another 10 per cent said their career decisions were unaffected by reading reviews.

This study is proof that the days of indiscriminately applying to jobs through newspapers, or depending on friends and family for recommendations are passé. In today’s highly competitive business environment, online and social media are the new modes of recruitment. The critical aspect is how effectively companies can engage and respond to past, present and future employees on these platforms.