A UK company recently went viral as it recruited new employees – but not for the reasons it might have hoped for. The fallout from an easy-to-make mistake brought a certain notoriety to the company’s door that they won’t be able to shake off for a while.
The horror story goes like this: a member of the company’s recruitment team was tasked with slimming down applications into a shortlist for interview. Passing on this shortlist to colleagues via email, they suggested that a particular candidate be offered an opportunity to interview for the position because, if anything, “it’d be worth a laugh” - as they perceived them to be, in their words, a “home-educated oddball”.
Heinous enough, we’re sure you’d agree, if these comments were only seen by those within the company. However, the email containing these comments was accidentally sent to the candidate in question. A horror story indeed.
The popular saying suggests “there’s no such thing as bad publicity”. A higher profile is useful, but if it’s come about because you’ve dropped a clanger, surely the longer-term ramifications far outweigh any short-term ‘fame’?
Consider the following:
- A typical business hears from 4% of its dissatisfied customers
- It takes twelve positive experiences to make up for one negative experience
- News of poor service reaches twice as many ears as good service (especially so, now we have social media, and companies such as TrustPilot)
- For every person who complains, a staggering 26% remain silent
- According to statistics, agents fail to answer questions 50% of the time
- More than two-thirds of us hang up the phone in frustration if we can’t talk to a human being
For recruitment web design companies, the pressure not to make a mistake is increased due to the two markets in which most operate; whilst they have a duty to keep job-seekers happy, they also need to maintain good relations with the clients and companies they work with. No mean feat.
Here are just a couple of suggestions that may help:
- Incorporate appropriate training, which is regular and covers all relevant areas. There may be times, under pressure, when you may be tempted to throw people in at the deep end. However, they’ll be more prone to creating their own horror stories if they’re not fully trained, briefed or equipped.
- Remember that everyone’s different; therefore, you should never assume anything, nor adhere to stereotyping or bias of any kind.
- Everything leaves a trail, whether it’s on paper, it’s digital, or it’s spoken. If it’s something that shouldn’t be said, don’t say it; neither should you write it or email it. Reputations can take a long time to build but only minutes to demolish.
This is one statistic we’re passionate about:
58% of us research the products and services we plan to use online, before we go ahead and purchase from/approach the company.
Given this percentage, what does your website say about your recruitment business? Does it represent another horror story? If you’re turning people off, not answering those questions that are so important to visitors, or not showing your human side, you could be shutting out 58% of new business that would otherwise become clients.
Let’s face it, even if your website was a horror story, who’s going to tell you?
Here’s another statistic: 66% of job applicants would apply for a job using their smartphone. There’s also reason to believe new clients would look you up on their phone, too, nowadays. So, if your site isn’t responsive across all types of digital screens and devices, that could be the basis of another horror story.
The world is so competitive nowadays, and it takes a lot to excel at every touchpoint, and to be all things to all people. But, saying that, there are companies and brands nailing it, at the top of their respective industries. Aim to be the stuff of fairy tales, not horror stories.
We’ll give you an honest, constructive appraisal of your website and online presence. Contact Fast Recruitment Websites for a free, no obligation chat on 01302 288591, or email us at info@fastrecruitmentwebsites.com.
