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If You Fail To Demonstrate Your Values, You'll Lose Your Customers & Candidates
by L.B. LewisJanuary 28th, 2021
Too Long; Didn't Read
A company’s actions speak louder than its words. Companies lose customers & candidates during the hiring process when they fail to demonstrate their values.
From ghosting candidates to sending out rejection emails on Thanksgiving, a company’s actions speak louder than its words - or lack thereof. People value their experiences with brands. What’s more, 73% of job seekers and 71% of consumers prefer brands that are aligned with their personal values.
Companies who struggle to demonstrate their corporate values during the hiring process lose candidates, customers, and potential customers.
Hiring and job searching during the COVID Pandemic Era continue to change. The bottom line is that the majority of workers in the U.S. are looking for new jobs. Companies now find themselves facing more applicants accompanied by specific challenges in brand management. On both sides of the application process, people want to find the right fit which takes time, energy, and resources. Job seekers take, on average, 24 weeks to find a job, and companies take 42 days to fill a role.
In addition, according to a recent survey on LinkedIn, 75% said the interview process highly impacts how they view a brand.
No surprise: Interview feedback on sites like Glassdoor (with 67 million unique visitors a month) can only amplify one’s interview experience – for better or worse.
When 65% of job seekers, according to Lever, report being ghosted, the values of respect, integrity, and accountability (among others) are diluted. Comparing ghosting to receiving poor customer service, 60% of customers say they are unlikely to return to that business.
To be blunt, "empathy" to 2021 might be what "pivot" was to 2020: overused and cliché.
The lasting impression a company makes on an individual, whether they are a candidate or a customer, depends on how a company communicates. Moreover, from customer service to recruiting to marketing, empathy has been a star core value of 2021. Words with actions matter, also evidenced by the decline of influencer marketing in 2020.
During this time of unprecedented change and stress, there's a real opportunity to make a positive impact by understanding the power of effective and thoughtful communication based on values.
To be an authentic and trusted brand, the first step for companies is to identify their values and describe how they show up for these values. Next, incorporating applicant and candidate feedback and working with marketers on communication strategies strengthens internal teams and builds a more inclusive hiring process. Lastly, offering empathy and emotional intelligence resources for all employees will provide hands-on experience to improve self-awareness and communication.
In closing, according to Maya Angelou: “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Even during the job search process.
Previously published at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-treating-job-seekers-more-like-customers-critical-lewis/
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