You already know that potential customers will trust your business more if they hear about it from satisfied existing ones. The same logic applies to employees. Potential job candidates are more likely to trust the opinions of your current employees than the messages you're trying to convey through your "official" marketing efforts.
You have probably also noticed how much effort is put into employer branding by the companies that end up being the most attractive for job seekers. Why is that?
Your company's reputation as an employer directly impacts the type of candidates that are interested in working for you. The trick is to convince the potential candidates that your job conditions and company culture are accurate as you market them to be.
What employees think of your company is the key to attracting and keeping the top talent, and that's why businesses are increasingly turning to employee testimonials as a go-to move in recruiting strategy.
Read on to find out why employee testimonials are such a powerful tool for building an employer brand and how to use them in order to attract the top talent on the market.
What are employee testimonials?
Let's start from the basics. Employee testimonial is an official statement from an employee where they speak about their experience in a company - how it's like to work there, what their typical day at work looks like, what they like about it, etc. They serve as proof of the best aspects of your company, from an employee point of view.
Usually, employees will present their professional and personal journey that led them to the current role and how the company is supporting their development. They might also share their opinions on why they think their current company is a great place to work.
Compelling, isn't it?
Why do employee testimonials matter?
Today, job seekers put serious effort into researching companies they are interested in working for. According to Glassdoor, 83% of them refer to the company ratings as the deciding factor when applying for a job, and their most trusted sources of information are the current employees.
Employees generally trust each other more than they trust your marketing, and that's why you should put employee testimonials in the spotlight when advertising job positions.
Employee testimonials bring many benefits, especially in the digitalization era and the increase of remote jobs, where it's harder to build a brand genuinely. Employees have become the most trusted sources of information in the job search nowadays. This puts a lot of pressure on companies to pay attention to their brand image and employee experience, or they risk losing both top talent and customers.
This does sound like a risk, but there are good points as well. Now that you know the importance of employee experience, you can use it as an opportunity to create compelling employee stories that will enrich your career page, social media accounts, and, most importantly - your company with exceptional new people.
How do you gather the information?
Asking your employees to write about their experiences or share them in the form of a video testimonial is a direct way of gathering material. Besides those, you can send out a survey to all of your employees, set a reminder to ask new hires to share their impressions after six months or a year.
Even better - consult the internet. Your Glassdoor reviews or social media pages are invaluable social proof about your company, mainly because they don't come from the inside of your company.
Employee testimonials can be shown in many formats, from text interviews, articles, blog posts, videos to social media posts and takeovers. They all have a specific way of connecting with the audience, so you can experiment with different formats. Regardless of the form, the testimonials should tick these three boxes:
- Authenticity, which is easy to find in a genuinely good work culture
- A structure that is simple to follow
- A relatable story with personal details
What should an employee testimonial cover?
When creating an employee testimonial, it is important to cover the basics, such as: who they are, what their role in the company is, how long they have worked there, etc. However, you want to make it more personal than that. That is how you'll emotionally connect with your potential employees. Dig into why your company is a great place to work and what sets it apart from the rest.
The best way to create a compelling employee testimonial is to be genuine. Have that in mind when covering some popular topics such as:
Company's origin story. They are usually presented by the founder or an employee that has been with the company since its inception.
Positive and unique characteristics of the company culture. What values are cherished inside the company, how do employees spend their days, what are the perks that don't exist elsewhere, etc.
Growth opportunities. Your employees can share their experiences so that potential ones can see how they can develop within the company.
Industry-related buzz. It shows that your company stays up to date with current trends. That implies it is likely to do so when it comes to the treatment of its employees as well.
Even though they probably have a lot of positive things to share about working in your company, it can be challenging to inspire your employees to speak. Some of them might be shy or not sure where to start.
Here are some icebreaker questions you can use:
- What advice would you give someone who is considering working here?
- What are some benefits of working here that you discovered after getting started?
- What is keeping you with the company?
- Has the company helped you grow? In what ways?
- How has the company developed over the years, making it an excellent place to work?
Don't forget - emotions matter
An increasing number of people do anything before consulting the internet community, and applying for jobs is no different. However, you can adjust to this and use it to your advantage by harnessing your employees' power. Simply give them space to share their thoughts and feelings about working in your company, and like-minded professionals will be drawn to your company.
We have given you some tips on using employee testimonials as an instrument in attracting top talent, so you can already get started.
Conclusion
Employee testimonials influence how candidates perceive your company, workplace, and values. So the key is in showing that you understand employees' concerns and care about them as human beings. That makes people want to work for and stick with your company.
In today’s world, it is hard to find great employees, so you should use every tool available to show the benefits your company can provide. Employee testimonials are among the best when it comes to building a reputation as a good company to work for and creating an emotional connection with your potential candidates.
Creating authentic, relatable stories will set you apart from the competition on the job market and help you attract amazing professionals that fit your company culture. Now that we’ve covered the importance of employee testimonials and provided the tips for getting started, do not waste more time and start creating them. The results will follow.
About the author
Sam Shepler is the founder and CEO of Testimonial Hero. 150+ B2B revenue teams at Google, UiPath, Medallia, InsightSquared, and many others use Testimonial Hero to easily create customer videos that engage prospects, reduce friction in the sales cycle, and drive more revenue faster.
