Don’t Do This! 20 Ways to Ruin Your Employer Brand

Did you know a poor employer brand could increase your cost per hire dramatically? Employer branding is the perception of your company as an employer, impacting your ability to attract and retain talent. This article exposes common mistakes that actively harm an employer’s reputation and highlights the serious consequences for talent acquisition and retention. This guide will help HR leaders and decision-makers understand how to build a strong employer brand.

1. The Core Offenses: Creating a Foundation of Distrust

Ignoring Employee Feedback & Concerns

Failing to act on employee concerns projects a lack of care, undervaluing employee voices. A small concern can rapidly create negative information that is spread through employer review platforms and social media. You should, instead, create strategies for actively soliciting, analyzing, and acting upon employee feedback.

Lack of Transparency & Dishonesty

Hiding information or being dishonest about company culture creates deep-seated distrust, damaging employee morale and engagement. Consider, instead, ways to promote open communication and transparency within the organization to ensure authenticity for both employees and potential candidates.

A Toxic Work Environment

A toxic work environment is represented by bullying, harassment, lack of support, and high stress, ultimately impacting employee well-being and productivity, which increases turnover. Steps should be taken to identify, address, and prevent toxic behaviors within the workplace to protect the employer branding and prevent negative word-of-mouth and public reviews.

2. The Compensation Catastrophes: Undermining Value and Respect

Underpaying Employees

Offering below-market salaries significantly impacts employee perceptions of value, deterring top talent and impacting your reputation. Compensation plays a significant role in attracting and retaining top talent. Conduct regular salary benchmarking and ensure competitive compensation packages to attract the best talent.

Failing to Recognize and Reward Performance

Inadequate recognition will impact employee morale and motivation. A lack of rewards can lead to feelings of being unappreciated and undervalued. Aim to implement effective recognition programs that align with company values and goals.

Not Offering Competitive Benefit Packages

Many talented individuals are deterred from joining or remaining with a company when organizations do not provide adequate benefits. By not adapting to employee expectations for benefits, organizations can create negative employee experience. Explore non-monetary rewards and benefits, such as flexible work schedules, professional development, or wellness programs

3. The Recruitment Fumbles: First Impressions Gone Wrong

A Confusing and Difficult Hiring Process

Cumbersome or poorly managed application processes will create a bad first impression and potentially high amount of drop-off rates due to negative candidate experience. You want to create a streamlined, user-friendly hiring experience for candidates.

Poor Communication During Recruitment

A lack of communication or responsiveness makes candidates lose interest and question the company’s professionalism. Create clear expectations and be sure to maintain consistent communication throughout the hiring process.

Misleading Job Descriptions

Misrepresenting job duties or growth opportunities affects new hire satisfaction and retention. Be sure to take the steps to write clear, accurate, and compelling job descriptions to avoid damaging employer brand.

Failing to Deliver on Promises Made During Recruitment

It’s crucial to align the candidate experience with the actual employee experience. Organizations must deliver on promises made during the interview process. This will damage credibility and result in distrust.

4. The Leadership Lapses: Eroding Trust from the Top Down

Poor Communication from Leadership

Poor leadership communication has a cascading effect on employee engagement and satisfaction. It’s vital to promote open and accessible leadership to ensure the team performs as desired.

Inconsistent Messaging and Actions

A disconnect between what leadership says and what they do harms trust. Instead, organizations need authenticity when it comes to the need for authenticity and integrity in leadership behavior. This is important for improving employee relations.

Not Investing in Employee Development

Neglecting employee growth and learning opportunities will impact the employer-employee dynamic. Provide opportunities for skill development, career advancement, and professional growth to keep workers.

Failing to Address Workplace Conflicts

Ignoring conflicts can deteriorate the overall work environment, leading to negative emotions such as resentment and frustration. Have a conflict resolution process set in place to avoid chaos and bad feelings.

5. The Operational Oversights: Small Things, Big Impact

Inadequate Training and Resources

A lack of proper training and necessary resources creates frustration and inefficiency. Invest in employee training and provide the resources needed for success to boost morale.

A Negative Offboarding Experience

A poorly managed exit process leaves a lasting impression of the company. Always provide a smooth, respectful, and professional offboarding experience that protects the company’s reputation and offboarding impression.

Ignoring Social Media

Take time to respond to comments and reviews on social media since it allows you to engage with customers, potential candidates, and current employees. Manage your social media reputation to address concerns when necessary.

A Lack of Work-Life Balance

Poor work-life balance leads to burnout and high turnover costs, increasing mental health issues for individuals, creating possible disability claims, and negatively impacting the overall health of the organization. Create flexibility for employees that meets the company’s needs as well to accommodate individual needs and lifestyles. Not adapting to changing employee expectations for work-life balance and flexibility further contributes to the issue. Promote work-life integration and reduce burnout for longevity.

6. The Ethical Failures: Diversity, Inclusion, and Adaptability

A Lack of Diversity and Inclusion

A lack of diversity and inclusion makes your company seem out of touch with the current climate, resulting in damaging employer brand. Provide a welcoming atmosphere for employees with all backgrounds and implement inclusive policies and practices to have a modern outlook.

Not adapting to change

Many companies fail to consider the importance of adapting to change, such as integrating technology, to increase efficiency and promote collaboration. Listening to younger generations’ ideas may prove beneficial to your company’s performance.

The Consequences of Employer Brand Neglect

Neglecting to maintain a positive employer brand ultimately leads to the following negative outcomes:

• Higher recruitment costs
• Increased employee turnover
• Difficulty attracting top talent
• Negative company reputation
• Decreased employee morale and productivity

A negative employer brand damages your ability to retain successful employees in the long-term

Consequence	Impact
Higher Recruitment Costs	More money spent on advertising, agencies, and internal resources.
Increased Employee Turnover	Loss of knowledge, productivity dip, and increased costs for recruitment and training of new hires.
Difficulty Attracting Talent	Top candidates choose competitors with better reputations, reducing the talent pool.
Negative Company Reputation	Reduced sales, difficulty attracting investors, and overall penalizes employer branding.
Decreased Employee Morale & Productivity	Disengaged employees, lower quality work, and a decline in overall business performance.

Actively managing and protecting your employer branding is paramount for long-term success. Avoiding previously stated mistakes that destroy employer brand, such as ignoring employee feedback, lacking transparency, and fostering a toxic work environment, organizations can ensure a healthy image. Investing in employee experience and fostering a positive work environment is crucial for long-term success.

HR leaders and decision makers should take ownership of the employer branding and implement strategies to create a positive and attractive workplace. Turn to Review.jobs for resources to assist with building your organization’s reputation.

Let’s answer the most Frequently Asked Questions on How to destroy your employer brand reputation:

FAQ

What actions negatively impact employer brand?
Ignoring employee feedback, lack of transparency, toxic work environments, poor communication, unethical behavior, and inconsistencies between what’s promised and delivered all negatively impact the reputation.

Why does employer branding matter?
Employer branding matters as it affects talent acquisition, employee retention, and overall company reputation. A positive employer brand assists in attracting top talent but a negative reputation can kill your employer brand from within.

Who is responsible for employer branding?
Employer branding is a collective responsibility, but HR leaders, executives, and managers play key roles in managing and shaping the employer’s brand. As a result, the executive team needs to take Corporate Social Responsibility seriously.

Where is employer branding most visible?
Employer branding is visible on platforms such as social media, employer review sites, career websites, company communications, and in the day-to-day employee experience.

When should companies focus on employer branding?
Companies should focus on employer branding continually, but key moments such as recruitment campaigns, crisis management situations, and company restructurings require particular attention. Maintaining authenticity throughout the process is important.