We live in a connected world. Social media affects the decisions we make-from which restaurant to dine in, what movies to see, which physician to make an appointment with AND which employer to choose. So don't let negative reviews give you a Human Resources Headache!
Increasingly employees compare notes online and businesses’ customer service, product quality and response to complaints are rated publicly and commented on. So too is the quality of the work experience you offer your team. HR platforms like Glassdoor let employees anonymously rate their employers and comment on everything from compensation to management capabilities and employee benefits--Reviews Matter!
For many, the first step when looking to fill a position is to post the job on one of many online job platforms: Indeed, LinkedIn, etc., most of which are integrated with Glassdoor. With employer rating systems proliferating, even the peppiest job post seeking an aesthetic practitioner can get buried if you’ve received 1 star out of 5 from multiple employees and their feedback is littered with comments to avoid your practice like the plague.
It may be tempting to ignore these reviews, to pretend they don’t exist and hope no one will notice but ignoring your HR PR problem won’t make it disappear and having a strategy to address negative online reviews is crucial for the longevity of your business.
People understand mistakes happen, and that dissatisfied employees exist. However, when you refuse to address negative comments head on in a professional manner, future employees only receive one perspective (that of the disgruntled former or current employee). Lack of response on the part of an employer can be construed as either management being entirely unaware of the issues within their organization, or simply that they don’t care enough to warrant a response-either way it’s bad for your HR PR. Taking the time to respond to negative feedback in a calm and professional manner expressing appreciation for the feedback and empathy for the reviewer’s point of view while resolving to be better next time suggests that your organization is listening, that it values the feedback necessary to make improvements and that employees are respected.
As an employer it is crucial in reducing costly turnover to mitigate the perception that employees are not valued, respected or that their voices are not being heard. Online ratings platforms enable workers to share a conversation regarding your HR brand. Engaging with them will do wonders to bridge any gap between management and staff and give tentative professionals thinking about joining your team a sense that you care, and we know from our industry surveys that if your people “feel” that you care they’ll go to the ends of the earth to make your business a success.
So, remember, good reviews from current or former employees can draw candidates to your aesthetic practice and set you apart from the ever-increasing competition. Positive feedback regarding your workplace reflects a solid HR brand, one that can attract skilled employees to your aesthetics practice and mitigate a ‘revolving door’ of inexperienced staff. Bad reviews can likewise have an enormous impact on attaining new team members, and it is essential to address both response types.
Here are a few tips on managing your HR brand.
1. Promote your HR brand on your website and social media. Remember that you are selling your business as a great place to work. You need to present an attractive (and real) picture of what it’s like to work in your practice or med spa. Show off your work environment, boast about your benefits or flexible work schedules. Make sure your employees “FEEL VALUED”. Our research indicates that more than 40% of technicians and clinicians in the med spa business feel significantly undervalued. One of our clients whose retention rates are off the charts good regularly gives shout outs to his staff online– how do you think that feels to his staff, and what do you think the message is to his prospective clients when they read online how proud he is of his team? For the few seconds it takes to recognize an exceptional quality in a team member online the payback is amazing.
2. Encourage current employees to share their experiences online.
3. Watch and respond to reviews –It’s essential for you to watch your reviews and respond professionally and with empathy to comments offered by those who may not paint a flattering view of your company and its employment practices. Truly LISTEN to these reviews. While they might color an unattractive picture, your best response will acknowledge the reviewers position (almost everyone’s point of view has some merit to it) and talk about the things you do to make your workplace an outstanding place to come to work every day. If there is a specific issue that the reviewer brings up that you think needs improvement or attention, don’t ignore it, do something about it and make sure the reviewer and everyone else knows what you are doing by responding online. The worst thing you can do is to deny the reviewers point of view or even worse ignore it all together. Try to put yourself in their shoes and what would you want to hear in response. It’s crucial to stay up to date on the online reputation of your business. Continued monitoring of your HR ratings along with prompt engagement to those responses will help you build a reputation that has candidates clamoring to work for you!
4. If it seems like this is just another task you don’t have time to do, check online for any one of several review management tools. They’re not expensive and they can consolidate reviews about your business across multiple social media platforms sending you regular updates and alerting you to negative reviews, so you can respond quickly and efficiently in just a few minutes each week.
5. Develop an HR Branding strategy. Working with an HR specialist like ONCALL will help you to develop your HR brand by aligning everything from your recruiting practices to your compensation plans to your employee retention strategies.
HR is arguably the most important part of your business. Your people “ARE” your Beauty Brand and your Beauty Brand is everything in Medical Aesthetics. Don’t ignore this critical part of your business. Pay attention and make sure HR PR is never a problem that holds you back.
Thanks to Brad Desaulniers who co-authored this article.
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Laura Lawrence - aka: The Beauty Agent, has more than 100,000 industry followers online. With experience in the Medical Aesthetics field across North America and as the founder of ONCALL Medical she has unique insight into the state of Medical Aesthetics H.R. everywhere on the continent. ONCALL Medical is the premier recruiting firm in North America specializing exclusively in Aesthetic Medicine.