Managing your online reputation has never been more important. It can take years for a company or individual to build a solid reputation but everything you have worked for can be destroyed in just a few hours with Social Media and the Internet operating 24.
Your online reputation is a relatively new and complex issue facing both Employers and Employees.
Have you Googled yourself or your company lately? If you haven’t, you should!
Managing your online reputation has never been more important. It can take years for a company or individual to build a solid reputation but everything you have worked for can be destroyed in just a few hours with Social Media and the Internet operating 24/7.
For the Candidate/ Employee
If you are a candidate looking for a new role be aware that employers and recruiters may be searching the internet and social channels to gain a little insight into your background, personality and how you conduct yourself in your spare time.
According to a study by Microsoft and Cross-Tab, 70% of companies have rejected candidates based on their online reputation and 1 in 4 hiring managers used search engines to screen candidates. So it’s worth putting in the time to ensure your social profile is doing you justice!
Take a close look at your online identity; is there anything in your past you would not want a potential employer to see? Search yourself both text and pictures and if you find something that could damage your reputation, take steps to have it removed.
It is also advisable to delete abandoned social media accounts and to check the privacy settings on your current social accounts to avoid your personal life tarnishing your professional profile.
For the Company
Your brand is only as good as your reputation, so keeping a close eye on your online reputation it is crucial to your company’s success. Search engines place huge value on customer reviews and unhappy customers can cause havoc to your brand, particularly with an increasing number of people looking at online reviews before making a purchase or using a service.
Negativity spreads rapidly. Any online content, positive or negative impacts how people view your business. So it is important for businesses to monitor and respond professionally to what is being said about them online. If need be, review procedures & make changes where necessary. There are many different software platforms, monitoring tools and agencies that can manage your social profile for you if you don’t have the resources internally.
Be sure to pick the right social media platform for your brand and spread the positives! Share and post the positive things people are saying about your brand. Don’t be afraid to ask people for positive recommendations. 1 negative comment is going to have less of an impact alongside 10 positive ones!
Only you are responsible for your reputation so be prepared to take control and proactively monitor the good, the bad and the untruthful!