Kununu*
the power of
opinions

THE POWER OF OPINIONS: HOW EMPLOYERS CAN USE REVIEW PLATFORMS LIKE KUNUNU FOR THEIR EMPLOYER BRANDING

Job seekers no longer just look at a company’s careers page and social media profiles. What they currently attach particular importance to are employer reviews. There are several platforms for this – including Indeed, Glassdoor and Jobvoting. Currently the most popular in German-speaking countries: Kununu. *

Current or former employees post a completely anonymous review of their company on these portals. They are therefore one of the few independent sources of information for job seekers. They can then carry out a reality check: Do these reviews confirm the messages that companies use to advertise to the outside world, or do they contradict them? A positive review can increase the attractiveness of a company, while negative reviews could deter potential applicants.

Rating platforms offer employers both challenges and opportunities that need to be dealt with.

CHALLENGES:

• The ratings result is a summarized score of one to five stars. There is often no official classification as to when an employer is considered “good” or “recommendable”. This assessment is at the discretion of the reader. Balanced ratings are important here – only 5-star scores quickly appear untrustworthy.
• The anonymity of the ratings lowers the inhibition threshold. Unfair reviews are thus quickly created. The same applies to reviews in which employees vent their frustration. Employers then often play the ball back and also become abusive in their reactions. It is important to maintain neutrality here. Because every statement is read by potential candidates. They can tell when an assessment is simply a personal statement.
• Last but not least, there was a court ruling on the anonymity of reviews on Kununu. This states that if the employer has doubts as to whether a review is genuine, Kununu must either delete the entry or disclose the person’s real name.

OPPORTUNITIES:

• Employers can and should respond to employee evaluations, regardless of whether they are positive or negative. In this way, they show that the exchange with current and former employees is important to them.
• The evaluations can also be used to derive measures for the further development of the company and internal processes. Of course, employees should not only leave their feedback on Kununu, but should also feel that they can give feedback in a personal conversation at any time.
• The portals are also suitable platforms for presenting and maintaining the employer brand. The profile can be adapted in line with the CI and corporate language.

OUR TOP TIPS FOR YOUR EMPLOYEE PROFILE:

MOTIVATE YOUR EMPLOYEES TO WRITE REVIEWS

To give potential candidates as broad an impression as possible, you need more than two or three reviews. Encourage both former and current employees to submit reviews. A professional milestone such as the end of a probationary period or a service anniversary can be used as an occasion for this.

Authentic and real reviews also have a positive influence on internal employer branding and the working atmosphere and attract new suitable talent.

USE THE RATINGS FOR YOURSELF

Process the evaluations internally in order to use them as a personnel development or internal employer branding tool. If, for example, the management style is criticized in every third evaluation, investments should be made in management development.

Collect the evaluations in a large matrix, for example, and cluster them according to categories such as: Quick-Wins, Long-Runs and Internal Communication. If you align your HR strategy with this, you will also achieve positive evaluations.

ADAPT YOUR EMPLOYER PROFILE TO YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND

Maintain your Kununu profile regularly. You can add your own images, videos and text content in line with your CI. From a company description and application tips to links to social media channels, the profile can be set up like a second career site. However, some functions can only be used with a premium account.

ANSWER ALL REVIEWS

And do so individually, without standard phrases. Clarify in advance exactly who in the company is responsible for responding to reviews and develop a strategy for dealing with criticism. Also remember to always use your own corporate language. It is best to keep in mind that you are not only responding to the person giving the review, but also to those reading it. A study commissioned by the Trendence Institute has shown that one in two people draw their own conclusions about whether a company is suitable for them as an employer from the way in which it responds to criticism.

Active use of employer review portals should therefore be on every company’s employer branding agenda.

*The article deals with some platforms more intensively than others. The article is not sponsored.