Job hunting – look at the reviews
 

More than three quarters of employees (79%) check out an employer online before accepting a job offer, and 74% of employers do the same when hiring someone, according to the latest survey from global resourcing specialists BPS World (www.bps-world.com).  Job seekers are increasingly reliant on researching their potential employers online and are keen to have a number of job offers on the table before making their decision.
 
Online reviewing culture, pioneered by sites like Amazon and Trip Advisor, is credited with transforming the decision.  Facebook ranked the second most likely place a potential employee would look, with LinkedIn and Glassdoor proving less popular choices.  Interestingly, this likelihood to extensively research potential employers seems to be a recently emerging trend, with 62% of employees admitting they didn’t check out their current employer online before accepting their job offer.
 
“Our findings suggest that the open, consumer led platform of Facebook is preferred for creating a truer picture of what the potential employer could be like, in a similar way to the ‘traveller’s own photos’ on Trip Advisor.  There is an honesty about what people share online that often isn’t reflected in the way a company presents its employer brand,” said Simon Conington, Founder and MD of BPS World.
 
“Both bosses and employees need to think about how their company and themselves are talked about and presented online, and if there’s anything negative, controversial or inflammatory then they need to get it resolved or removed.  Ignoring it could mean companies miss out on hiring a talented team member, or that an employee loses out on landing their dream job.”
 
BPS World’s research polled a group of employers and employees to explore how much this behaviour is influencing both senior business figures and employers when it comes to work and careers.