If you are looking to attract top talent, it will come as no surprise that potential candidates are wanting to truly understand what it would be like to work for you as their next employer. And what is one way that we recommend providing that information? Through employee testimonials!
What is an employee testimonial?
An employee testimonial is a direct statement from an employee that voices their opinion and first-hand experience of working for your company. Employee testimonials are an excellent way to demonstrate your employer brand and share a personable side to your business.
Video employee testimonials are a great way for candidates to visually picture themselves working amongst your team and in your office if they are successful in their application. With a vast array of content available online for jobseekers, we recommend making employee testimonial videos short and concise to be easily viewed and understood.
To appeal to all potential candidates, it’s best to share employee testimonials in various formats such as on your careers page and social media pages, pictures of your current team and team outings or reviews from current and past employees on websites such as Glassdoor.
It may be that you wish to refresh your employee testimonials every quarter to keep your content fresh to job seekers. Ultimately if an employee who provided a testimonial leaves your company, it’s best to remove that testimonial as soon as possible to not cause any confusion to potential new starters.
8 types of employee testimonials
1. The interview process
Sharing employee testimonials from how your existing team found the interview process can put jobseekers at ease and set expectations from the offset.
Questions to consider include:
- What can candidates expect from the interview process?
- How many stages is the interview process?
- Will candidates be required to complete a task?
- How formal is the interview process?
2. Employee stories
What a great way to share with potential candidates the journey of some of your employees than sharing their own stories first hand.
Questions to consider include:
- Tell us about your experience of joining the company?
- How did you get to your current position?
- Have you had multiple positions in this company? If so, how did you progress to your current role?
3. Employee benefits
Picture this, a jobseeker sees your job advert online which lists “competitive company benefits,” but what exactly does this mean? The first place that candidates will directly look at is your careers page to see how your employees value these benefits. For example, if you provide any additional perks or benefits, shout about it! It could be the difference between getting that star candidate applying for your position or applying to a competitor.
Questions to consider include:
- What benefits does the company provide to employees?
- How have the company benefits impacted you?
- Which of the company benefits is your favourite and why?
4. Training and development
Certain candidates will only be looking for their next opportunity to be with an employer who offers the opportunity for training and development. If you have any training programmes or have put any of your employees through an apprenticeship or graduate programme, this is your time to voice why this is important to the business.
Questions to consider include:
- What training and development course did you complete and how did you find the course?
- How did you hear about the training and development course and why did you apply for this?
- You joined the company on an apprenticeship or graduate programme, how has this benefitted you personally and professionally?
5. Company values
Whilst your company values should be shared throughout your careers page, a value’s testimonial helps candidates to ascertain if their personal values align with your company values.
Questions to consider include:
- What are the company values?
- How do you and your colleagues put the company values into practice in the workplace?
- Which of the company values do you resonate with the most and why?
6. Day in the life
This is a great way to share with a candidate what they could expect if they were successful in their application. Walk them through the moment they walk into your office or log online and demonstrate how a day in the role may look.
Questions to consider include:
- What does a typical day in your role look like?
- Does your workload vary day-to-day?
- Who makes the best cup of tea in the office?
7. Work-life balance
If you offer flexible working or remote working, it’s beneficial to share how offering this supports your teams work-life balance. This can be a big factor in what candidates are looking for in their next role.
Questions to consider include:
- Does the company offer work-life balance?
- Why is this a priority for the business?
- Is remote or flexible working allowed?
- How has offering work-life balance impacted your working life?
8. Job security and authenticity
In today’s economic market, candidates want to understand and appreciate what job security you have to offer. Of course, there is no guarantee until someone starts in the position that they will perform well and pass their probationary period. However, sharing a testimonial of an employee who has worked for your company for a number of years or is a huge advocate for your business will support showing an authentic perspective of working for your business.
Questions to consider include:
- How long have you worked for the company?
- What is your favourite part of working for the company and why?
- How does it feel to work for the company?
The benefits and drawbacks of employee testimonials
Before diving headfirst into collecting employee testimonials, it’s worth understanding both the advantages and potential challenges you might face. Like any recruitment strategy, employee testimonials come with their own set of pros and cons.
The benefits
Building genuine trust and credibility
Employee testimonials add a layer of authenticity that traditional marketing materials simply can’t match. When potential candidates hear directly from your team about their experiences, it creates a level of trust that goes beyond polished corporate messaging. After all, who better to speak about what it’s really like to work somewhere than the people who do it every day?
Making your company stand out from the crowd
In a competitive job market, employee testimonials can be the differentiating factor that sets you apart from similar employers. Whilst your competitors might offer comparable salaries or benefits, the unique experiences and stories from your team members showcase what makes your workplace culture truly special.
Attracting the right people
Employee testimonials don’t just attract more candidates – they attract the right candidates. When potential employees can see authentic insights into your company culture and values, they’re better equipped to determine whether they’d be a good fit. This leads to more targeted applications and, ultimately, better hiring decisions.
Enhancing your online reputation
With around 70% of job seekers using Google to research potential employers, your online presence matters more than ever. Positive employee testimonials help create a favourable view of your business across review websites, social media platforms, and your company website, giving you greater control over your employer brand narrative.
Boosting current employee engagement
There’s an added bonus that many companies don’t initially consider: asking for testimonials can actually improve engagement amongst your existing team. When employees are given a platform to share their positive experiences, it reinforces their sense of value within the organisation and can lead to increased job satisfaction.
The potential drawbacks
Authenticity concerns
One of the biggest challenges with employee testimonials is ensuring they come across as genuine rather than overly polished or scripted. If testimonials feel too rehearsed or promotional, they can have the opposite effect and make potential candidates question their authenticity.
Selection bias
There’s a natural tendency to showcase only the most positive experiences, which might create unrealistic expectations for new starters. Whilst you certainly want to highlight the good aspects of working for your company, it’s important to present a balanced view that helps candidates understand what they’re genuinely signing up for.
Privacy and consent considerations
Using employee testimonials requires careful attention to privacy and consent. You’ll need to ensure you have proper permission to use employees’ names, photos, and stories, and be transparent about where and how these testimonials will be shared.
Administrative overhead
Collecting, organising, and maintaining up-to-date employee testimonials requires ongoing effort. You’ll need to regularly refresh content, remove testimonials from employees who have left, and ensure the information remains current and relevant.
Potential workplace dynamics
In smaller teams, asking for testimonials might create pressure or awkwardness amongst employees. Some team members might feel uncomfortable providing feedback, particularly if they’re concerned about how their comments might be perceived by colleagues or management.
How to ask for employee testimonials
Now that you understand the benefits and potential challenges, let’s explore the best approaches for collecting meaningful employee testimonials that will genuinely help with your recruitment efforts.
Start with clear objectives
Before reaching out to your team, take some time to think about what you’re hoping to achieve. Are you looking to showcase your company culture? Highlight specific benefits or development opportunities? Address common questions from candidates? Having clear goals will help you ask the right questions and target the right employees for testimonials.
Consider where you’ll be using these testimonials; your careers page, social media, job adverts, or recruitment presentations – as this will influence the format and style you’ll want to encourage.
Choose the right people at the right time
You don’t need testimonials from every single employee, but you do want to ensure you’re representing the diversity of your workforce. Think about including voices from different departments, experience levels, and backgrounds to give potential candidates a well-rounded view of your organisation.
Timing matters too:
- Reach out to new employees after six months to a year, when they’ve settled in but still remember the excitement of joining
- Consider approaching employees who’ve recently received promotions or recognition
- Make the process straightforward and appealing
Offer multiple formats
Not everyone is comfortable on camera, so provide options. Some employees might prefer to write a brief testimonial, whilst others might be happy to participate in a video interview or informal chat. By offering flexibility, you’re more likely to get participation from a broader range of team members.
Provide gentle guidance
Rather than leaving employees to figure out what to say on their own, provide some helpful prompts or questions. However, be careful not to script their responses – the goal is to help them share their authentic experiences, not to put words in their mouths.
Consider these types of questions:
- What attracted you to working here initially?
- What’s been the most rewarding aspect of your role?
- How would you describe the company culture to a friend?
- What opportunities for growth have you experienced?
- What advice would you give to someone considering joining the team?
Show appreciation and provide incentives
Asking employees to provide testimonials requires them to give up their time and energy, so it’s important to show your appreciation. This doesn’t necessarily mean large financial rewards – sometimes a simple thank you, a gift voucher, or even an early finish one day can be enough to encourage participation.
Some ideas for showing appreciation:
- Gift cards or vouchers
- Team lunch or coffee
- Early finish on a Friday
- Public recognition in company communications
- Entry into a monthly prize draw
Be transparent about your intentions
Employees are more likely to participate if they understand why you’re asking for testimonials and how they’ll be used. Be upfront about where the testimonials will appear, whether they’ll include photos or names, and how long you plan to use them. This transparency builds trust and helps employees make informed decisions about their participation.
Create a simple collection process
The easier you make it for employees to participate, the more likely they are to follow through. Consider setting up a simple online form or booking system where employees can submit written testimonials or book brief interview slots. If you’re collecting video testimonials, make sure the technology is user-friendly and doesn’t require employees to download special software or jump through technical hoops.
Handle the content thoughtfully
Once you start receiving testimonials, treat them with care. Light editing for clarity or length is generally acceptable, but always check with the employee before making any significant changes. Remember that these are authentic voices representing real experiences – maintaining that authenticity is crucial for the testimonials to be effective.
Consider having a simple approval process where employees can review how their testimonial will be presented before it goes live. This extra step can prevent any concerns and ensure everyone feels comfortable with the final result.
And there we have 8 types of employee testimonials to help your business grow! You may also find our blog on creating a standout careers page of interest.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team to discuss how our outsourced recruitment service can be of assistance to your business.
