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 for is your careers page to see how your employees value these benefits. For example, if you provide an 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 supports candidates to see 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?
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.