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Bad Rep Getting In the Way of Hiring? How to Fix Your Company's Rep

By Gabriella Khorasanee, JD on October 16, 2013 | Last updated on March 21, 2019

Corporate Responsibility (CR) Magazine recently released the results of its annual corporate bad reputation survey, done in conjunction with Allegis Group Services, polling over 1,000 people (employed and unemployed) about hiring and corporate reputation. The survey found that 69% of people polled "would not take a job with a company that had a bad reputation, even if they were unemployed," reports PRNewswire.

If your company is one of the unfortunate ones with a bad reputation, it could be spending millions in extra costs for recruiting, according to the survey. Here are five things your company can do to begin mending its reputation, and saving money on recruiting costs.

1. Perks

Harvard Business Professor Nancy Koehn has found that companies that treat their employees well by offering employee perks outperform the Dow by an 8 to 1 ratio. You can offer perks that de-stress your employees, or save them time. Whatever it is, do something nice for the people that keep your company afloat.

2. Wellness

Another way to make employees happy and save money is to institute wellness programs. For every dollar you spend, you can save up to $3.37, and give your company the aura of a more humane place to work.

3. Volunteer

If your company has a "Bah! Humbug!" approach, then try to soften the image a bit by doing some volunteer work. Whether it's a company-wide food drive, community event, or the legal team takes on pro bono work, if your company does something nice for the community, people will notice.

4. Flexibility

Maybe your company is getting a bad rep because it's inflexible, resulting in a brain drain of talent because of rigid scheduling. Take a cue from the best law firms to for women -- they all offer flex time. Perhaps a flexible working schedule will appeal to new hires and save your company on recruitment costs.

5. Diversity

Does your company reflect the rich diversity of society? If not, make sure your diversity policy is up to date, and try to enrich the company by having a team of employees that reflects the diversity of the community.

If your company suffers from a bad rep, don't think that the legal department is immune from its effects. You are in a position to help remedy the situation, do what you can to make your company a great place to work.

How has your company maintained its good reputation? Let us know on Facebook at FindLaw for Legal Professionals.

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