Majority of Mainland Chinese Candidates Consider Online Comments About Prospective Employers

Job seekers in Mainland China are influenced, either completely or to a certain extent, by online comments about prospective employers, according to a survey conducted by recruitment experts Hays.

The latest Hays web poll asked candidates, “Do the online comments of former employees influence your decision to apply or work for an organisation?” Overall, slightly more than seven in ten (73 per cent) respondents state that they take online comments into consideration when deciding to apply or work for a firm. In addition, 18 per cent of Mainland Chinese candidates note that they are ‘definitely’ swayed by reviews and opinions of former employees.

The global recruitment firm also notes that number of Mainland Chinese candidates who do not take into consideration online comments about a prospective employer has reduced slightly. In an identical web poll carried out in 2016, 12 per cent of respondents said their decision to apply or work for an organisation was not influenced by such factors while in the 2019 web poll, only nine per cent feel the same.

Commenting on this, Simon Lance, Managing Director at Hays Greater China says: “As industries across the board become skills-starved, organisations could benefit from managing their online reputation from an Employer Value Proposition (EVP) point of view. In this digital age, it is a natural process for many hopeful candidates to look up what’s being said of working at an organisation which they are considering to be a part of. The Internet has made it fairly easy to gain access to comments of ex-staff, with many active employer review platforms and forums available online.”

“Organisations that want to attract high quality candidates and mitigate the potential risk of losing adept talents should position themselves as the employer of choice –– both online and offline. While it is difficult to control what people post online, there are social media platforms available which employers can use to give outsiders a glimpse of what is it like to work at their company while showcasing its successes and values. And as far as existing online comments go, it is best to assess the feedback made by both current and ex-employees, then create an action plan for not only your PR image but also your working environment.”