A third of local companies are neglecting monitoring their online reputations which is having a potentially damaging impact on their reputation, a new survey has found.
Cpl, the Belfast and Dublin based recruitment agency, has highlighted in its Employment Market Monitor for the first quarter the need for companies to take action to actively protect their reputation online.
The Market Monitor found that 1/3 of companies are ignoring their online reputations and not monitoring what is being said about them online. Whilst 45% of those who do monitor their online reputations responded that they encouraged positive online reviews to drown out any negative postings.
Áine Brolly, Chief Executive of Cpl Northern Ireland commented: “Online reputation management is a very new area for companies, and even established corporates struggle to get it right. Companies need to shed their ‘Corporate Communications’ mind-set and instead be more flexible about who on their team can post about them and why whilst ensuring there are checking mechanisms in place.”
“Online platforms offer invaluable insight into how a company is viewed by its employees and its audiences. But companies have to be willing to listen. If they are getting consistently bad reviews, the reasons behind the posts have to be examined and dealt with” she said.
Interestingly only 20% of businesses stated they would talk to an employee if they made a negative comment and 3.5% of companies said they’d try to take down any negative comments to protect their reputation.
The survey also found that email’s prevalence is causing concerns amongst many employers. Nearly a quarter (23%) cited it as the biggest distraction in the workplace, despite its role in increased productivity.
Employers felt email was a bigger problem for productivity than mobile phones, texting and social media.
Findings also demonstrate that companies believe flexibility to be key for employee morale. Simple things make the difference in their opinion: flexible working times, and enabling people to work from home one day per week, were seen as helping boost team happiness.