Word Of Mouth Isn’t Great For Recruiting Employees

When it comes to finding new employees, some firms have been of the opinion that a ‘word-of-mouth’ approach has been the best way to bring new people on board. This is certainly something that many small firms have considered because they need to make sure that the person they bring in can work in a close environment. With this in mind, a recommendation from a current employee, who is likely to have an investment in the firm doing well, can be seen as being a good starting point in recruiting a new employee.

However, guidance from the ICSA suggests that doing so is not always the best approach. There are certain roles and certain firms where the majority of new posts are not advertised, and a lot of companies are reliant on bringing people who already have a connection to them. This is as prevalent in small firms as it is for charities, and clearly there are some similarities in the recruitment process of these different types of bodies.

While this method can be successful, and there will be companies who have achieved success in this manner, it doesn’t always show the firm in the best light. If you are looking to showcase yourself as an organisation that is forward thinking and looking to be innovative, relying on friends and family members may not be the best way to create a positive image for your organisation.

Quite often small firms need to look outside their current boundaries in order to bring new people with new ideas into the company. With this in mind, the most effective way of doing so is to look externally for candidates and be very distinct about the skills and experience that a candidate may have. If an existing employee knows someone who fits the bill for the role, by all means encourage them to contact the individual and provide them with information about the role, but beyond this, all candidates should apply in the traditional manner.

There are also some problems that can arise when bringing in people through a word of mouth process. If the new person doesn’t fit in, or continually sides with their friend over other people, it can cause ill feeling in the organisation. There is also the problem of having one role to fill and two employees recommending people for the position. This is an issue that has affected many people because the person whose recommended candidate misses out is likely to feel as though they have been treated poorly. This could lead to tension or low morale in the workplace.

In this regard, posting a job advertisement and looking for external candidates is likely to be of benefit. While some people will say that they want to recommend people, side-stepping the potential issues that can arise is often the best solution for companies. All avenues should be explored in the hope of finding the best employee but some options are better than others.