We live in a digital world where every question, criticism, and kudos can be found online. Companies have broadly recognized the power of social media for advertisement, brand differentiation, and customer service. However, there is also the potential to be globally publicized in a not-so-flattering light. These highly visible PR fiascos may indicate poor financial health or even worse, that the service your company provides just stinks.

On that note, we can’t just “shut Twitter down” when things have gone awry. People pay to utilize services like Angie’s List, but to research a company’s reputation and level of service there are many consumer satisfaction forums such as Yelp!, Twitter, Facebook, and Google. All will certainly point you in the same direction at no cost. Everyone is now a researcher due to the massive amount of information right at our fingertips; whether it’s to check out a potential candidate, a product, a recruiter, an employee, a prospective client, an employer, and the list goes on and on.

The similarities between a corporate brand and a recruiting brand don’t stop there. Our candidates are our customers. They will shout from Twitter mountaintops about how wonderful or horrible their experience was with you. A candidate could possibly vent on their personal Facebook or LinkedIn page, advising their hundreds or even thousands of connections and friends that they should run (not walk) in the other direction when considering that particular staffing agency, recruiter, or company.

My background in the restaurant biz taught me early on that a satisfied customer will tell one person, but someone who had to wait twenty minutes before a waitress even came to their table will tell thirty people about their experience. Protect your reputation! Since flawed humans run this machine, less than ideal circumstances will inevitably present themselves. What kind of response and empathy that the slighted individual receives is an opportunity, quite simply. It’s a chance to show you care, that you’ll do whatever it takes to make it right, and it’s important to impart that what they think and feel is valid (whether you agree or not).

The internet is a place where people will jump on the bandwagon or abandon ship. After all, they’ve never met you and how else can you evaluate a total stranger? WORD OF MOUTH. Yes, I used the caps…it’s that important.

Your candidates want a way to find you easily, view the positions you’re currently recruiting for, check out the company culture, reach out to you publicly, and interact. Respond to each one of them! Everyone can see if you’re quiet, extroverted, or completely invisible. It’s sort of funny to look at inactive social media accounts. A public presence is well, missing, and that is noticeable.

Make an impression and acknowledge all who inquire, even if they’re not currently a fit. Maybe a few years down the road they’ll be your hottest candidate and they’ll remember how you treated them. This person took the time and interest to say, ‘Hey, I like what you’re doing and I want to be a part of it.’ It is pure courtesy to reach out and say, ‘Thank You.’

Colette Resnikoff is a jobseeker in the recruiting and staffing industry with years of experience at Hire International, ManPower and SmartDog. Consider hiring her, or at the very least, follow her on Twitter: @IWannaGetUHired!

SmartRecruiters opened a recruiter marketplace to provide transparency and integration to the values of recruiting services. We display such recruitment firm statistics as CV to interview rate, average time to source, and hiring percentage, as well as, customer reviews and more!