Overcoming a Toxic Hiring Reputation

Introduction:

A company struggling with a negative online reputation regarding its hiring practices faces an uphill battle in attracting top talent. Platforms like LinkedIn and Glassdoor are flooded with feedback from disgruntled candidates, with many sharing stories of poor experiences during the recruitment process. This creates a damaging cycle of bad reviews, leading to a decline in the company’s corporate image. In this case study, we explore how one company addressed this issue, but the solution remains a work in progress.

The Challenge:

A mid-sized tech company, previously considered an industry leader, had garnered an increasingly negative reputation online. The company received over 200 negative reviews across platforms in a 6-month period, with 75% of those related to the hiring process. The complaints centered on a lack of communication, biased interview procedures, and unprofessional feedback. Many candidates, including highly qualified applicants, reported feeling discriminated against based on gender, age, and appearance rather than on their qualifications or skills.

In addition, some candidates specifically called out instances where they were asked inappropriate and gender-biased questions during interviews, such as inquiries about family planning or marital status. These comments reinforced the perception that the company’s hiring practices were not just unprofessional but also exclusionary.

While some feedback was attributed to the HR team’s handling of the recruitment process, a significant portion was also tied to interviews conducted by internal managers. It was unclear whether the issues arose from HR’s procedures or from managers’ direct interactions with candidates during interviews. This ambiguity made it difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of the problem, leaving the company with a challenge to improve the entire recruitment experience.

This reputation led to a noticeable drop in qualified applicants—applications decreased by 30% in the past quarter alone. The company’s HR department struggled to keep up with the growing pressure to rectify the situation, while leadership was unsure about how to proceed.

CEO and HR Director’s Discussion:

CEO:

 “I’ve been seeing these comments on Glassdoor and LinkedIn, and it’s starting to hurt our ability to attract top talent. We’ve lost some great candidates in the last few months. How do we address this? Is it just isolated, or are we missing something?”

HR Director:

 “Unfortunately, it’s not isolated. The global feedback on our hiring process has been overwhelmingly negative. Our team has conducted a review of our applicant tracking system and found that communication was consistently poor. We also noticed a pattern of biased feedback in interview evaluations, and several candidates specifically mentioned being asked inappropriate, gendered questions during interviews. This is affecting our hiring effectiveness. We’ve seen a 30% drop in job applications since the beginning of the year, and it’s directly linked to the negative reviews.”

CEO:

 “That’s concerning. We’ve always prided ourselves on being an industry leader. But if we’re not attracting the right talent, what does that say about us as a company?”

HR Director:

 “It’s a major issue, and it’s growing. Global feedback also shows that companies with inclusive hiring practices are seeing better employee engagement and retention. Some of our competitors who’ve made inclusion a priority are outperforming us, not just in employee satisfaction but in overall recruitment too.

The Turning Point:

Faced with mounting pressure from both internal and external stakeholders, the CEO and HR Director decided that they could no longer ignore the feedback. The negative reviews, combined with the company’s declining applicant pool, forced them to reassess their hiring processes.

The Situation:

The company was at a critical juncture. The growing influx of negative reviews was not only impacting recruitment but was starting to influence the company's brand image globally. Internal discussions between the CEO and HR team revealed that the company's traditional hiring practices were outdated and needed to be modernised to meet global expectations. The ambiguity around whether the issues were arising from HR or from managers' interview processes further complicated the matter. The company needed to improve communication between HR and line managers and provide proper training to ensure a fair, inclusive recruitment process.

We Want Your Thoughts!

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this story. How does your company approach inclusive hiring practices? What challenges have you faced, and what steps have you taken to overcome them? Share your insights with us, and in the next issue of People Excellence, we’ll feature a selection of your comments. e-mail us: hello@tdx.consulting