They Say You’ve Got a Bad Reputation

WSI Blogs - They say you have a bad reputation

Online reputation monitoring is a real thing. An important thing. Not only do you want your customers to give you great reviews, but have you ever thought about what your employees and former employees are saying? Everyone has access at their fingertips to check out your company – and what your online reputation is saying about your company culture, management, and work environment is just as important as your product and service quality.

I spent less than 15 minutes online and was able to get a few reviews of businesses right here in Grand Rapids:

  • “No matter how good of a worker you are, you will be degraded and talked to like you are trash.”
  • “I wouldn’t recommend anyone to work here. I’m happy I got out of such a toxic work environment!”
  • “The building IS filthy all the time, so you don’t have to worry about keeping it clean.”

Those reviews could very well be about your company. Even if they’re not, they should make you sit up and take notice. And while it’s easy to shrug off reviews like these as only being written by disgruntled or “bad” employees, we’ve found that people feel emboldened to really speak their minds – whether true or slightly inaccurate –  when they’re behind the safety of their screens. Often, they do. not. hold. back.

Negative comments are just as powerful as positive ones like these:

  • “Place of employment: good company to work for, good people and benefits.”
  • “A great company that cares about its products and people. First class all the way!!!!”
  • “I have been here for almost 2 years and I love it. I have great co-workers and great bosses. They really go above and beyond for everyone.”

Which ones would you rather have future employees read about your business?

The goods news is, your online reputation can be helped. First, you need to figure out what kinds of stories and experiences you’d ideally want people to share with the world, especially with future employees. Then you build and maintain a work environment that supports those experiences. That makes it easier for the final step, which is make it easy for others to tell your story in a positive, organic light.

At WSI, we work with our client partners regularly on reputation management initiatives because helping your business tell it’s story is not only our passion, but it also enables us to get the quality associates that you are looking for! Learn more about our staffing solutions and what makes us different at www.wsitalent.com.

There’s Always A Cheaper Option

Cheap Tattoo

When it comes to business decisions – and especially in staffing – the cheapest option is not always your best option.

Hunting for bargains. Shopping sales. Last minute deals. The pursuit of more for less is what the culture for consumer goods has become.

But what about when it comes to business decisions? The over-arching drive to “get the bottom dollar deal” can cloud important aspects of the decision-making process. Are you actually comparing apples to apples or are you thinking only of the dollars you’ll be saving?

I’ve had countless conversations with business owners and decision makers discussing their needs and project goals (be it online advertising, software implementation, staffing needs, etc). When I come back with a proposal that outlines what we’ve discussed and the investment required for achieving those goals, sometimes the conversation comes to a screeching halt.

“I spoke to another company that can do it cheaper.”

Now, I’m all for saving money. But this is usually when I’ll ask to see the other company’s proposal, because I’ll give an honest review of it for your company’s benefit. If we are indeed comparing apples to apples, then I absolutely understand going with the other company. But if there are five of your “must haves” missing, I’ll point that out, too.

We’ve all heard the adage “You get what you pay for.” Going with the cheaper option almost always costs more. Take shopping for clothing or shoes, for example. Sure, you can buy a t-shirt at Wal-Mart for $5. But it’s not going to last nearly as long as the $20 t-shirt from Banana Republic. When you have to replace a cheap item repeatedly, it ends up costing more than if you would have spent $20 in the first place.

From a business perspective, purchasing something based on the lowest price will likely result in the quick realization that it’s missing key functions. I’ve seen companies piece together multiple lower-priced services for the full functionality they required in the first place, only to have it end up costing so much more than if they would have just spent the extra money to begin with.

At the end of the day, I may not have the cheapest option for your company’s staffing needs, but I do have the most valuable option. WSI isn’t for everyone, and that’s ok. Instead of getting into pricing wars with our competitors, we focus on our client partnerships and providing them with the best service in the industry.

At WSI, we take a great deal of pride in the level of service we provide our clients. It’s why we’re a 5-time ClearlyRated Best of Staffing Client Satisfaction Diamond award winner. We are raising the bar of the staffing world by providing solutions that go beyond just providing warm bodies!

It’s not what we do that differentiates us from other staffing firms, it’s how we do it. We believe marketing and recruiting go hand in hand and look forward to showing you how we can make our competitive advantage your competitive advantage. Let’s connect!

How to Make Monday Your Favorite Day Of The Week

Monday Blues (məndē/ /blo͞oz/): The low-spirited mood of workers, students, or employees who feel that a difficult and unexpected Weekday is arriving, bringing their beloved weekend to an end. 

Needless to say, we’ve all had a case of the Monday Blues at some point in our lives. WSI gets it, so we’ve put together 4 tips for making Monday your favorite day of the week. Enjoy!

Make Sunday Count

For a lot of us, Monday starts to set in on Sunday (often referred to as the Sunday Scaries). To stop this from happening, try to truly enjoy your Sunday. Go on a hike, try out a new dinner spot, or just relax. As they say, “A Sunday well spent brings a week of content.”

Do Something Fun on Monday

Give yourself something to look forward to on Monday! Whether it’s happy hour drinks with friends, a date night, or even just watching a new movie at home, you’ll notice the day flying by as you look forward to the night ahead! 

Listen to Something Different on Your Commute 

Switch things up. Find a new podcast to listen to that truly interests you and you’ll actually look forward to your commute. (May we suggest one from our Podcasts to Listen to on Your Commute list.)

Exercise Monday Morning

Set the tone for the week while getting toned! Doing so will keep you motivated and inspired all week long (even if it’s a quick run or walk around the block). 

Mondays are inevitable, and maybe they’ll never be your favorite day of the week, but that doesn’t mean they have to be your least favorite either. Implementing these small changes brings you one step closer to kissing those Monday Blues goodbye.

5 Things Your Staffing Agency Should Be Doing

“It just feels different.” We hear this from our clients time and time again who have worked with other staffing firms in the past.  What makes us different than other staffing agencies is our purpose-driven strategy for recruiting and managing their temporary workforce. 

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Staff Spotlight – Jeff Harp

WSI Staffing Blog - Meet Jeff Harp

Join us this month as we dig a little deeper into the life of our very own Jeff Harp. Jeff has done great things for our Marysville Branch and even though his dreams of being a Professional Golfer didn’t pan out, we’re glad he ended up with us. Let’s get started!

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