Crisis management for recruiters: How to use PR to protect your brand reputation

In recruitment, reputation is everything. While agencies face several potential existential threats, such as downturns in the economy or broader market changes that are largely out of their control, one risk they can manage is the impact of a crisis. More specifically, how they respond in the aftermath of one. That makes it even more concerning to find that the vast majority of agencies have no plan in place to follow after the worst eventualities take place, and are therefore leaving themselves exposed.

A dangerous environment

A single misstep, whether online or offline, can rapidly evolve into a full-blown crisis, particularly for recruiters whose product is ultimately people, who are often unpredictable. Research shows that more than half of job seekers will not apply to a company after reading negative employer feedback, and 32% of B2B buyers have said they chose not to work with a vendor that had negative online reviews regarding their services. Other client decisions are heavily influenced by trust and credibility; firms with a positive reputation tend to command higher fees, secure bigger contracts and attract higher quality candidates. In contrast, those with reputational damage driven by a major crisis can face lost business, reduced talent pipelines and issues building client and candidate trust. Put simply, crises can have a major impact.

It’s also clear that the range of external threats facing agencies is increasing. The rise of AI, for example, has led to a significant growth in ‘deepfake’ technology which is driving higher levels of candidate and employee fraud. Equally, the recent high-profile breaches of several major retailers’ online stores highlight that online attacks are a growing concern. While recruiters aren’t dealing with consumer financial information, they are managing CVs, application forms, interview notes and registration documents. A cyberattack that leaks this sensitive collateral violates privacy laws and deeply erodes trust.

Even staff behaviour can potentially lead to problems. Recruiters work in high-pressure roles and engage with people all the time, both in person, online and on the phone. Just one poorly advised or inappropriate comment to a client or candidate, an unprofessional interaction at an industry event, or a poorly judged joke on LinkedIn can spread like wildfire across social media, often divorced from its original context and have major ramifications.

Preparation is key

All of these factors combined mean that for recruitment agencies, developing a crisis communications plan is absolutely fundamental. These are not theoretical risks, they are a reality for many agencies in the industry.

Even if the issue does not have an impact in the short term, there are several firms where a Google search of their name brings up several negative stories that would dissuade many HR or procurement specialists from choosing them as a partner of choice. Unless significant effort is invested in removing all traces, most crises last, and can have a damaging effect in the long term.

That’s if they are not managed effectively, anyway.

Stepping back outside of the recruitment industry, Marks & Spencer has been praised for its management and customer communication during the recent cyberattack. In particular, CEO Stuart Machin’s actions in leading the task of informing the public with personal social media updates have been received warmly. While the organisation’s response is still in the early stages, it is an example that those organisations that are prepared and have a plan in place to respond with transparency and communicate authentically often emerge from crises with stronger reputations than before.

But how do recruitment agencies develop a crisis communications plan, and how can they use PR to protect or rebuild their brand reputations?

It’s critical to remember that, when a crisis does hit, speed and transparency are paramount, and it is far easier to move at pace if the organisation has plans in place that fit a range of different scenarios, developed through planning and engagement with stakeholders from across the business.

It’s also key that any response strikes the right tone; stakeholders are generally more forgiving of organisations that admit error and take responsibility than those who try to deflect blame or issue legalistic denials. There’s a growing expectation, from candidates, clients, and the public, for businesses to show accountability.

While clearly not linked to recruitment, KFC epitomised this concept. When the company’s stores ran out of chicken, rather than hide or issue a defensive statement, they took ownership with humour and humility. The now-iconic “FCK” media campaign turned a logistics-driven issue into a masterclass in brand authenticity and helped to boost sales following the crisis.

Who delivers the communication is another important factor, and a crisis isn’t the time for off-the-cuff remarks or informal updates. That means only trained spokespeople should handle external engagement, and effective media training is therefore a key element of crisis preparedness and response, as a calm and credible voice can diffuse tension and reframe the narrative.

As with delivering high-level media training, preparation begins long before any crisis occurs and starts with monitoring media coverage and online sentiment to develop a benchmark. Doing this work effectively means that the early warning signs of a potential issue can become visible if you know where to look, such as an uptick in negative comments, a drop in engagement or a subtle shift in tone on candidate touchpoints. Having the right technological and digital tools in place, or a partner that knows what to look out for, makes this task far easier.

Beyond monitoring, the crisis response plan should be known across the business. Everyone, from marketing teams to senior leadership should understand their role when an issue arises. A clear chain of communication, along with pre-approved holding statements, ensures that the brand will speak with one voice. Confusion or silence in the first hours of a crisis almost always makes things worse.

How to use PR to protect your brand

PR is essential to any crisis communications plan, and is most effective if the organisation already undertakes public relations activity and has a presence in the media. But it’s also key for those with a smaller presence to amplify brand voices further than their channels could possibly reach. However, its greatest value in these situations is in recovering reputations. It’s important to communicate what went wrong, what was done to fix it, and how the organisation will rebuild trust. A short piece in a trade publication about how the agency bounced back and what steps were taken, can help to reposition the business as responsible and resilient. What matters most is that the messaging is consistent and backed by real action.

Reconnecting with audiences through different channels, whether that’s newsletters, LinkedIn updates, or blog content, should be gradual but consistent. People respond to honesty, especially when it’s clear that change has taken place. Drafting thought leadership content on the lessons learned, or sharing practical advice with others in the market, hosting webinars, writing a report or even filming short interviews with senior leaders discussing how the business has evolved, can reframe the conversation around growth and maturity.

Reputation is one of every agency’s most valuable commodities, particularly in such a relationship-driven sector as recruitment. It can take years to build and moments to lose, but having the right crisis communications plan in place, and knowing how to effectively leverage PR to protect your brand, ensures that when crises occur, as they inevitably will, your agency remains respected, resilient and trusted. A crisis can be a turning point for any brand, but preparation decides whether it's the end of the story or the beginning of a new chapter.

Find out how BlueSky PR can help you prepare.

Author: Bruce Callander

With over a decade’s experience in PR, marketing and communications, Bruce develops and executes media relations, content and social media strategies for firms in the recruitment and hiring industries, as well as suppliers to those sectors and other organisations both in the UK and internationally.