How to ask for employee testimonials and why they’re so valuable

It’s well known that potential customers will trust your business more if they hear about it from existing satisfied customers.

The same logic applies to employees.

Positive employee testimonials set your employer brand apart and can help you attract top talent.

Discover how valuable these endorsements are and how to ask for employee testimonials that highlight the strengths of your organisation.

What value do employee testimonials bring?

These days, jobseekers put a lot of effort into researching companies they want to work for.

In fact, 42% of Australian candidates use employee reviews to evaluate company culture when searching job vacancies*.

Even more importantly, 80% of candidates say their findings will impact their decision to apply for or accept a job at a certain company*.

But the advantages don’t stop there.

Employee testimonials offer more opportunities to:

Strengthen your employer branding
Attract and retain top talent
Increase awareness of employer benefits and programs
Nurture trust with potential candidates

How to use your employee testimonials

Direct people to online employee testimonial platforms

We know social proof helps attract great candidates.

Testimonials shared on platforms your company doesn’t control – known as ‘earned channels’ – carry even more weight.

The independent value of earned channels is what makes these testimonials more credible.

However, there are still actions you can take to maximise their impact:

Encourage employees to post honest testimonials on these platforms
Regularly check for new reviews and respond to each one
Thank each employee for taking the time to leave a review
Respond promptly to negative reviews to show how invested your company is in employee satisfaction

PRO TIP: The best earned channels for employee testimonials include Glassdoor, LinkedIn, and social media pages.

Use your best testimonials for employer branding content

Proactively collecting and sharing employee testimonials on company-owned channels also helps strengthen your employer brand.

Ideas for sharing and repurposing content include:

Careers page: use employee quotes, video testimonials, and interviews
Social media: post quotes, blog posts, videos, and offer social media takeovers (where employees hijack the account and share behind-the-scenes posts)
Internal comms: promote employee benefits with quotes, video snippets, and articles
External comms: highlight testimonials and quotes in email newsletters

Who should you collect employee testimonials from, and when?

If your team is only small, you can ask everyone to participate in some way.

In a larger company, don’t only ask staff you know personally – ensure you reach out for a range of voices that represents the diversity of your organisation.

When should you ask for employee testimonials?

Set a reminder to reach out to new hires after six months or a year
Encourage departing employees to leave a review after a positive exit interview
Identify triggers when employee appreciation may be high, such as when someone receives a promotion or recognition

What questions prompt great employee testimonials?

In reality, reviews that only state the facts won’t evoke an emotional response nor create much impact.

Instead, help employees create compelling testimonials by using leading questions to draw out a relatable story that’s authentic and simple to follow.

Just don’t overwhelm them – five of six questions is usually enough.

Here are some questions to ask your employees:

What details can you share about the favourite part of your role and the team here?
What does your average day look like?
What stands out to you about the company culture?
How has our organisation helped with your professional development?
What are some benefits of working here that you enjoy or appreciate?
What advice would you give someone who is considering working here?

PRO TIP: Don’t be afraid to edit testimonials for clarity, relevance, and length. And especially look out for snippets that’ll make great quotes.

What strategies will help incentivise the process?

To encourage participation, it makes sense to offer employees an incentive in return for their time and effort.

Also, make it an easy and convenient process by being open to various formats, such as written input, surveys, one-on-one interview feedback, and individual or group video.

Try these ideas to maximise employee participation:

Offer a gift card for each testimonial
Put on a free lunch
Hold a monthly raffle for those who participate
Put a shout-out through your internal comms

PRO TIP: Staff will be more likely to give testimonials if you’re transparent about your motivations – so let employees know where you’ll showcase their testimonials and how they’ll be shared.

What’s next?