HRO Today Research Reputation Matters Corporate scandal continues to cost companies. By The Editors The impact of corporate reputation on employer brand is more signifi cant than ever before and directly affects the cost of hiring, fi nds the 2017 Cost of a Bad Reputation study from HRO Today and Cielo. This year's results show that with the U.S. unemployment rate continuing to drop and the economy projected to expand moderately at 2.2 percent into 2018, organizations have to be more aware than ever of the impact of a bad reputation on their employer brand. According to fi ndings from this year's study, 61 percent of currently employed respondents were willing to leave their current employer to work with a company with a bad reputation, about the same as the prior year. Males remain much more likely than females to take the job, at 69 percent versus 52 percent, respectively. The percentage of females willing to take the job has declined for three straight years. Among those candidates willing to join a company with a bad reputation, a pay increase of 58 percent is needed as enticement. On the other hand, candidates can be tempted to join a company with a good reputation with a signifi cantly lower pay increase of 36 percent. Companies with bad reputations face increased recruiting costs due to the greater diffi culty of sourcing and onboarding new hires. This is particularly true when recruiting females and more experienced workers. And despite what is often reported, the youngest workers are the least concerned with company NOVEMBER 2017 | www.hrotoday.com [55]http://www.hrotoday.com