First things first, lets take a look at what employer branding is and what the overall goal of implementing an employer branding strategy is to hiring and retaining talent.
What is employer branding?
Employer brand is a long-standing concept that has found momentum in the interconnected world. It is the process of promoting a company, or an organization, as the employer of choice to a desired target group. One which a company needs and wants to attract, recruit and retain. Employer brand encompasses the marketing of the entire employment experience.
What is the goal of an employer brand?
A great employer brand is built on the foundation of a compelling employer value proposition. It is an employer’s promise to a candidate that describes their benefits and perks, and it lays out a plan for their long-term value as an employee.
The primary goal of employer branding is to attract future candidates and turn them into employees. Employer branding is the process through which employers transform how they are perceived by potential candidates, current and former employees, shareholders and other stakeholders.
Employers Company Culture, Mission & Values
Providing information about company culture and mission, as well as employee values helps turn candidates into employees. Employer branding encompasses all areas of promotion to turn candidates into future employees.
Employer branding is about finding the right fit for your organisation and attracting the best talent. It indicates the way in which an organization represents itself, its products or services and its culture. The employer brand image of an organisation is shaped through all channels such as television, the internet and social media, thereby building a reputation that can attract interested candidates.
The importance of an Employer Branding Strategy?
Employee branding is an important strategy for optimizing employee values and attracting the best talent, which continues to be an elusive goal in today’s hyper-competitive job market. An effective strategy helps a company attract, recruit and retain talent.
Employer branding examples
Google, is one of the world’s best in terms of employer branding. The company have excelled in their approach to attract candidates and build a strong employer value proposition. Heineken brewing company have also worked hard to build up an international employer brand. They created their “go places” campaign that worked to showcase their staff in various positions throughout the world. The goal of the campaign was to show that their brand revolves around the unique personalities and ambitions of their employees. Heineken saw a 56% increase in applications during its launch.
Starbucks is another globally recognized company, famous for its employer brand especially their social media presence which both advertises its company culture and cultivates an online community for its employees. Starbucks created social accounts (Instagram/Twitter) to reach out to job seekers. These platforms are specifically used for showing appreciation for current employees in addition to creating a space for open communication with potential candidates. They have used these channels to advertise their company culture and cultivate an online community for staff.
Employer branding is a growing trend for companies
Employer Branding is a growing priority, and will not show any decline in 2023.
Take a look at these statistics from Glassdoor and consider how much work candidates put into researching your company before you ever see a cv application.
- 86% of HR professionals surveyed indicated recruitment is becoming more like marketing
- 86% of employees and job seekers research company reviews and ratings to decide on where to apply for a job
- 75% of active job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand
- 68% of Millennials, 54% of Gen-Xers, and 48% of Boomers indicated they visit employer’s social media properties specifically to evaluate the employer’s brand
- A negative reputation can cost companies a further 10% per hire.
Employer branding doesn’t stop at attracting new talent, an effective strategy should include all areas of the business to ensure the talent you have attracted want to stay.
Investing in employer branding strategies can result in a 28% reduction in employee turnover.
How do you differentiate yourself in the market? How to you attract, engage and retain staff?
A strong employer brand helps companies attract the best talent and establishes credibility in a crowed job market.
Your hiring strategy is one of the most critical things your organisation does. It can be the difference between getting a great candidate or losing some of the best talent in your industry. If you want to attract and convert more candidates, then it’s essential that you create an effective employer brand. Employer branding is not just about attracting people, but also retaining top talent once they join your company. In today’s competitive environment, it’s no longer enough simply to post job ads or interview your candidates. You need to think about how to get the word out about what makes you stand out from the crowd.
Employer brand strategy ensures you’re communicating effectively with your target audience. Give them a taste of your culture, and show them why they should join your company.
Here are 10 ways to get started with employer branding
- Audit the perception of your brand
- Build your employee persona
- Establish your company’s differentiators
- Create your Employer Value Proposition
- Determine and utilise your primary marketing channels
- Develop your brand guidelines and assets or review your existing ones
- Invest in your current team’s development
- Internal review and alignment
- Talk to employees regularly
- Invest in video
How to improve your employer branding
- Employer branding should be a central part of your HR strategy. Building a strong employer branding is a long-term strategy.
- Keep your employees happy
- Look at the culture of the company and identify areas of improvement
- Embrace storytelling and engaging staff in promotional activities
- Show off the talent you do have, praise and reward.
- Look at the management structure, identify the management style used and promote this to candidates.
- Review communication channels and look for improvements, survey boards, social channels, employment feedback forums.
What is the outcome for a successful employer brand strategy?
A positive employer brand communicates that the organization is a good employer and a great place to work. It will reduce recruitment costs and reduce employee turnover. Never underestimate the power of word of mouth. Keep the talent pool in your company strong by treating candidates like clients. The more you give the higher return you will receive overall.
