As more and more candidates use a variety of tools to research organizations and their roles, employer branding is becoming increasingly important for all recruiting and retention efforts. This is especially true when hiring the next-generation workforce, who are driven by values, work-life balance, identifying with a culture, employee diversity, and business sustainability.
Today’s job candidates vet potential employers in ways similar to how they shop for consumer items — on their favorite digital platforms, asking around, and reading reviews. What will that mean for your organization? Will your company be able to pass muster? To attract top talent and find better matches for your ever-evolving roles, branding is what will differentiate you and help you stay competitive.
When done right, your branding acts as a magnet to attract the right people, and at the same time, a filter to remove those who aren’t the right fit from the process. Getting the right people, not simply more people, to apply to your roles should be the ultimate goal.
What is Employer Branding?
It isn’t really any one thing, but a collection of all the elements that make up what working at your company is all about. Company branding is your Employer Value Proposition. It’s your promise, as an employer, of what you will give to your employees in return for their time, loyalty, and productivity. It’s often a bold, compelling, yet genuine statement that defines you. From your own career site to job postings to being consistent on social media and networking platforms, sharing your EVP and company values in an authentic way is crucial.
It’s Your People
What is important to your employees? How does your company show employee appreciation? Is your workforce inclusive and welcoming to new viewpoints? Are your employees proud to work for your organization?
It’s the Candidate Experience
Recruiting etiquette — being accessible, responsive, and courteous — is part of your employer branding. What first impression are you giving to people who apply for your roles? And for those who aren’t hired, are you leaving the door open for future opportunities? It’s not just…your career site, your job listings, your “pillars” or your list of “values,” your corporate brand, your tagline or hashtag. It’s all of the these and more!
How to Evaluate and Improve Your Employer Brand
Start monitoring your media mentions. What’s being said about you? How do people respond to your outreach? Are you met with positivity overall?
Consider a focus group to answer some questions in an unbiased way to help you understand if your employer branding creates the desired impression with your target audience. See how your competitors are perceived and how you measure up or compare. Use engagement surveys to understand how connected people are to your workplace.
Continue to Strengthen Your Branding
These tips will help you fine-tune your employer branding and recruit and retain top talent. Keep up the momentum using the expert-recommended advice in our free Employer Branding Guide.
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