What’s the first thing candidates think when they hear your company name? If your answer is “I don’t know,” then it’s probably time to start building your employer brand.
Why? It might be tempting to leave your branding strategy on the back burner, but it plays a major role in your recruitment efforts—and the numbers back this up. According to Glassdoor, 92 percent of employees would jump ship without any salary increase if another company had an amazing reputation. At the same time, 86 percent of job seekers wouldn’t consider working for a company with a bad reputation.
So, what does that mean for your company?
We hate to break it to you, but bragging about your perks isn’t enough anymore. Just as your customers expect companies to speak about current issues, so do your candidates. The war for talent has forced recruiters to step up their marketing game, and you need to show your ideal candidates exactly why you’re worth working for over the competition.
It might feel overwhelming to upgrade your employer brand, but it’s well worth the time and effort. Here’s how to prioritize your employer brand to drive top talent to your organization.
What Is Employer Branding?
First things first: What exactly is employer branding? In a nutshell, it’s your reputation among future and current employees. It’s the perception of what it’s like to work at your company (see: your employment experience).
To hire high-quality candidates, you need to create a genuine and trustworthy employer brand.
And to make it stick, you’ll need collaboration from each level of your company: from recruiters to employees to your executive team. Believe it or not, talent acquisition and retention aren’t just HR functions, and different teams are responsible for different components of your employer brand.
When you have a strategy to influence and reshape your employer brand, you can build a winning reputation that attracts top-trade talent. You can do this by highlighting your company’s unique differentiators, and then working to amplify them so you can position your company as an employer of choice.
Benefits of a Strong Employer Brand
Thanks to the pandemic, your candidates are rethinking their priorities and values. They’re searching for new opportunities that offer more flexibility and empathy than their current job offers. You need to step out in front of the competition and show potential candidates why you’re the right match for their personal and professional goals, and that’s where branding can be your MVP.
Why does employer branding matter?
In today’s candidate-centric market, you need a powerful brand to attract your top picks. You can offer unlimited PTO and a great healthcare plan, but your candidate still might decline the offer if you have a negative brand.
According to Gartner, employees expect employers to take a stance on current issues. And it’s not just enough to talk the talk; you need to walk the walk, too. When organizations stand behind their values by reallocating resources, giving employees time off to volunteer, or changing suppliers, employee engagement increases significantly.
Armed with a strong employee value proposition and mission statement, you’ll sweep past the competition in the war for talent. Plus, a positive reputation can even help you save on recruitment. According to LinkedIn, recruitment costs plummet by roughly 43 percent when companies invest in their employer brand.
How to Reshape Your Employer Brand
Now that you know why you need an amazing employer brand, how can you start building one? Here’s how to kickstart your employer branding strategy so you can attract, hire, and retain your ideal candidates.
1. Audit Your Employer Brand
Before you start building your new brand, you’ll need to review your employer brand from a candidate’s point of view. Start by auditing your social media accounts, scrolling through your careers website, and reviewing your mission page. Then, take some time to read through your job descriptions. Do they tell the story of your company? Do they highlight your mission?
To drive top talent to your organization, your “About Us” page should clearly align the company’s mission with its values. Here, your goal is to show potential candidates what your organization does, why, and how they’ll make a real-world impact with your company. Basically, you’ll need to tap into your storytelling skills to create a compelling brand narrative. What do your values look like? What is your company doing to live those values?
What do your values look like? What is your company doing to live those values?
Once you’re done optimizing your career website, head to Glassdoor and read your company’s reviews. And if you haven’t built your Glassdoor profile yet, now is the time. You’ll want to respond to reviews, both positive and negative, with empathy. Be sure to pay attention to feedback from previous employees, especially if you notice recurring themes.
2. Upgrade Your Social Media Presence
Next, it’s time to dive into social media. Companies used to take out ads or magazine spreads to showcase their company reputation. Sure, some organizations still send out press releases with their latest achievements, but they’re usually not targeting potential employees.
Instead, companies are using social media to captivate potential candidates. According to a LinkedIn survey, 52 percent of candidates check out social media accounts to learn more about potential employers. If you want to spark the interest of your top candidates, you’ll need to establish a consistent posting cadence on social media.
What are your candidates looking for?
It’s simple: They want a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your company culture through “day in the life” stories, employee-generated content, and employee testimonials. Your employer brand should give potential candidates a glimpse into what your culture is really like. If your culture is fun and lighthearted, your social media should reflect that. If it’s on the serious side, that’s OK, too. Just don’t paint a false picture of your culture.
And remember: You want to attract skilled candidates who will thrive within your culture. To do that, you’ll need to build an authentic brand instead of just focusing on what’s trending at the moment.
3. Prioritize Employee Advocacy
Your recruitment marketing strategy matters, but employer branding is much bigger than that. In fact, your employer brand is primarily built by your current employees. They’re talking about your company with friends and family, posting about it on social media, and deciding what your reputation will look like.
Don’t assume you know what they’re thinking.
Instead, conduct an employee survey to encourage anonymous feedback regarding their experience. Once you’ve collected feedback, you can review the results and address any feedback. Recognize that you have challenges, but be intentional about improving your culture and communicate the actions you’re taking to build a better environment for employees.
Of course, advocacy doesn’t (and shouldn’t) end with surveys. Your employees have ideas and opinions, and good advocacy means listening to them. Did your logistics manager think of a more efficient process for storing inventory? Create a blog post about it. Let hardworking employees share their ideas at company meetings. Your candidates want to know their voices will be respected and heard, and employee advocacy is the best way to recognize the value your blue-collar workers bring to the company.
Don’t Sleep On Your Employer Brand
Now more than ever, your employer brand matters. Your candidates are paying close attention to your company mission. And with so many companies fighting for skilled candidates, you need an authentic brand to secure your top picks.
When you’re ready to start brainstorming your new employer branding strategy, we’re here to help. Download our self-audit checklist and schedule a discovery call to prioritize your employer brand.
