When looking for a job, potential candidates will take into consideration a lot more than just the job title and salary. The company itself plays an important part in the decision-making process. People want to relate to the company they work for, embrace the culture and engage with the brand itself with shared values.
Employer branding can inspire potential candidates and attract top talent. In an increasingly competitive job market, clearly defining your values, culture, and overall employee experience can also increase retention and drive growth.
In this article, we will go into what an employer brand is, how beneficial it can be for your business and how you can develop a strategy for your business.
What is employer branding?
An employer brand is how current and potential employees perceive an organisation. It encompasses the company’s values, culture, mission, vision and employee experience. Through a well-crafted brand, companies can showcase their work environment, benefits, and opportunities for people to grow.
Every company will have an employer brand, so you’re better to start managing it.
Branding for an employer is similar to branding for consumers. However, instead of convincing people to buy a product, employer branding aims to attract talent by creating a positive perception of the company.
A positive and effective employer brand can also impact the organisation’s reputation, increase productivity, and improve performance. On the other hand, if not done properly, an employer brand can make it difficult to attract good talent.
What are the benefits of employer branding?
We have already discussed how crucial employer branding can be at key moments. However, a good brand can offer long-term benefits to a business, significantly contributing to the success of an organisation.
1. Attracting top talent
Branding creates a positive reputation as an employer, which can make the organisation more appealing to job seekers.
According to LinkedIn, a strong employer brand leads to 2.5x more applicants to a job advert.
2. Retaining employees
A positive employer brand can create a sense of pride and loyalty among employees, making them more likely to stay with the organisation. It can also help reduce employee turnover and associated costs.
3. Improving employee engagement
A company that communicates its values and mission with its employees can help improve engagement within the organisation. As a result, these institutions register higher productivity, better performance and improved morale.
4. Enhancing customer perception
The benefits of portraying your business as a good employee are not limited to work relations. It can also improve the customer’s perception of the organisation.
Employees who are proud of their workplace become brand ambassadors themselves. They provide better customer service and end up promoting brand loyalty.
5. Increasing profitability
A strong employer brand can contribute to increased profitability by reducing recruitment and training costs associated with high turnover rates. It can also lead to higher productivity and better customer service, which can increase revenue.
According to LinkedIn, companies that work on their employer brand see a 43% decrease in cost per hire. Candidates are more likely to look for your company and reach out when there is an opportunity that matches their skills and values.
6. Improved reputation
A positive employer brand can build a positive reputation for the organisation as a whole, making it more attractive to investors, partners, and other stakeholders.
How to build a strong employer brand?
Building a strong employer brand requires a comprehensive strategy that aligns with the company’s values and culture.
In no particular order, here are some steps you should take to build your branding and improve the perception of your company.
Step 1: Define your company’s values and culture
The first step in creating a strong employer brand is deeply understanding your company. Define the most important things your employees should know about you, what guides your business decisions and what represents your motivation.
Consider your business goals, the way you want to achieve them and how you’d like your employees to reach these objectives.
This exercise will provide a foundation for your employer brand strategy, ensuring it aligns with the company’s overall goals and values.
Step 2: Research
Research to understand how your company is perceived as an employer. You can interview current and former employers, read Glassdoor and Indeed reviews, send surveys to partners or clients, reach out to people who have applied for jobs previously and compare how your company is seen to how competitors are perceived.
Through research, you’ll be able to assess where you need to improve and what people already see positively in your company.
Step 3: Develop a value proposition
Develop a value proposition that communicates what makes your company different from other employers.
A value proposition should describe all the benefits or advantages that your company offers to potential employees. It is a concise and clear statement that outlines why they should choose your company as their workplace.
Your value proposition should be based on your company’s values and culture and should be communicated consistently across all touchpoints.
Step 4: Create a compelling careers website
An employer brand should also be visually appealing. There’s no need to create a special logo or visual identity to portray your employer brand, but your careers website should have an attractive and interesting design.
Make sure it is also easy to navigate and showcases all the information about your company culture, values, benefits and opportunities. Career sites can be viewed as as “propoganda” or a manipulated view of what the company is like, so aim for authenticity. Using stories from existing employees is a great way to combat this.
Your research should help guide you through this stage of the process, as it will indicate what people want to know about your company and what makes them interested in applying to work with you.
Step 5: Leverage social media
Social media is an important tool for building and promoting your employer brand. Use social media to share stories about your company culture, highlight employee achievements, and engage with candidates and employees.
Company profiles on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and even TikTok can significantly improve the way people perceive your business. Use these pages to highlight your company’s values and goals, encouraging people to participate and engage with your posts.
Job boards can also be a part of your branding strategy. Some websites allow you to have a company page in which you can share about your brand and values. Face every opportunity to discuss your company publicly as an opportunity to showcase your employer brand.
Step 6: Invest in employee development
When creating your employer branding, it is important also to keep current employees in mind. A crucial part of strong employer branding is providing a positive experience for people working at your company. People who are happy with their workplace will act as brand ambassadors and feel compelled to share the benefits of working for your company with others.
Investing in employee development can stimulate this sort of feeling and motivate people to stay in the company. Employee development can include training programs, leadership development, and mentoring.
Step 7: Promote diversity and inclusion
More than ever, people are acutely aware of the importance of diversity in the workplace. People also want to feel welcomed and respected. Making inclusion and diversity a priority will help your employees feel valued.
The recruitment process should highlight the opportunities people of all backgrounds will have while working at your company, encouraging an increasingly diverse workforce.
Step 8: Engage employees
As discussed, strong employer branding involves more than potential candidates. It should also include and encourage current employees.
You’ll be able to create a positive employer brand by fostering a positive work environment and offering opportunities for feedback and input. Ask your current employees how they believe the company can improve, what they think might be missing and what makes them proud to work for your business.
Employees must feel valued and respected.
Step 9: Ask employees for testimonials
An effective way of getting employees engaged is by asking them for testimonials about working at your company.
On social media, you can create a playlist of video testimonials or a page of employees’ opinions about working for you. Potential future employees will feel encouraged to apply for jobs with you if they see current team members feeling comfortable and happy to share their views about your business.
Video case studies can also contribute to building an employer brand. Keep records of your efforts to keep employees engaged and share these with your business community.
Step 10: Pay attention to employees’ reviews
Platforms such as Glassdoor and Indeed allow employees and clients to leave reviews about companies they work with.
Creating profiles and replying to reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed will help you build a strong employer brand. You can share what your company has been working on, and employees can discuss their experience working for you. According to Glassdoor, 74% of users read at least four reviews before forming an opinion about a company.
These platforms allow applicants to read about how companies treat their employees from former workers. Use these platforms as a way of getting honest feedback. Reviews will help you improve and make the necessary changes.
Final thoughts
Employer branding has become an essential strategy for companies looking to attract and retain top talent. In a competitive job market, promoting your company as a great place to work can increase the quality of applicants and motivate current employees.
Companies that invest in building a positive employer brand showcase their culture, values, and work environment, which help them stand out from the competition. Prioritising a strong employer brand can bring excellent results in the long run.
It is important to note that creating an employer brand strategy benefits companies of all sizes. In fact, the sooner you start to build your brand, the better. Positioning yourself as a respected company will help you succeed for years to come.
