You may have established a great marketing strategy for your product or service, but what about marketing your company as a place of work? The employer brand is what sets you apart as an employer, company, and workplace culture. Hone in on what makes your organization a great place to work which will foster more trust - within your organization, prospective employees, and potential customers.
Your reputation and brand is crucial for hiring top talent. In fact, 86% of workers would not apply for, or continue to work for, a company that has a bad reputation. Hank Stringer & Rusty Rueff said: “If the reputation of a company’s products and services is its face, the talent brand is its heart and soul”.
In this article, you’ll learn multiple strategies to improve your employer brand, including frameworks you can implement in just a few hours. Here are 5 ways to create a winning employer brand to boost your recruiting process and attract the brightest applicants.
1. Communicate your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)
Why should candidates join your organization and what do you love about the work? In other words, your EVP defines what your organization can uniquely offer to employees.
These incentives can be tangible such as compensation and benefits for the role. Other values can be more intangible such as workplace culture, professional development opportunities, and your organization’s mission and purpose. Make sure you define your EVPs in a compelling story to target and inspire your ideal candidates.
Here is a handy checklist to keep in mind when writing job descriptions:
Job Purpose: Describe the job duties by reflecting on content, purpose, duties, and responsibilities. In addition to answering questions like “what does this job do?”, this is an important chance to directly show how this role makes an impact at your organization. New hires want to know that their work is important and contributes to your company’s big picture goals.
Opportunities: Employees want to know if they can develop skills at your organization. Highlight training programs and professional development opportunities at your company.
Compensation, salary, and benefits: Describe the traditional compensation and benefits that you can offer. Other perks may include flexible working hours, vacation time, or a stellar employee recognition program.
Workplace culture, values, and mission: Tell your organization's story. What is your mission and how are you creating an impact in the world? Craft a compelling story to illustrate your company’s values and culture.
Keep this a living document so you can review and adjust it regularly for new job descriptions.
2. Optimize the Application Experience
Once you have integrated your EVP into your recruiting material, update your Careers page. Walk a mile in your applicants’ shoes and test it out. Start your application from beginning to end, ensuring that it is not too complex and lengthy. In fact, companies lose nearly 2/3 of applicants during the application process. During the hiring process, practice techniques like communicating openly, showing company culture, and giving feedback to guarantee a Great Candidate Experience.
3. Utilize the Power of Storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful tool to humanize your company and stand out among market competitors. Use creative methods to tell your brand’s story and workplace culture by telling your story online. How did you begin the journey to where you are today? Share this on your website and social media platforms. Show your passion for the business by sharing how the company started, what motivates your brand, and what are your core values.
Incoming employees are less interested in a business with no face or humans with whom they can connect to see if your company is a good fit. Always remember the power of “show, don’t tell” to communicate what your company is all about. Check out our About and Careers page to see how we communicate our story and showcase the people behind our brand with video testimonials.
4. Leverage Social Media Messaging
Social media messaging is increasingly important to building a better employee brand. As of 2016, seven out of ten 18-34 year olds found their previous job through social media. Consistently repeat your EVP on social media channels. Ensure that visuals, colour, logo, and messages align with your brand. Are you a fun, hip, and young brand? Use bright colours and bold imagery to reflect these values. A picture tells a thousand words when crafting the narrative.
Platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter can help attract candidates and strengthen trust in your brand. Use these channels to highlight employee stories, and the growth they’ve experienced working at your company.
5. Empower Brand Ambassadors
Develop ways for your current and former employees to share their experience working at your company. Produce content such as “Day in The Life” or “Why I Applied” videos, and share them on your website and social channels. Encourage employee feedback on sites like Glassdoor, and then use the feedback you receive to improve!
The same way you read Amazon reviews before buying any product, job-seekers will research what your current employees are saying about your workplace culture. Employees who advocate for your company boost credibility as they provide an authentic window into your company. So don’t be afraid to ask your happy team to help you build your employer brand and attract more great people!
Building Brand from Inside Out
Building a great employer brand starts by being a great employer. Listen to your people, invest in their growth, recognize their accomplishments, and then communicate an authentic and compelling brand message about the employee experience. A strong employer brand will help you attract people who are enthusiastic about your company and will boost productivity, collaboration, and retention. Do you have another strategy that works for you? Let us know in the comments below!
Wondering how you can build your employer brand from the inside out? Hit the button below to chat with one of our rockstar team members, and we can show you how to build a culture of recognition that will help you attract and retain the best talent!
What's Next?
A large part of an incredible employer brand is fostering a culture of recognition. Employees who feel appreciated are more eager to own challenges and contribute more to your company. While “Thank you” goes a long way, personalizing your words of appreciation promotes authentic relationships of gratitude and respect.
So next, we'll share 50 Words of Recognition For Your Employees. Join us to discover the following:
- Elements to keep in mind when recognizing employees
- Words of appreciation from employers
- Ideas for peer-to-peer recognition messages
Hope you’ll join us for the discussion. Is there something you want to explore further? Leave a comment below or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Muucho Guusto,
Skai