For employers, the pressure is on for picking the right candidate. While the hiring process is stressful for both parties, this is where the importance of employer branding comes in. Employer branding not only attracts the best talent, but it helps keep the best employees around, too. So, let’s dive in…
What is employer branding?
Employer branding refers to the market’s perception of your workplace. This idea looks at how you advertise your company to candidates on the outside, but also how you treat your employees on the inside. It speaks volumes about your company’s culture and values.
How can I improve my employer branding?
Like we mentioned earlier, employer branding refers to the market’s perception of your company. This could mean anything that your consumers think about your business. For instance, your products and services, what team members say about your company, or what your online presence is like. There are endless possibilities of how to better your brand, but we will start with the big picture of how to improve your employer branding…
- • Create an outstanding place to work – I came across an article from the Harvard Business Review speaking on this same topic, and this quote resonated with me, “The answer is that great employers must shift the focus from trying to get more out of people, to investing more in them by addressing their four core needs — physical, emotional, mental and spiritual — so they’re freed, fueled and inspired to bring the best of themselves to work every day.” It’s more than just offering good leadership, fair pay, and a safe work environment. It’s about being genuinely interested in your employees and investing in their development along the way.
- • Let the job seekers know how awesome you are – While we are talking about employer branding, the work does not just stop with the employer. It is a team effort as employees really should be working as brand advocates. Having a team that will speak positively on your behalf is already a step in the right direction. Employees who have favorable workplace experiences will be more likely to refer qualified candidates and generate useful content for social media. And going along those lines, an active online presence will help your company tremendously during the hiring process. Today, young applicants are just as likely to research your company by your social media than your website. It is equally as important to have consistent social media as it is to have current content on your website.
So if I do all that, how does that benefit my company?
- • Recruitment – Strong employer branding will help attract not only good candidates but the right ones. Since you will be investing in your company in different ways (like above), you’ll probably be able to cut back on your hiring budget.
- • Retention – When employees feel the benefits of working at your company, they will stay. Since you have talented employees, you will attract talented people. It is the best kind of ripple effect.
All in all, employer branding is important for your business in many ways. Amongst the many benefits, it will help with recruitment AND retention. In the coming weeks, we will talk a little bit more about employer marketing and expand on these topics. If you are looking for ways to successfully market your company, but you are not quite sure what to do, give Transformation Marketing a call at 402-788-2896!