Employer brand is not just an HR buzzword but a critical component of any business’s success. Think about it: the more attractive your company is as an employer, the easier it will be to attract new talent and retain high-performing staff. Consequently, developing a strong employer brand should be part of your overall marketing strategy and actively pursued with professionalism and dedication.
This blog post explores why crafting an effective employer brand should be among your priorities, how you can create one, and what impact it can have on your organization’s growth. By developing a well-rounded understanding of how to strengthen this asset within their business landscape, employers will become better stewards of their company’s stability and profitability.
In this Article:
What is an employer brand?
An employer brand is the company’s reputation as an employer, both internally and externally. It reflects how job seekers, current employees, and other stakeholders perceive the company in terms of its benefits, culture, values, job opportunities, and the employer-employee relationship. It also combines the employer value proposition (EVP) and the company’s culture.
A strong employer brand is essential for businesses because it can help you to:
- Attract job seekers and find quality employees. A positive employer brand is a great way to attract the best talent in the market. Job seekers are more likely to apply for a job with a company that has a good reputation as an employer.
- Retain current employees. A strong employer brand can boost employee morale, improve job satisfaction, and reduce employee turnover. Companies with a positive reputation as an employer are more likely to keep their best employees.
- Save on recruitment and marketing costs. A strong employer brand will help to reduce the costs associated with recruitment and marketing since you won’t have to spend as much time or money attracting new talent.
- Promote your employer brand. A positive employer brand can help you to reach more job seekers and customers. It will also give you an edge over your competitors in the market.
What is an employer value proposition (EVP)?
An employer value proposition (EVP) is a statement that articulates what an employer offers to its employees. It clearly outlines the company’s core values, culture, and benefits that make it unique. It is an important component of employer branding because it helps to define the company’s reputation as an employer.
A strong EVP should include elements such as:
- Company culture:Â Describe the company’s core values and its working environment.
- Benefits:Â Outline the benefits you offer employees, such as competitive salaries, flexible working hours, training and development opportunities, etc.
- Company story:Â Explain why your company differs from others in the market.
- Company news:Â Keep employees updated on company updates, success stories, and initiatives.
- Company website: Showcase job opportunities, employee testimonials, and employer branding efforts.
How to create an employer brand?
As an employer, one of the most important things you can do is to create a strong brand that will capture potential talent’s attention. This will help you stand out in a crowded job market and make your company appealing to top talent. It will also signal that you are an innovative organization with high standards for businesses. Creating an effective employer brand involves several steps, and here are some of the key elements:
Conduct an employer brand audit
An employer brand audit is essential to assessing your current employer brand and developing a strategy for improvement. It involves researching your existing employer brand, interviewing current employees and job seekers, and reviewing your company’s online presence.
Develop employer branding strategies
An effective employer brand strategy should be comprehensive and tailored to your company’s needs. It should address key questions such as what makes your organization appealing to potential job seekers, how to differentiate yourself from other employers, and how to promote your employer brand through various channels.
Write an employer and employee value proposition
An employer value proposition is a marketing tool used to attract and retain high-quality employees. It should encompass the company’s mission, culture, values, and benefits to create an attractive package for job seekers.
You can share the value proposition with potential hires from your website to recruitment materials and even your LinkedIn company page. Recruiters and HR teams can use this as a tool when conversing with candidates about what makes working at your company so special. Recognizing that your value proposition should not be connected with financial compensation is paramount. Instead, you need it to ignite passion in both current employees and potential candidates by conveying your firm’s broader mission and how it benefits society. People want their job roles to have significance, oftentimes more so than earning the highest salary possible.
Write snazzy job descriptions
Job posts are often the first contact job seekers have with your employer brand. As such, they should be carefully crafted and tailored to the target audience. Use catchy language and emphasize the job’s unique aspects to attract potential candidates’ interest.
Leverage current employees
Job seekers that want to learn more about your company’s culture can find out through the current employees. Leverage your existing employees by asking them to share their experiences on social media and write blog posts about their experience working for your company. Remember, your workers are three times more reliable than CEOs when talking about the workplace environment at your business. Consequently, they’re some of your most powerful advocates for creating a strong employer brand.Â
Cultivate a strong onboarding process
Onboarding is critical to employer branding as it helps new hires adjust to their role and better understand the company culture. An effective onboarding process will ensure that new employees are set up for success and will reduce the risk of employee turnover.
Offer learning and development opportunities
A large reason why people quit their jobs is the lack of career development opportunities. Investing in quality training and development programs shows job seekers that you value their professional growth and can increase employees’ job satisfaction. Offering learning and development opportunities also demonstrate that your company is committed to providing the highest standard of care for its employees.
Use video, blog posts, and photos to tell your company story
When you use an effective strategy in order to enhance market perception, you are not simply communicating with a single channel. Instead of sending video, photos, slideshows, blogs, or other types of messages, it is necessary to reach the most people possible using any platform you wish. Similar to other marketing strategies, it is important to use high-quality video footage, images, or even text. You should also consider adding employee interviews to your job posting.
The impact of a strong employer brand
Employer branding is an important component of any business and can have a significant impact on your company’s success. By focusing on developing a strong employer value proposition and employer branding strategy, you can ensure that your company is well-positioned to attract top talent and build a powerful employer brand. With the right strategy and a dedicated effort to create a positive employer brand, the marketing team can create an attractive workplace. This will help to reduce hiring costs, recruitment marketing expenses, and employee turnover.
Having a strong employer identity can have many benefits for your company, including:
- Attracting top talent acquisition. A strong employer brand can help you stand out in a crowded job market, attract qualified job candidates, and reduce hiring costs.
- Increasing employee satisfaction. A positive employer brand will help to create a better work environment, improve employee morale, and reduce employee turnover.
- Improving your company’s reputation. A strong employer brand can help you to build a good reputation as an employer and improve the company’s reputation overall.
- Attracting customers. A strong employer brand can help you to attract more customers and increase sales.
- Reducing marketing costs. A positive employer brand can help you to reduce the costs of recruitment and marketing since more job seekers will be interested in your company.
What does employer branding involve?
Whether you are just starting out or a well-established business, employer branding is an essential part of recruiting and retaining top talent. Employer branding involves a range of activities that can help to strengthen your employer brand, such as:
Creating content about your employer brand
Content such as blog posts, case studies, and white papers can help to promote your employer brand and highlight what makes it unique.
Engaging with job seekers
Establishing relationships with job seekers and engaging in conversations on social media can help to create a positive perception of your employer brand.
Leveraging employer reviews
Encouraging current employees and job seekers to leave reviews of your company can help to improve your employer brand and attract more quality candidates.
Focusing on employee experience
Creating a positive employee experience is essential to maintaining a strong employer identity. This includes taking measures to ensure that existing employees are satisfied and providing a good onboarding experience for new hires.
Use rich media
Use video, photographs, and slideshows in a compelling way to tell the story of the company. A welcome video from your CEO or incoming manager will make your company feel very professional. Budget marketing expenditures and expenses from the beginning of every quarter.
Start a company blog
Recruiters have a marketing mindset and they know how to effectively use their content to compete in a noisy market. Job hunters usually check company blogs for a better understanding of the company. Write company news, cultural updates, and articles by employees and leaders with your personal voice. A blog is a great way to highlight individual people’s policies, programs, or processes that demonstrate the commitment of the organization to the employees.
Hire for diversity
Implement a plan to select candidates that represent different perspectives, skills and backgrounds. A diverse workforce can improve the working environment, innovation, and profitability of the company. Ensure that a potential candidate feels comfortable in the job by considering their skills and personal values.
A word from SublimePeople
Your employer brand is what makes your company attractive to potential candidates and differentiates you from your competitors. Having a strong employer identity is essential to any organization’s marketing strategy. As such, it should be pursued with meticulous planning and professionalism.
Would you add any other recommendations to have a strong employer brand? Share your opinion with us!
