How your customers see you is important.
You want to make sure they connect with what your company stands for.
So, every company creates a brand to connect with customers.
However, another aspect of your company's brand deserves equal attention.
How do potential employees see your organization? That's your employer brand, and it's all about what candidates and current employees think and feel about you.
A strong employer brand is essential in today's competitive job market.
Without it, attracting and keeping talented employees can be a challenging and expensive task.
So, if you're wondering what employer branding is, keep reading to explore best practices and learn how to get started.
Employer branding is about building and managing a company’s reputation as a good place to work.
This is especially important for attracting potential job seekers and keeping current employees.
To build your employer brand effectively, you should focus on showcasing what makes your company unique, such as its culture, values, and work environment.
By sharing these unique features, you can create a compelling story that appeals to both potential candidates and current staff.
When done right, employer branding really gets people interested in your company, making it appealing for top talent.
It also creates a community of happy employees who are likely to share their positive experiences.
This word-of-mouth promotion spreads the reach of your employer brand and boosts its visibility in a competitive job market.
Think of employer brand as the final product—an appealing and well-respected name in the job market.
It’s about how people see you in your industry and what you promise your employees.
It showcases your company culture, how engaged your employees are, and their overall happiness, often highlighted on your careers page.
On the flip side, employer branding is like the factory and the workers behind the scenes.
It involves the strategies, tools, and people who build and keep that brand alive.
So, to break it down: employer brand is the result—the actual reputation.
Employer branding is the whole process and the actions taken to shape and manage that reputation.
Employer branding means putting resources into the parts of your company that show job seekers and employees what your organization is really like.
Some examples are:
Employer branding has many benefits to offer to any company.
Companies with a solid employer brand tend to draw in more applicants compared to those with a bad reputation.
When the candidate pool is small, finding skilled people can be tough.
So, creating a positive employer brand that reflects your organization’s values can really help you attract top talent who vibe with those principles, reducing the time and cost of recruitment.
Employee turnover can be a big problem for companies.
Every time someone leaves, the organization loses valuable talent, experience, and skills.
When the employment brand is strong and positive, employees are more likely to feel satisfied in their roles, which helps keep turnover rates down.
Employer branding gives your company a leg up by making it stand out from the competition and improving its reputation.
It showcases your workplace as the top choice for job seekers, attracting more applicants.
Many people value more than just the paycheck when choosing a job; however, the vibe and culture of a workplace matter to them, especially for Gen Z.
In most companies, HR takes the lead on employer branding, which makes sense since they handle attracting, hiring, and keeping talent.
Therefore, Outsourcing HR partners can help with strategies for employer branding.
Despite this, employer branding isn’t just an HR job; it’s a team effort.
Founders, marketing, communications, managers, and employees also play a role.
In larger companies, there might even be a specific team just for recruitment marketing.
Nonetheless, no matter who’s in charge, remember that candidates and employees are the ones who impact your reputation.
Being a great employer is key, and after that, it’s all about showing off what you’re doing to the outside world.
Here are some practices to make that happen.
Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is the unique set of benefits, opportunities, and experiences you provide to employees in exchange for their skills and commitment.
To discover your EVP, ask yourself these questions:
Extra tip: Make sure to communicate your EVP consistently across all platforms, including your website, social media, job postings, and communications with employees.
Your careers site shouldn’t just be a boring list of job openings – it should really pull in and connect with candidates by showing off what makes your company stand out.
Make sure your site includes storytelling that reflects your employer's brand.
Think about adding details like your mission and vision, values, and the vibe of your company culture.
Don’t forget to highlight the benefits and perks you offer, and share common career paths within the company.
Incorporate images, videos, audio clips, and interviews featuring employees sharing their experiences.
Keep exploring how you can showcase your value through this engaging content.
Job postings are usually the first thing candidates see about your company, so it’s a great chance to show off what makes you a great employer.
To create a job post that stands out, keep these tips in mind:
Your employees are truly your best brand ambassadors.
Candidates are often more inclined to trust their peers rather than rely solely on your polished employer branding materials.
Encourage your employees to embrace this ambassadorial role.
One great way to boost your brand is by showcasing your employees on social media and sharing their stories as part of your brand's narrative.
This way, they can post your company's content on their own profiles and spread the word as proud team members.
You might want to think about adding a referral bonus for every candidate someone recommends that gets hired.
It encourages people to take part and helps increase your brand's credibility at the same time.
Extra tip: If you use fractional HR services and staff augmentation, make sure these workers feel like part of the team, even after they leave.
This helps ensure that employees, temporary staff, or collaborators speak positively about you wherever they go.
What is employer branding?
Simple: creating and maintaining your company's image as a good employer.
Your company should decide what it offers to employees and run campaigns while involving the current team as ambassadors.
The best way to achieve this is by being a great place to work and communicating your strengths with the right strategies.
If you're not sure how to start, contact TROIS Collective here.
We would gladly help you improve your employer branding.
