Discover Your Employer Brand for Better Recruiting
By Cyndy Trivella | November 5th, 2019
What does your business stand for? How do people perceive your company? In today’s world of social media, your business is continually in the spotlight of public opinion. Today, your reputation matters. How important is it? In a recent study, the recruiting firm Randstad found that 86% of workers would not apply for, or continue to work for a company that has a bad reputation.
Your employer brand is how your employees and potential recruits see you. Your employer brand is how you market yourself to potential job seekers.
Why Does My Employer Brand Matter?
Improving your employer brand is not just a matter of image; it's part of maximizing productivity and profitability. LinkedIn recently reported that a positive image could reduce your turnover rates by 28%. First, discovering then developing a desirable employer brand is essential if you want to attract and keep qualified employees.
Discovering Your Employer Brand
Howard Weintraub, the founder of Nuuvo-B2E, had this to say about employer branding:
A brand is not created; it is discovered. You can’t just decide “this is my employer brand” and base it on a slogan, some stock imagery, and cute copywriting. That’s an ad, and might be based on aspirations, but it's not your brand.
Discovering and defining your employer brand is the first step toward putting your business in a position for maximum success. As Weintraub alludes, you don’t always get to choose your employer brand. Your employer brand is based on the perception that your current employees and potential recruits have of your business.
Here are five steps toward discovering and improving your employer brand:
1. Learn Who You Are
What makes your company unique? Every business has something that sets it apart from every other company out there. Know this; no company is perfect. All companies have good and bad attributes and knowing your current situation is the first step towards making improvements. Reputations can always be changed for the better once you understand what needs to be improved.
2. What Do Your Employees Want from You?
What are recruits looking for in a job? Do they come to you looking for a good salary, or do they want something more? Unemployment is low. Highly qualified employees are at a premium, and they are increasingly choosing to work for companies that reflect their values. Today’s job seeker is savvy and has access to a myriad of information. They are evaluating your organization as much as you’ll be evaluating them during an interview. When assessing the skills and
“fit-ability” of candidates, keep in mind that you need to be thinking about the future of the company and what skill sets will be needed as the organization grows. According to the Potentialpark Global 2019 Report, the #2 most important feature candidates looked for on career websites was “Compensation and Benefits”. Employers that don’t provide this feature are missing out on a huge opportunity to attract top candidates.
3. Communicate Your Intentions
Once you know where you are and where you want to be, it’s time to communicate your employer brand to the world. Develop a solid plan of action to publicize your value proposition. People need to know why they would want to work for you, in addition to using your value proposition to retain the employees you already have.
It will take more than just words. You need to live the brand and reveal your human side to the business. People don’t identify with bricks and mortar or images on a website; they identify and seek alignment with other humans like themselves. As new talent is entering the workforce, they are seeking alignment with companies that are thoughtful and cause-oriented. So, it’s not enough to say you support a cause; you need to put your resources behind your words.
4. Engage Your Employees
More than anything else, your current employees shape and communicate your company culture. When needing to improve your employer brand, make your current employees part of the process. They have a very good idea of the culture within your organization and can help steer you in the right direction with their feedback. If you choose to solicit input via a survey, let them know that the results of the data will be shared with them and that their feedback is invaluable.
Tip: do not conduct surveys if you don’t plan to share the findings. This decision will impact you negatively and be perceived as deception.
5. Make an Impact
Setting your business apart from the competition, in a positive way, will always get the right people noticing your company and, subsequently, your job opportunities. Convey the value proposition you offer and showcase the attributes you want noticed. It’s essential to be truthful about your mission, vision, and values. This is how the right people will find you. And keep in mind, the right people should not only be a culture fit; they should be a culture add.
Hold your company values close and know what you stand for and be ready to walk the talk. Today’s savvy recruits are looking for businesses prepared to change the world, not just make a dollar.
Tagged: Employer Brand, Talent Communication, Talent Culture