The basics of Employer branding

Employer branding is a crucial component of any successful organization and it is more important now than ever before as today’s market offers top talent an unprecedented number of job options.

Employer branding is the process of positioning a business as an employer of choice in order to draw in and keep top talent. It entails establishing a solid reputation for the business as a great place to work and spreading this message via a number of channels. It’s the fundamentals of marketing for your job ads.

What is your employer brand?

Your employer brand is the special value that your company offers as an employer. This might cover topics like corporate culture, benefits, opportunity for professional advancement, and company values. Spend some time considering what makes your business unique as a place to work and utilize that information to develop a strong employer brand.

Let’s pick apart some unique elements of employer branding worth considering.  

Benefits

The benefits package for employees is a crucial element of employer branding. This can involve benefits like extra vacation days or bonuses but might also include flexible working hours or the ability to work from home. By showcasing the company's dedication to the welfare and financial stability of its employees, competitive perks can increase a company's appeal to prospective candidates.

The benefits may be the most important of all to consider. Your employees come to work because they get paid, not because they have a fiery passion for the objectives of the company. You can sell ping pong tables, pizza parties, and a “fun” culture all day long, if the benefits aren’t competitive no one will care.

However, pay and benefits are not strong drivers of employee satisfaction. They just need to be competitive for you to be considered. What this means is that sub-optimal pay and benefits cause employee dissatisfaction making good benefits an insufficient but necessary aspect of attracting and retaining talent.

Culture

Company culture is another key component of employer branding. This covers the organization's core principles, purpose, and general atmosphere. Companies with a welcoming culture are generally more appealing to candidates because they foster a sense of community and a productive workplace.

Cultures that are typically regarded positively encourage work environments that value diversity, inclusivity, and employee well-being. This might involve things like adaptable work schedules, regular opportunities for training and growth, and a healthy and supportive working climate.

Although this is generally true, it may be key to perform market research about what your specific applicants find important. Are they career oriented or are they just looking for a nice job close to their family? Are they looking for additional training or are they ready to jump in with their expertise from previous experience? 

Culture fit was found to be important for employee satisfaction. Which means that ensuring your candidates fit your culture, or that the culture fits the candidates, is an incredibly sustainable strategy to attract and retain top-talent.

Career opportunities

Integrating career opportunities into your employer branding plan is also an important approach for attracting top employees. Employers that provide chances for growth and promotion are loved by their employees.

You can demonstrate to prospective employees that your organization cares about their long-term success by emphasizing the career development options that are offered at your business. This could involve things like mentorship opportunities, leadership development programs, and well-defined career promotion tracks.

Again, this only applies if your prospective candidate is looking to for ladders to climb. Not everyone is shooting for the c-suite. Knowing what your ideal candidate is looking for is key to developing a branding strategy that works for you.

Employee advocacy

Employee advocacy is empowering staff members to share company content, values, and culture on their personal social media. Working with your employees to highlight their good experiences with the company can be a valuable way to engage both current and future members of your organization.

Potential employees are more likely to consider a company as a desirable place to work when they witness the genuine and positive portrayal of the corporate culture through the eyes of current employees.

Additionally, since employees' personal networks may be larger than the business's official social media following, employee advocacy can help promote brand recognition and reach. Employer branding can be significantly impacted by how well firms consider and manage their employee advocacy strategy.

Current employees are your resource to learn about how you’re doing as an employer. Checking in with employees with, for example, a satisfaction survey can give amazing insight into what your people find most important, what you could improve, and what you’re doing well. The latter can be used to inspire future brand campaigns.

So how do you communicate these aspects of your business?

Employer branding is really like any other marketing exercise. If working for your company was a product how would you get people to buy it? Knowing what your potential applicant wants, authentically delivering it, and communicating it loud and clear is what will set you apart from the competition.

Authenticity is key. You can boost your authenticity by backing up your claims with proof. Industry awards or charitable giving could serve as strong talking points to get across what is important to your company.

From there the most important place to display your employer brand is in places where your applicants will definitely be like career platforms, job fairs, and job postings. Make sure the applicants have all the information right there. Avoid keeping things like salary hidden, it will not be appreciated. If your salary is so competitive, why are you so secretive about it...

To guide people to your job ads you have your marketing toolkit. Social campaigns, ads, and LinkedIn recruitment are all great tools. In addition, you might also have relationships with schools or universities that allow you to talk to prospective employees. These are all places you should integrate your employer brand to attract the right people.

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