Attract top talent with these simple steps
In today’s competitive market, attracting top talent requires more than just having an open position with fair wages, it’s also important to have great employer branding to find the best employees for your company. Developing an employer brand that fits your company culture and is optimized for your target market is the best way to attract candidates that will be the best fit for your business. If you’re looking to boost your employer branding, read on!
What is Employer Branding?
Your employer branding is the reputation of your company as an employer. We’ve all heard stories about how fun it is to work for Google with their great perks and enjoyable work atmosphere, that’s what employer branding is all about. When you’re hiring for new positions you want candidates to think positively about your business, but you also want to ensure your employer branding is authentic to who you are as a business. Although you may think having a fun and energetic employer brand will attract the most candidates, your employer branding should reflect what it’s like to work for your company to attract the best candidates. An established corporate law firm should have very different employer branding than a start up app developer. As you develop your employer branding, be sure to create a brand that’s authentic to who you are, speaks the language of your target audience, and showcases what makes your company great!
Why is Employer Branding Important?
Your employer branding is what candidates and employees truly think of you – it’s how they’ll describe your workplace to friends and family. Your employer branding can impact your company culture where how you represent yourself in the hiring process will influence the way your hired employees act in the workplace.
According to a Forbes article, over 75% of candidates will consider a company’s culture before applying to a job, and 56% of candidates hold company culture as highly as salary when it comes to taking a job. Your employer branding is an important step to showcasing your company culture and ensuring you’re attracting the right candidates. Employer branding will help you find candidates who fit your business and will often increase employee retention. This is because if a candidate is attracted to your employer brand – and your employer brand is authentic to who you are – they are more likely to find job satisfaction, connect with fellow coworkers, and continue on in the company.
9 Tips for Improving Your Employer Branding
There are many ways you can grow and improve your employer branding. Here are a few of the best ways our recruiting team finds improves employer branding and attracts elite candidates to your company.
- Craft a Unique Value Proposition
- Showcase Your Company Culture
- Include Employer Testimonials
- Use Social Media Effectively
- Optimize Your Careers Page
- Develop Thought Leadership Content
- Showcase Benefits and Perks
- Focus on Feedback and Improvement
- Look Towards Innovative Recruitment Strategies
Craft a Unique Value Proposition
When crafting your employer brand, it’s important to identify your unique attributes and values that set you apart from competitors. This can include a supportive work environment, flexible hours, opportunities for growth and professional development, and a fun or unique company culture. Your value proposition should be authentic to who you are and also be centered around the kind of people you want to hire. Ask your top performers what they think is the ultimate value of the company is to see if you can align your employer branding with what your best employees look for.
Showcase Your Company Culture
Having a positive company culture is essential for attracting candidates. Positive company cultures don’t necessarily mean putting an emphasis on fun, however, as many candidates would prefer to work in an office that’s calm and professional. What is essential for a positive company culture is that there is a supportive management team, good internal communication, and benefits that make employees feel valued. Some examples of companies that have great employer branding are Google (showcasing a fun atmosphere with a focus on enjoyment) and Starbucks (showcasing a company culture that values employees as partners).
Include Employee Testimonials
When looking to hire new talent, try sharing real stories from current employees that highlight their positive experiences working for the company. These narratives can offer candidates insights into what it’s like to be part of the team and showcase that your company values and appreciates the feedback of your employees.
Use Social Media Effectively
Work to leverage platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok to share engaging content that showcases your workplace, values, and employee achievements. LinkedIn is the most commonly used social media platform for hiring and is a great way to share thought pieces, highlight employees, and show your company culture. TikTok may seem like an interesting choice for hiring; however, many entry level positions will be taken up by members of Gen Z who are the largest demographic users of TikTok. If you want to showcase your company’s culture, perks, and market your business as a whole, TikTok is a great place to try introducing video content!
Optimize Your Careers Page
It’s incredibly important to have a well-designed and informative career page on your company website. Your careers page should have compelling content including your pieces about your company values and culture, videos, employee spotlights, and detailed job descriptions – essentially put everything about your employer brand onto this page. If someone is interested in a job at your company the first place they’ll look is your careers section, so make sure your business shines!
Develop Thought Leadership Content
If you’re looking to grow your employer brand, it’s a good idea to start developing thought-provoking content, such as blog posts, whitepapers, and industry reports. This kind of content can position your company as an authority in its field and attract candidates seeking growth opportunities. For professional businesses looking to grow their employer brand, thought leadership content is a great place to start.
Showcase Benefits and Perks
Benefits and perks are one of the main deciding factors for candidates looking to move to a new position. Highlight the benefits and perks that the company offers, such as flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities, wellness programs, subsidized child care, and more. Whatever perks and benefits packages you offer, don’t be afraid to shout it to the rooftops. These are an important part of rounding out your employer brand and attracting new talent.
Focus on Feedback and Improvement
Getting feedback from both candidates and employees is a great way to continuously improve the employer brand and the overall candidate experience. Don’t shy away from constructive criticism when employees have it, and if they have positive feedback be sure to highlight it on your careers page and social media. Getting regular feedback is an important starting point for improving your employer brand.
Look Towards Innovative Recruitment Strategies
There are plenty of ways to recruit new hires that aren’t just putting the job posting online. Explore creative ways to reach potential candidates, such as working with a recruiting agency, hosting virtual events, participating in industry conferences, or partnering with educational institutions.
How to Measure Success of Your Employer Branding
As you work to improve your employer branding, it’s also important to measure whether or not you’ve been successful. You can measure the success of your employer branding changes by looking at metrics such as the quality of the applicants you’ve been receiving, how long it takes you to fill a position, and general candidate satisfaction. If you are finding that the candidates who have been applying for your open positions just aren’t hitting the mark, continue to tweak your employer brand messaging and track your progress!
By focusing on these strategies, you can optimize your employer branding to attract top talent. Having a strong and reputable employer brand is an essential part of recruitment, so if you need assistance optimizing your employer brand and finding the best candidates, contact Recruitment Partners! Our team of expert recruiters would be happy to consult with you on improving our employer brand and finding you the right fit for your company.
