The importance of an employer brand has never been greater. It is your personality and how you attract talent to your organization. It builds connection and belonging for those presently employed and a reason for prospective talent to join.
If you are not paying attention to your employer brand, you are not maximizing your recruitment advertising spend and more importantly not building the type of unity that fosters engagement and retention. According to a Glassdoor survey, eighty-seven (87%) of organizations cite culture and engagement as one of their top challenges (Glassdoor, US survey 2016).
Organizational identity via a thoughtful and authentic employer brand rounds out the applicant experience drawing in great talent to your organization by providing a peephole into your culture. What does life feel like at your company? Who works there? Why do they work there? Sixty-nine percent (69%) of active job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages its employer brand (Glassdoor, US survey 2016).
So what are the top five employer branding must dos?
1) Marrying your commercial brand with employment brand– It’s important not to lose sight of how your commercial brand and employer brand interact. Carving out an employer brand in a vacuum will yield mixed messages and a phony outcome. The relationship between your commercial brand and the employee experience may seem unclear at times. Below are a few ways to find compatibility and love in this marriage:
- Does your product do good (Healthcare, a non-profit, life-saving technology, etc)? If so, think about the rewarding employee experience you provide and being tied to that purpose each and every day.
- Look at the charitable work your organization does. While the product or service may not be associated with a “purpose” on that higher plane, how the team rallies together for community or causes speaks to your “brand”.
- Think about how the product or purpose is perceived. Is it hip, modern and fun? Is it draped in history and a legacy on to its own? Each attract a unique type of employee.
2) Personality– A bland brand = no game. Too often companies try to stay neutral for fear of taking too edgy a position. Per Aristotle, “There is only one way to avoid criticism: do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing”. Spend the time figuring out who you are and then confidently share it with the world.
3) Authenticity– Marketing yourself like you are a start-up when you are bogged down in hierarchy and process? After finding your personality, it is important to make sure it is real, not who you want to be. Aspirational brand positioning is one thing, misrepresentation is another. You are marketing the employee experience. It needs to be real in order to attract those who will thrive once hired. Embrace who you are…represent!
4) Consistency is king — Great brands don’t regularly change who they are and what they stand for. Train the team and remember, every employee, leader and vendor is a brand ambassador. Brand standards are critical in ensuring a reliable voice.
5) Trust– Consistent messaging also builds trust. Make sure your “brand promise” is honored in all that you do. Honest messaging coupled with a candidate experience that allows talent to understand the good, the bad and the ugly, thus coming into the job eyes wide open makes for a powerful brand, not to mention improved retention.
Use your outside voice!
To learn more about employer branding, check out our free employer branding webinar here.
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