Four tips to improve employer brand

The job market has seen a shift in previous years, with employer branding becoming an essential part of any company's success in attracting and retaining top talent. A strong employer brand helps companies differentiate themselves from their competitors, attract the right candidates, and improve employee engagement and loyalty. From a recruiter's perspective, we need a story (outside of a stock standard job description) to sell your company to candidates. In this post, I will discuss some of the steps in building and improving your brand.

1. Define your employer brand

The first step in building a strong employer brand is to define what your brand represents. Your employer brand is the perception that potential candidates and employees have about your company as an employer and can’t be controlled once it’s out there. This perception is based on the company's culture, values, mission, and work environment.

To define your employer brand, start by asking yourself these questions:

• What makes our company unique?
• What are our values and mission?
• What type of culture do we have?
• Why do people want to join our business?
• What do employees say about working at our company?

2. Develop consistent messaging

Once you have defined your employer brand, the next step is to develop a consistent messaging strategy that communicates your brand effectively. Your messaging should resonate with your target audience, including potential candidates, employees, and stakeholders. To develop a consistent messaging strategy, consider the following:

• Develop a brand statement that summarizes your employer brand.
• Develop messaging that aligns with your values and mission.
• Use language that resonates with your target audience.
• Develop messaging for all communication channels.
• Use social media to your advantage!

Social media is an excellent tool for building and promoting your employer brand. Use social media platforms to showcase your company's culture, values, and mission. Highlight your employees, share company news and events, and post updates about job openings. Make sure to use social media consistently, engage with your followers, and respond to comments and messages. Applicants' first port of call when researching a company is socials (LinkedIn especially) and having positive reviews, and posts showcasing additional benefits, goes a long way.

3. Prioritize employee experience

Your employees are your best brand ambassadors. What are your employees saying about the company when they leave work? Prioritizing employee experience is crucial for building a strong employer brand. Ensure that your employees have a positive experience from the start by providing appropriate inductions and training, fostering a supportive work environment, creating opportunities for growth and development, and offering competitive compensation and benefits. Encourage your employees to share their experiences on social media and other platforms.

4. Measure and adjust

Finally, it is essential to measure the effectiveness of your employer branding strategy and adjust it accordingly. Monitor your company's online reputation, social media engagement, and employee feedback. Analyse your recruitment metrics, such as candidate conversion rates and time-to-hire. Use this data to adjust your strategy and improve your employer brand continually.

The takeaway message

Building a strong employer branding strategy requires a deliberate and consistent effort. By defining your brand, developing consistent messaging, using social media to your advantage, prioritizing employee experience, leveraging employee referrals, and measuring and adjusting, you can create a compelling employer brand that attracts and retains top talent.

Credit: Max Miller, Senior Consultant in HR and Workforce Recruitment