As an employer, your brand is your number one selling point when searching for new talent to join your business. An example of the power of successful employer brand management is that when potential candidates express an interest in a job opening at your company, they are doing so as they wish to be professionally associated with your brand, the services on offer and the values at the heart of your business.
If the reputation of your brand is ill managed or neglected, this will deter candidates from applying for a role at your company and hamper the possibility of building a relationship with trusted recruiters and headhunters. This is where strategic employer brand management can help determine the success of your recruitment campaigns, and the appetite of trusted recruiters to partner with your business.
Paul Williamson of Selling My Business runs through key brand management pointers that you must consider when kicking off recruitment campaigns.
The key pillars behind successful brand management
Transparent marketing – If your business offers exceptional incentives and opportunities to its workforce, such as flexible working, tailored training programmes and mental wellbeing support, market this both internally and externally to existing and prospective staff. This forms the DNA of a brand, as a business that values its staff is likely to have higher retention and employee satisfaction rates.
LinkedIn’s Workplace Learning Report shows that 93% of organizations are concerned about employee retention and are working to improve this by providing learning opportunities. The top five factors that drive people to pursue new jobs include the opportunity to learn and develop new skills and the opportunity for career growth within a company.
Without actively marketing what’s on offer, potential candidates will be none the wiser about the unique job packages on offer. Cherry pick the factors that separate you from other employers and highlight this in your recruitment campaigns.
Public perception – While what’s discussed about your brand in the public sphere may be out of your control, you have the power to shape the conversation by providing the public with a wealth of information to help them make an informed decision about how they perceive your brand.
According to a survey conducted by Sprout Social, respondents ranked social media as the number one communication platform for brands to connect with their customers. 64% of consumers want brands to connect with consumers and 70% of consumers feel more connected to brands with CEOs that are active on social.
Having no social presence can be just as damaging as having a poor social presence, as if you’re absent from the conversation – who will carry the mouthpiece for your brand?
Sustainability – As an employer, your contributions to the planet, or lack of, are no longer a topic that you can shy away from. More candidates are conscious about aligning themselves with employers that are responsible and environmentally friendly. Flesh out your ESG policy, or ESG commitments before starting a recruitment campaign so it’s easy to illustrate your pledges to the environment.
Social responsibility – Corporate social responsibility (CSR) also ties into the above which addresses your contributions to society which can range from giving back to the local community in which you reside, or rolling out charitable efforts on a national scale. From volunteering and donating to sponsoring, every effort makes a difference and contributes towards the public image of your brand.
It’s just as important to consider how employees and internal staff perceive your brand, in addition to the wider public, as employee referrals and employee social reviews are key to fuelling talent pipelines. Protect your brand and make an active effort to manage the perception of your brand to maximise the number of candidates interested in joining your business.
If you would like to chat about your Employer Brand and how we can help please get in touch.
