Just as candidates need to show who they are and what they’re about through their application materials and resumé, employers need to do the same in order to attract and retain the best talent.
Enter: employer branding.
What is employer branding? In short, it’s how employees and potential employees perceive your organization. It’s your reputation as an employer including your company values, mission, and treatment of staff.
James Ellis, author of “Talent Chooses You: Hire Better With Employer Branding,” calls employer branding “the perception of your employee experience — and it can make or break your recruiting efforts.”
Here are a few keys to developing and showcasing your employer branding to both future and current employees.
1. Make Company Values & Mission Clear
Think about this: Over half of adults say that company culture & values are more important than salary. Seventy three percent of adults say that they wouldn’t even apply to a job ad at a company if the organization’s values didn’t align with their own personal ones.
So, what are your values? What is your mission? This means more than just what your company does.
Take some time to understand your core values and overall mission. These values need to be clear so that any content, web design, social media posts, and more are consistent and implemented throughout the organization.
And with 9 in 10 employees saying they’d leave a company if values & culture deteriorated, this is something you should be focusing on in the long term — not just for recruitment purposes.
That being said: ensure that values, mission, and culture also find their way into your job postings. Remember, many people won’t even apply for a job if they don’t feel the company aligns with their values. Adding that information into job descriptions is a great way to get your values across clearly right from the start.
2. Authenticity
People are good at spotting when something isn’t authentic.
Any misrepresentation of your company or brand will only harm your reputation. With websites like Glassdoor and LinkedIn, employee reviews will uncover any dishonesty or inauthenticity, greatly harming your reputation & making your company seem untrustworthy.
Use photos and media of your actual employees, not just stock photos. Incorporate your true values and mission into your website and job posts, not just things that sound good.
Create content that incorporates your values & mission naturally and organically throughout your company’s site, ads, job posts, and more.
3. Get Some Feedback
Getting feedback from current, past, and potential employees is the best way to understand how your brand is perceived by the audience you’re trying to target. Feedback also helps you understand where you need to improve along with what’s working well.
Ask current employees:
- What do you think the company’s values & mission are?
- Do the stated values align with their experience in the company?
- How do you view our brand’s mission?
- Are you happy working here? What areas could be improved?
- What do you feel are our company’s strengths and weaknesses?
For past employees, asking for feedback during their exit interview is a great option. You could also reach out down the line if a relationship is maintained:
- Was there something about the brand or company that influenced your decision to leave?
- What’s something that we could improve upon?
- What would you change about the company or brand?
- What do you feel are our company’s strengths and weaknesses?
One of the most helpful areas of feedback would be from job candidates and interviewees. For new employees, you could ask:
- What were you looking for in a new company?
- Was there something about our company or brand that stood out to you during your search?
- Could you describe what your impression of our values & mission are?
Even candidates that turn down a job offer are a great source of feedback:
- What were your concerns about the role? About our company?
- What factors influenced your decision?
- Do you have any suggestions or feedback about our company’s reputation, interview process, or organization overall?
The answers to these questions will help you better understand where you need to improve your employer branding and give you some specific areas to work on.
Great Employer Branding From Job Post to Long-Time Employee
Employer branding is just as important as the branding & marketing you portray to your clients & customers. Implementing consistent employer branding from everything from the job description to your career website to your mission statement will help your company stand out from the crowd.
The struggle to stand out doesn’t end there, though. Your job postings are amongst millions of others that are also right at your potential candidates’ fingers.
Jobiak can help. We can get your jobs ranking higher, seen by your target audience, and stand out from the crowd of confusing application processes easily and quickly.
Learn more about our recruitment technology here, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
