If you’re endeavouring to hire new staff, in order to encourage a variety of skilled applicants, a good starting point is to look at your employer brand and evaluate what it says about the credentials of your company to potential candidates. Intrigued? Read on to find out everything you need to know about employer branding.
What is employer branding?
The phrase ‘employer brand’ was first coined in the nineties and is still as critical, if not more so, in today’s world of employment. It refers to the reputation of you as an employer among your workforce, as well as how well you market your business to potential jobseekers. Employer branding encompasses everything you have to offer employees, from your values and company benefits to culture.
It can make all the difference when it comes to attracting stellar candidates, as well as reducing hiring costs, so it’s worth investing in a strategy that works. Put simply, employer branding is an imperative part of the recruiting and employee retention processes, as workers are far more likely to want to be part of a company that positions itself as an enriching place of work.
Executing an effective employer branding strategy can help improve employee perception, resulting in reduced turnover, and helping to attract the best calibre of talent to apply too. The first thing to consider is how your company is perceived locally and nationally. It takes time and consistency to grow awareness of your brand, but simple, thoughtful (and cost-effective) marketing is a good place to start.
How to improve your employer brand
If one of your current or former employees were asked about team morale, what would they say? How about day-to-day experiences, interpersonal relationships, the benefits of their role or what the company culture is like? What would they say? More importantly, what would you want them to say?
The best way to gain an authentic insight into the intricacies of a company or its culture, is by asking those on the inside. Conduct an audit or interview current employees about their experiences and use their responses for testimonials on your social channels or website. Showcasing views from those within your own workforce is an invaluable tool in ensuring you project the best perception of your brand.
Elevate your positive presence further by utilising the power of social media. Setting up a company page on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, will expand your reach and familiarise potential recruits with your company outside of just your business model or product. This can help them engage with your business on a more personable, relatable level.
Show outsiders you have more to offer than just your service or product by posting regularly about employee achievements, company away days, trips or teambuilding activities. Perhaps your company has completed fundraising projects or charity work? This will all help contribute to better employer branding.
Get social
But don’t just stop at social media. Display such snippets on your website too, for example through blogs or a mission statement, as this could greatly improve the impression candidates have of your business. Furthermore, shout about personal accolades your company or an employee has won — perhaps you could nominate an employee for a local award which would then get picked up by the local press? Consider taking part in local initiatives as this will too help improve your employer brand.
No employee wants to feel stuck or bored within their role, and learning new skills is a proven way of preventing this. Therefore, it’s important to support learning by offering training courses or development programmes to grow employee’s skillsets and prove you’re invested in career progression.
Submit an enquiry via our online form today to find out how we can help your business, or call 07771642182 to book a 30 minute consultation with Karen directly.