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When trying to attract the right talent, standing out from the crowd can be harder than first thought. The current candidate-led market means companies need to differentiate themselves, showing why their workplace should be an employee’s number one pick. The best way to do this? Employer branding.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development defines employer branding as ‘…a set of attributes and qualities, often intangible, that makes an organisation distinctive, promises a particular kind of employment experience, and appeals to those people who will thrive and perform best in its culture’. This can include everything from a company website, social media and traditional advertising, to introducing employee engagement initiatives and a renewed focus on workplace culture.
Tiger Recruitment recently underwent a complete re-brand. In the few weeks since launching, we’ve had people reach out to see if they could work with (and for) us, and clients and candidates have, unprompted, expressed glowing feedback. The data backs up our experience: a study by LinkedIn revealed that companies with a strong brand have a 31% higher InMail acceptance rate; see a 43% decrease in cost per hire; grow 20% faster and lead to 2.5 times more applicants per job ad.1
What’s more, research from LinkHumans revealed how a strong employer brand leads to 50% more qualified candidates; 72% of recruiting leaders agree that employer branding has a significant impact on hiring; 84% of employees would consider leaving their current jobs if another company has a better reputation and 67% of job seekers would accept a lower salary if the company has positive reviews online. 2
With so many benefits, businesses who haven’t considered employer branding run the risk of falling behind – and quickly. For those who aren’t sure where to start, here are four ways to build your employer brand:
1. Who are you and what can you offer?
When explaining your company to a stranger – or potential employee – it’s easy to be swept up in the details. After all, you want them to know everything that makes your business great. However, when starting out with the branding process, you’ll need to strip back your message to answer the following questions: ‘Who are you and what can you offer?’ If you can, limit this to a Twitter pitch, encapsulating your brand in 280 characters. This way, employees immediately know what you’re about and what to expect when working at your company. This message can then inform your wider communications and determine your tone of voice.
2. Consistency is key
Now that your message is down pat, it’s time to spread the word. Wherever you choose to spread that message – on your own media or externally – it’s essential to make sure everything appears and reads consistently. This means the same logo, same colour scheme, same style of images and same messages. There’s no point investing in employer branding if it isn’t recognisable.
3. Build from the inside out
Your branding could be one of the world’s best, but it will always come second-best to a personal opinion. Therefore, the employer branding journey must involve actually implementing the initiatives you’re promoting, in order to generate positive feedback from your employees. If it’s a social workplace that you’re trying to establish, invest in nights out, team building activities and other inclusive activities. If it’s benefits, make sure you’re encouraging employees to take advantage of whatever you’re offering. The same goes for HR implementation – policies should be implemented and concerns addressed as soon as possible.
4. Embrace social advocacy
Websites like Indeed and Glassdoor, as well as general social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn make controlling your brand – and what people are saying about it – incredibly difficult. However, a study by marketing magazine, The Drum, found that 84% of people trust peer-to-peer recommendations over any other form of advertising3, so it’s worth investigating how you can use this to your advantage. By encouraging employees to share posts on their LinkedIn or Twitter accounts, or leaving positive reviews on Indeed and Glassdoor, you’ll be able to spread the word about your brand organically and authentically.
- https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/blog/2015/03/the-roi-of-talent-brand
- https://linkhumans.com/employer-branding-important/
- http://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2016/11/23/trust-the-key-the-brand-management-revolution
About the author
David Morel is the CEO/Founder of Tiger Recruitment. Tiger is B Corp Certified. We are part of a global movement of businesses committed to improving social and environmental conditions around the world. David founded Tiger in 2001 and has written extensively in the press and wider media advising both employers and job seekers on best recruitment practice.
020 7917 1801 / [email protected]
