“Posting and praying” did not age well at all.

Companies are now required, more than ever, to position themselves as an employer of choice.

People are the heart of every business, and any company can rise or fall, depending on the people they hire. The times when people go to work just to pay their bills are long over.

We are seeing an immense movement in the market. Candidates now no longer have to choose between their morals and a decent salary: they can focus on topics they are truly passionate about, like sustainability or diversity, and earn the same as before, without leaving their morals at the door.

Values, morals, identification – the pandemic led to an immense shift about what is of importance for people when they decide who will be their next employer. And I am phrasing it this way on purpose: THEY decide. All companies are trying to attract the same pool of talent. They are the ones who can pick and choose.

But how do you get the talent to choose YOU?

Your brand as an employer is the most important deciding factor. Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) needs to be authentic, aligned with the company’s actions, and show the talent market that you are not only a great place to work but that you also have your morals in check. Building and positioning your EVP is crucial and will massively impact your attractiveness as an employer. Presenting actual life is now more important than ever: showing real employees, giving them a stage, and highlighting their impact is something you do not want to miss.

In addition to the content itself, we see a change in how and where we position ourselves. Relying on the talent to actively search for information will not lead anyone anywhere. You need to be where the talent is. We can no longer imagine a life without social media, and companies must choose the channels they want to be represented on wisely. Finding your voice on the platform where your future employees spend time is no extra effort anymore but has become essential if you want to hire the best and most diverse talent.

This means that Employer Branding is playing a larger role than ever in positioning the employer – but at the same time, we should not underestimate the power of individual voices.

In the same way, we position actual employees, we also need these employees to be ambassadors.

If our employees leverage their networks and speak highly about the company as an employer, it probably has more effect than any paid campaign will ever have.

Authenticity is key. And talent is always also surrounded by other talents – you would be surprised to see how impactful networks can be.

In a nutshell:

1. Get your EVP right. Be authentic and show your impact and values through authentic voices.
2. Be where the talent is. Once you have identified who your target talent is, explore the channels they are using and make a presence there.
3. Everyone is an ambassador. Leverage your employees to be multipliers of your messages by giving them the environment and tools necessary to talk about it.