Employer branding has become an increasingly important aspect of recruitment as organisations strive to attract and retain top talent.
A strong employer brand can make an organisation stand out in a crowded job market and create a positive perception among potential candidates. In this article, we will explore the role of employer branding in recruitment and how it can impact the way organisations find and retain talent. We will discuss the benefits of employer branding, including improved candidate quality, employee retention, and cost-effective recruitment. We will also provide practical tips for building and promoting an effective employer brand.
Benefits Of Positive Employer Branding In Recruitment & The Hiring Process
A strong employer brand can provide significant benefits in the recruitment process and beyond. With a strong employer brand you will be able to attract better candidates, lower your recruitment costs and increase retainment:
Attracting top talent
Employer branding can help organisations attract potential candidates by making them stand out in a crowded job market. When an organisation has a positive reputation as an employer, it can generate interest among candidates who may not have otherwise considered the organisation. This can help organisations to attract more qualified candidates and reduce the time and resources spent on recruitment efforts.
Improved candidate quality
Employer branding can also improve the number of quality applicants for open positions at your company. It increases the chances of candidates who are a good fit applying with less effort required from your recruiting team. This can also result in reduced turnover rates, as employees who are a good fit are more likely to stay with the organisation long-term.
Cost-effective recruitment
A positive employer brand can also make recruitment more cost-effective by reducing the need for expensive recruitment campaigns. When a company has a positive reputation as an employer, it can attract candidates through word-of-mouth referrals and its social media accounts, reducing recruiting costs. This can help organisations save money on recruitment efforts and focus on other areas of the business.
Employee retention
A strong employer brand can contribute to employee retention by creating a positive work environment that fosters a sense of belonging and loyalty among employees. Employees who feel valued and appreciated are more likely to stay with an organisation long-term, reducing turnover rates and the associated costs of recruiting and training new employees. This can also improve employee morale, job satisfaction, and overall productivity.
How To Build An Effective Employer Brand
Building an effective employer brand requires a strategic approach that is aligned with the organisation's values, culture, and goals. Here are key steps that organisations can take to build an effective employer's brand:
1. Identifying the company values and culture
Organisations should take the time to identify their unique company culture and values to ensure that their employer brand accurately reflects their brand identity. This can involve conducting surveys, focus groups, and other research to better understand the perspectives of current and former employees, as well as potential employees.
2. Promoting the employer's brand through various channels
Once a company has identified its unique values and culture, it should develop a strategy for promoting its employer brand through various channels. This can include social media, job boards, company websites, and other recruitment channels. By utilising a range of channels, you can reach a wider audience and improve your chances of attracting top talent. Of course, it's crucial that you tailor these channels to the needs of both current employees as well as job seekers to make sure your message is seen and heard.
3. Building a positive candidate experience
Building a positive candidate experience is key to attracting and retaining top employees. This can involve streamlining the application process, providing timely feedback, and offering a personalised experience that demonstrates the organisation's commitment to candidates.
4. Aligning the employer brand with the organisation's overall goals
Finally, organisations should ensure that their employer brand is aligned with their company's vision, overall goals and objectives. This can involve developing the company's mission statement that reflects the organisation's values and goals, as well as aligning recruitment and retention strategies with the organisation's long-term objectives.
In addition to these steps, organisations can also leverage employee advocacy and employees success stories to build an effective employer brand. By empowering employees to act as ambassadors for the company, businesses can increase their visibility and credibility among potential candidates. This can involve encouraging employees to share their experiences through social media posts, participating in industry events and conferences, and providing opportunities for employees to engage with potential candidates.
Building an effective employer brand is an ongoing process that requires regular evaluation and adjustment. By monitoring the effectiveness of recruitment strategies and soliciting feedback from employees and candidates, organisations can refine their employer brand and improve their chances of attracting and retaining the most talented candidates. Finally, by keeping up with industry trends and best practices, organisations can stay ahead of the curve and remain competitive in a constantly evolving job market.
Understanding Your Company's Reputation As An Employer
Employer branding in recruitment is important. Future employees are looking at the company's values and culture before making the decision to submit their application. 69% of active job seekers are likely to apply to a job if the employer actively manages their employer brand. So, how to get a better understanding of how current and prospective employees view your employer branding efforts?
Employer Review Sites
These sites allow current and former employees to leave anonymous reviews of their experiences working for your business. This can include feedback on management, culture, work-life balance, compensation, and other factors that can impact your brand's reputation as an employer. Review sites like Glassdoor and Indeed can also provide insights into how your organisation is perceived compared to competitors in your industry.
Employee Surveys
Conducting surveys with existing employees can help you gather feedback on your brand's reputation as an employer from your current workforce. This can include questions about employee satisfaction, engagement, loyalty, and perceptions of the company's culture and values. Those surveys can provide valuable insights into areas where your company may be excelling, as well as areas for improvement straight from your current employees.
Brand Monitoring
Social media channels can be a valuable source of information about your brand's reputation as an employer. By monitoring social media conversations and mentions of your brand, you can gain insights into how your company is perceived by current and potential employees, candidates, and other stakeholders. Social media monitoring tools can help you track and analyse social media data in real-time, allowing you to respond to feedback and make changes to your employer branding strategy as needed.
If you'd like to read more about brand monitoring and tools you can use, you can read our previous article "Brand Monitoring Tools You Need To Use In 2023".
Recruitment Metrics
Recruitment metrics such as time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, and candidate quality can provide insights into your company reputation as an employer. For example, a longer time-to-fill may indicate that your brand is struggling to attract the best candidates and signal a potential bad reputation as an employer, while a high cost-per-hire may suggest that your employer brand is not resonating with potential employees. By tracking these metrics over time, you can identify trends and patterns that can help you improve your recruitment outcomes and enhance your brand's reputation.
Employer branding in recruitment is especially important, because job seekers usually take a look at the company website, looking to evaluate your employer value proposition and culture to see if they will be a good fit. That's why your HR department should take employer branding very seriously and make it a part of their efforts.
External Benchmarking
External benchmarking involves comparing your company's brand reputation as an employer to competitors and industry peers. This can include gathering data on factors such as employee engagement, turnover rates, and benefits packages, as well as reviewing external rankings and awards for employer brand reputation. External benchmarking can help you identify areas where your organisation may be lagging behind competitors and develop strategies to improve your employer branding efforts.
By using a combination of these methods, you can gain a comprehensive overview of your brand's reputation as an employer. This can help you identify areas for improvement, build effective employer branding strategies, and attract and retain the best employees.
Using A Customised Brandr Index To Assess Your Employer Branding Efforts
Our tool, brandr Index, was created to evaluate a company's brand and the market's perception of it. In this classic version the index provides insights on how your business is perceived across different areas. However, we can customise our research methodology to conduct a survey to help you evaluate various brand touchpoints related to employer branding. If you'd like to see an example report - you can view it here or contact our team to schedule a demo.
