How Employer Branding Is A Game Changer For Recruitment? Secret Weapon to Attract Top Talent

The War of Talent and the Evolution of Employer Branding

According to a recent survey, 75% of job seekers conduct background research on an employer brand before applying for any job.

Perhaps this is why employer branding is gaining significance in today’s market. Organizations are no longer sitting back, waiting for candidates to come to them; instead, significant attention is routed toward candidates looking for a suitable workplace for professional growth.

The traditional recruitment paradigm, which is heavily dependent on job boards and the passive provision of multiple generic and one-way decision applications, is losing its grip.

Now, workers are more assertive and forward-looking in seeking employment opportunities. They do not simply want information related to a job but wish to build relationships with organizations, appreciate their values, know their mission, and see themselves as part of the management.

This is particularly effective in employer branding. The objective is to convey the organization’s key features, values, and employee experience in a way that attracts the right candidates through branding strategies.

It’s about creating a compelling narrative that resonates with potential employees and makes them eager to join your team.

Developing a Compelling Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

An Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is the heartbeat of the employer branding strategy.

This is the overarching concept of a unique set of benefits, opportunities, and other rewards during their working relationship with you. It is what makes it possible for one to be able to cut through the competition as an employer.

Nevertheless, EVP is not only about salary and benefits. It has to cover the following dimensions of an employee’s journey:

• Meaningful work: Do your employees feel like they are making a difference?
• Work-life harmony: Are alternative work patterns and policies promoting healthy work-life integration?
• Growth opportunities: Is there a provision for enhancement, education, and career progress?
• Team environment: How inclusive, encouraging, and cooperative is the work environment?
• Social impact: Is there a drive for social responsibility or social advocacy in the organization?

To determine the components that make up your value proposition, you can start with the following guiding questions:

• In what way is our company different? What is it that makes it a good place to work?
• What are the things that our employees appreciate in employment?
• What kind of talent are we trying to attract?

Once you have a clear understanding of your EVP, communicate it effectively through your:

• Careers page website: Your website’s careers page should be the main tool in creating the Company brand EVPs where the benefits and opportunities are displayed through branded content.
• Employee stories: Market the EVP by using social media profiles to share employee stories and highlight the company’s culture.
• Job advertising: Include the EVP in your e-recruitment advertising to target candidates within the company’s values.
• Other marketing materials: Use pamphlets, vivid presentations, and other marketing tools to explain the chosen EVP to potential employees.

By crafting a compelling EVP and communicating it effectively, you can attract top talent who are excited about the prospect of joining your team after finding your business exclusive in the branding universe.

Promoting Workplace Environment

Your company culture is the persona of the business. It is the distinct set of values, beliefs, and practices that determines the way employees behave with one another and outside the organization.

A wholesome company culture can entice potential employees. More and more job hunters are seeking companies that are aligned with their principles and that are friendly and work-supportive.

However, showcasing your company culture is not about creating a glossy facade. It’s about authenticity.  Be genuine and transparent about who you are as a company.

Here are some ways to showcase your company culture:

• Employee testimonials and stories: Highlight emphatically employee posts regarding their job, focusing on the most critical reasons for employment within your institution.
• Behind-the-scenes content on social media: Share pictures and videos of your employees, office space, or company events to give potential employees a sense of what the workplace is like.
• Company blog and website: Many companies have a blog where they can categorize and upload information about their corporate culture, values, and patrons’ activities.
• Virtual office tours or employee spotlights: Few companies even offer their potential employees virtual office tours or small videos of their employees that shine the spotlight on the particular workplace.
• Company events and initiatives: Describe some of the events organized by your company, teamwork, and other actions in accordance with the values of your organization.

By showcasing your authentic company culture, you can attract candidates who fit your organization and will thrive in your work environment.

Using Social Media for Recruitment

Thanks to social media, recruitment has never been easier. Organizations can now attract more prospective employees, reach out to them more than ever, and create connections that could potentially assist in the hiring process.

Nevertheless, not all social media platforms work effectively. Pick the social media that is most appropriate for the audience and the industry.

For instance, LinkedIn is quite an effective medium for targeting professionals, while Instagram and TikTok may be better for younger audiences.

After selecting the appropriate channels, make sure to attract your audience by promoting your organization’s employer brand. This could entail the following:

• Testimonials and employee stories: Post some of the most shocking and impressive life and career stories about the employees of the company.
• Engaging visuals and videos: Focus on action and fun in the workspace and record it through photography and video.
• Company events and initiatives: Promote the organization’s happenings, such as social functions and other voluntary events that promote an aspect of the organization.
• Contests or Q&A sessions: Engage your audience with interactive content that allows them to learn more about your company and connect with your team.
• Content-related hashtags: Use relevant hashtags to increase the visibility of your content and reach a wider audience.

Apart from organic social media posts, paid social media can help target a particular demographic segment with specific job titles. This works quite well because you can reach out to high-value individuals who may not be browsing your content.

Crafting A Positive Candidate Experience

The definition of a candidate experience includes every encounter a prospective job seeker has with the business, from applying to the time they are hired.

The experience a candidate has while applying for the job, the first impression that the employer makes on the candidate, significantly matters.

Put yourself in the applicant’s shoes. A clunky application process, slow communication, or a disorganized interview can leave a negative impression, even if the candidate is ultimately offered the job.

To build a positive candidate experience:

• Streamline the application process: Make it easy for candidates to apply for jobs by offering a user-friendly online application system and minimizing unnecessary steps.
• Clear communication: An employee is responsible for providing feedback within a reasonable time frame after a candidate is interviewed in the recruitment process.
• Make the interview atmosphere friendly and respectful: It is essential to treat job seekers courteously and respectfully even when the employment process has not commenced.
• Smooth and Supportive Onboarding: New hires should have the orientation, equipment, and other assistance required to perform successfully in their newly acquired positions.
• Request for feedback and response after the hiring process: Get the comments of those who applied for the position on the hiring process, even if they were not confirmed to the post.

By considering the candidate’s experience, you will ensure that the image of your business is positive and enhances the hiring of candidates who will be enthusiastic about working for the company.

Measuring Success of Employer Branding

As with any business approach, evaluating the overall effectiveness of your employer branding campaigns is necessary. This allows you to track your progress, identify areas for improvement, and demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) of your efforts.

Key metrics to track include:

• The volume of applications and their quality: Are you attracting more qualified candidates?
• Time Taken To Fill Vacancies ‘Time’ to Hire: How long does the organization take to fill vacant posts?
• Cost Per Recruitment (Hires): How much does it cost to hire a new employee?
• Employee retention rates: Are you retaining your valuable employees?
• Social media engagement and reach: Are you reaching and engaging with potential candidates on social media?
• Employee voice/satisfaction surveys: Are people satisfied doing the job and actively participating?

Conclusion

A strong employer brand is not an option any longer; it is an important consideration.

It is everything in the modern age of recruiting.

When you spend resources on employer branding, you are not simply opening up positions but creating a community of employees who share a common mission.

You are offering a workplace that is otherwise considered difficult to provide – meaningful work, supportive colleagues, and the resources to achieve goals.

Is it time to start changing the way you recruit and develop an employer brand that helps you win? Great, let’s partner and build an employer branding strategy that applies to your target audience while making your organization stand out.