Employer branding matters. According to Glassdoor, 69% of job-hunters won’t work with a company held in low regard. And 84% of employees would consider moving to a company that has a better reputation than their current one.
Despite this reality, many businesses continue to overlook employer branding, focusing resources exclusively on customer-facing strategy. As a result, they close themselves off from large pools of talent and increase the likelihood that current employees will look elsewhere.
In this post, we look at employer branding and explain how you can build a strategy that lifts you above your competitors.
What Is Employer Branding?
Your employer brand is the reputation your company has in the labour market. It is the identity that job-seekers and current employees recognize as belonging uniquely to your organization.
An effective employer brand has multiple facets. It combines, among other things, a strong value proposition, a proven track record in terms of measurable performance, and engaging, visually-appealing content.
Employer branding is similar to traditional customer branding. The critical difference is that employer branding is aimed towards prospective employees. A company with a strong employer brand will attract top talent, reduce staff turnover and cement its broader reputation as an organization that is making a positive impact.
1. Clarify Your Employer Value Proposition
The term “value proposition” refers to the complete set of benefits a company provides to its customers through its products and services. It is typically used in a customer-facing context, but it is also highly relevant to employer branding.
It is vital to develop and clarify an attractive value proposition because it sits at the heart of your employer brand. Potential employees will use it to contrast your company with others that are also actively hiring. And current employees will use it to determine whether or not they should pursue open roles elsewhere.
For example, Google’s employer value proposition employer value proposition informs their provision of a generous package of benefits (including for family members), on-site healthcare services, flexible working hours, financial advice and lifelong learning programs.
It is common practice for companies to summarize their value propositions as brief statements. This statement can be used to express the value that your company offers prospective employees.
2. Recognize Your Employer Unique Selling Points (USPs)
If your value proposition is the complete set of benefits you provide to employees, then your unique selling points (USPs) are distinct benefits that are unique to your particular employment package.
It is essential to understand your unique selling points (USPs) because they are one of the primary aspects of your employee-facing brand identity. Once you fully understand the advantages that only your organization can offer, you can leverage them in recruitment materials.
Elon Musk’s company Tesla, for example, has two central unique selling points, which are summarized well on its recruitment portal: “At Tesla, we’re solving the world’s most important problems with talented individuals who share our passion to change the world.”
Very few companies can offer their employees the opportunity to work on problems at the cutting-edge of science while simultaneously solving the world’s most important issues. In a similar vein, it is essential to clarify and promote the unique benefits that only your business can provide to its employees.
3. Gather Employee Feedback (Qualitative and Quantitative)
Brand strategists tend to focus on the question, “What do employees want?” With an adequate answer, it’s possible to communicate the aspects of corporate culture and staff benefits that potential recruits will find most appealing, thus creating a compelling and exciting brand proposition.
Gathering employee data is an ongoing process that relies on both qualitative and quantitative methods. On the one hand, it is vital to ask employees directly what they need and value and how the workplace can be improved. On the other, it is equally crucial to track concrete metrics like employee satisfaction, staff turnover and productivity levels.
Armed with this information, you can adapt your corporate packages to better suit employee needs while also highlighting the most attractive aspects of employment at your company as part of your brand strategy.
4. Provide Rigorous Onboarding and Ongoing Training Programs
While employer branding is vital in regards to recruitment, it is also highly relevant when thinking about how to retain existing employees. And it is critical to think about how your existing team feels about your organization, particularly when it comes to onboarding and ongoing learning.
Failure to implement an effective onboarding process, which constitutes the first experience that new employees will have with your company, can lead to various negative outcomes. Individuals who have poor experiences soon after joining a company are twice as likely to look elsewhere.
Ongoing learning is another factor that contributes to positive perceptions of a company among its employees. According to research conducted by LinkedIn, 94% of employees report that they would stay longer with a business if it invests in their career development.
By implementing training programs, you are ensuring that employees feel challenged and engaged while providing an opportunity for them to develop their skills. Allocating resources to staff development also drives a positive return on investment (ROI) for employers.
Become a Brand Strategist With EU Business School
If you’re interested in a career as a brand strategist, EU Business School can provide you with the training you need to excel. Perhaps you’re interested in helping companies create strong employer brands? Or maybe you envision yourself directing brand strategy at your own startup?
Our MBA in Design Management, among others, will equip you with all the necessary skills to build your career in the digital marketing industry. Our campuses are located in leading European business hubs, including Barcelona, Geneva and Munich. We also offer many of our programs online.
