24th October 2016
Why Employer Brand is so important to your business
5 min read
When we think about the importance of branding as a marketing tool, it is all about creating a connection with your customers on an emotional level so that they would not think of using any other company other than your own.
Given that many companies use the phrase “our people are our best asset”, it often leaves HR professionals confused as to why companies don’t want to focus on the importance of their brand as an employer. After all, your employees often have more contact with your clients / customers than you or any of your management team – they are your brand.
How can they convey your brand to customers if they don’t get it themselves? This is why it is so important for you to tell that story, so that they can make a strong connection to your business. They are after all emotionally driven just like your customers.
A strong employer brand can be a powerful business tool that can connect an organisation’s values, people strategy and HR policies to the corporate brand.
In an increasingly competitive global marketplace, attracting and retaining the right kind of talent is central to a company’s ability to grow but building your employer brand is by no means an exact science:
• Get it right, and your company will reap the benefits in terms of recruitment, retention and employee satisfaction levels.
• Get it wrong, and you’ll not only be turning off potential employees but also current staff and anyone they care to tell about their experience with your organisation.
• Crucially, you could also lose them as customers.
The best place to start exploring what motivates people to join a particular organisation, why they stay and why they leave is internal feedback. Existing data from employee feedback, employee engagement surveys, focus groups, employee forums, starter surveys or exit interviews can often paint a good picture of the prospective and existing employees’ experiences.
According to one industry report, the number of companies measuring, analysing and developing strategies based on ‘brand attractiveness’ is on the rise as they recognise that the ability to just keep paying higher salaries is not always practical.
When Recruiting the Candidate is “The Customer”
In order to attract the right people, employers need to create a positive “customer” experience for candidates throughout the recruitment process. By ensuring that candidates are treated in a way that makes them feel valued, the employer will undoubtedly benefit. For example, candidates often spread the word about their experience and the opinion they form of an employer will determine whether or not they will recommend a company further.
Building Your Talent Pool
Often, unsuccessful candidates might prove suitable for future positions, which is why it is crucial for employers to build and maintain a talent pool. By creating a good impression and maintaining relationships following the recruitment process, businesses can keep a talent bench active, which can only constitute an advantage. When the right vacancy comes up it saves time as you have the right candidate waiting in the wings who is eager to join you.
Social Media and Video
With the advent of the internet and social media, it has revolutionised the way in which candidates search and apply for jobs, assess prospective employers, and communicate in the workplace.
As a result it has made it possible to build and maintain a large talent pool faster than ever before. LinkedIn remains recruiters’ preferred social channel for finding, contacting and keeping track of candidates (94%), while Facebook (65%) and Twitter (55%) are used by businesses to showcase their employer brand. That said, platforms such as YouTube, Pinterest and Instagram are gaining increased popularity with employers, who now use them to share easily consumable video and infographics and create engagement with candidates.
Ready for Anything
Changing employment trends mean that companies need to stay agile and more aware of the working environment than ever before. The number of temporary workers has increased dramatically over the past decade, as a result, business owners face the challenge of building a common culture across companies, creating a sense of belonging for all employees who may be working at different times and on different days.
Creating and focusing on your employer brand can be exhausting and feel like a huge distraction from actually running your business but investing time in getting your employer brand right can lift spirits, encourage, energise and ignite your team. That is why you shouldn’t wait a moment longer to create your powerful employer brand.
If you feel that you lack confidence or capability to do this effectively (which is common – everyone has their strengths!) then don’t be afraid to give us a no-obligation call.
We provide companies with HR Support to help them with daily activities or to strategically plan for the future. What we bring to the table is our experience of working in a range of different sectors and companies. This insight and our collective experience mean we can ensure your People / HR strategy is on point.
Strategic HR consultancy can help you to build your reputation as a good employer that recognises effort and achievements and invests in training, so your business can grow and prosper with quality, motivated people.
