I came across a helpful article on Glassdoor about the benefits of employer branding. The article reminds us a strong employer brand is “essential to recruiting and retaining quality talent in any market.”
It then lists five key benefits of a strong employer brand:
- Strong employer brands stand out from competitors
- Employer branding attracts top candidates
- Branded content moves candidates down the funnel, saving recruiters time
- Employer branding builds credibility with candidates, potential investors, and customers
- Employer branding helps candidates choose the right fit, which boosts retention
The benefits listed are highly desirable, but for the most part, they leave out an essential target audience for employer branding: current employees. At Personify, we know branding isn’t what you say; it’s what you deliver.
Imagine a company spends all its employer branding efforts messaging candidates about its ideal work environment and then doesn’t fulfill the promise when employees show up for work. In that case, you can increase churn and decrease retention.
As a former advertising agency executive, I know nothing kills sales faster than great advertising for an inferior product. It raises expectations and creates disappointment when the product doesn’t deliver. And what happens then? Customers, in this case, employees, start telling others not to buy, and negative reviews on social media increase while employer ratings tank. And we all know bad news travels fast. So, by all means, build your employer brand and message it, but don’t ever forget to deliver it.
See Glassdoor’s article “The ROI of Employer Branding” below.
An authentic, well-defined employer brand is essential to recruiting and retaining quality talent in any market, whether booming or receding. In a booming market, the competition for top talent is fierce and companies therefore must set themselves apart from the competition so they win out when making offers to candidates – and hold on to the great talent they already have. By contrast, the talent pool is bigger in a recession, so it’s crucial for your business to be proactive about nurturing and maintaining a great reputation as a place to work so you draw high-quality job seekers.
Organizations that invest in employer branding are not only a step ahead of their competition in attracting talent, they tend to be ahead in other key business areas as well. If you’re considering investing more in your employer brand, here are 5 great reasons to do so:
1. Strong employer brands stand out from competitors.
Strengthening your employer brand is a priority for the most effective hiring organizations – and for good reason.
2. Employer branding attracts top candidates.
Candidate quality is a top priority for every hiring manager. In any economy – but especially during a decline – it’s critical to actively foster and nurture a reputation as a great place to work so you draw the best job seekers from an oversaturated pool of candidates. The good news is that boosting your employer branding efforts can have an immediate positive impact on attracting quality candidates.
Action plan: Leverage your Enhanced Profile to showcase branded photos and videos, and integrate your social channels so that candidates get a 360 degree view of your work culture and environment. With dynamic videos and photos that demonstrate why talent should choose you over your competitors, you have a powerful advantage for attracting the best people from a diluted talent pool.
3. Branded content moves candidates down the funnel, saving recruiters time and money.
When candidates view jobs alongside branded content that helps them qualify themselves, your company reaps the benefits in the form of higher quality applicants and lower recruiting costs.
4. Employer branding builds credibility with candidates, potential investors and customers.
High-quality candidates consult Glassdoor reviews to get an inside look at what it’s like to work at your company and find a job that fits their life and career aspirations. The reviews they see influence their perception of your company.
Your employer brand can also impact whether potential investors and customers want to invest with you and do business with you.
63% of consumers refuse to buy products and services from a company they do not trust. Conversely, 80% of consumers choose to buy from companies they trust, and will recommend those companies to others. (1)
Action plan: Make sure the first review candidates see is from someone with whom they can identify. With an Enhanced Profile, you can feature a review of your choice to ensure that it always appears at the top of the list.
Pro tip: Respond to Glassdoor reviews to improve how candidates, potential investors and customers perceive your company. The vast majority (80%) of Glassdoor users agree their perception of a company improves after seeing an employer respond to a review. (2)
5. Employer branding helps candidates choose the right fit, which boosts retention.
Your employer brand can help you attract candidates that will have long-term success at your company. The more personalized and transparent your employer branding efforts are, the more equipped candidates are to choose the right job for them.
Action plan: One size does not fit all when it comes to employer branding. Glassdoor’s Audience Targeting allows you to deliver a personalized view of your Enhanced Profile and Sponsored Jobs to different audiences based on their occupation. Your photos, videos and branded content will change dynamically based on the job seeker researching your company.
Glassdoor users have a greater retention rate.(3)
A strong employer brand is worth its weight in recruiting gold. By taking these simple steps to make your employer brand irresistible, your company can more easily attract the informed candidates that will move your business forward.
Credit: Glassdoor
#recruiting #talentacquisition #rposervices