In the current society of go-getter employees and a competitive job market, employers are finding that it is more important than ever to develop an employer brand. Different from a company brand that represents what the company stands for in terms of products and services, an employer brand illustrates what it is like to work for said company.
More than ever employees are looking for proof of a positive employer brand before signing on with a company. And, if your company does not have an employer brand that stands out among the crowd (or doesn’t have one at all) it is time to take action.
If you want to effectively update your employer brand, the first step you need to take is to determine who your ideal candidates are. That is because the identity an employer wants to create will vary greatly depending on whether they want to attract young and energetic professionals or experienced and highly qualified professionals.
Once you determine who your ideal candidates are, you will need to make a decision regarding the identity you want to create through your brand. Companies have found the most success when they tailor their benefits and reputation based upon what their employees want most. For example, a business that wants to attract young professionals might choose to highlight flexible work hours and a close-knit team environment whereas a business that wants to attract experienced workers might choose to highlight a competitive retirement plan.
Building an effective employer brand, however, doesn’t stop at advertising the best perks and benefits. Companies like L’Oreal have found that it is important to take an employer brand deeper than the surface and turn it into a strategy to promote growth and retainment in the company. You can do this by engaging your best employees to find out what their workplace needs are as well as by focusing on communication in all aspects of the company.
If an employer can convince current employees to buy into the employer brand and become brand ambassadors, the employer brand will gain traction more quickly and help to attract a wider group of qualified employees. Once you have achieved this step in the process of building an effective employer brand, your employer reputation will spread on its own and it is likely that candidates will be knocking on your front door instead of the other way around.
Remember, building an effective employer brand will help to retain old employees, recruit new employees, reduce costs, and create growth across the company. And, if you focus on identifying who your ideal candidates are, how you can meet your candidates’ needs, and how you can turn your brand into a company-wide strategy for growth you will be on your way to employer brand success – and that’s a good place to be.