Why Employer Branding Matters

WHY EMPLOYER BRANDING MATTERS: LEARN HOW WE CAN HELP YOU ATTRACT TOP TALENT

In a world where job seekers have more options than ever, companies must stand out to attract top-quality talent. A company’s reputation as an employer is just as important as its reputation for its products or services. This is where employer branding comes in. Employer branding refers to the process of creating and promoting a unique identity for a company as an employer. It includes everything from company culture and values to employee benefits and career growth opportunities. The goal of employer branding is twofold. First, to attract and retain top-quality talent, and then to ultimately build a positive reputation as an employer.

Employer branding matters because it can impact recruitment, employee retention, and overall company culture. In a competitive job market, a strong employer brand can help a company stand out and attract top-quality talent. Consequently, it reduces recruitment costs and increases employee retention. A positive employer brand can also lead to a more engaged and successful workforce, contributing to overall company success.

Effective employer branding requires a combination of brand communication and HR processes. HR teams must work to ensure that all recruitment efforts align with the company’s employer brand. This includes every touchpoint from job postings to the interview process. These efforts must also provide employees with a positive experience that is consistent with the employer brand.

1- CAN EMPLOYER BRANDING SOMETIMES EVEN BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN CORPORATE BRANDING?

While corporate branding has always been a crucial aspect of a company’s reputation, employer branding has become increasingly important in recent years. Corporate branding refers to the process of creating and promoting a unique identity for a company as a whole. Specifically; its products or services, values, and messaging. Corporate branding is focused on creating a positive image and reputation for the company, helping to differentiate it from its competitors. A strong corporate brand can contribute to customer loyalty, positive word-of-mouth recommendations, and ultimately, increased revenue.

On the other hand, employer branding focuses on a company’s reputation as an employer. It includes everything from company culture and values to employee benefits and career growth opportunities. The goal of employer branding is to attract and retain top-quality talent, build a positive reputation as an employer, and create a workforce that is engaged and motivated.

While both corporate branding and employer branding are essential for a company’s success, the latter may be more critical in today’s job market. The reason for this is that job seekers today are looking for more than just a paycheck. They want to work for companies that align with their values, provide a positive work experience, and offer opportunities for career growth and development. Therefore, a strong employer brand is essential for attracting and retaining top-quality talent.

In contrast, a company’s corporate brand may not necessarily attract top-quality talent. A strong corporate brand may contribute to customer loyalty and positive word-of-mouth. However, it may not necessarily attract the best employees. A strong corporate brand can also be diluted by negative news or publicity. Furthermore, it can impact both customers and potential employees.

2- WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYER BRANDING?

In the age of the internet, potential job candidates have more resources than ever to research potential employers. One of the most critical resources is employee review sites such as Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn. Employee review sites allow current and former employees to share their experiences with a company. The experiences include everything from company culture and values to employee benefits and career growth opportunities. These reviews can have a significant impact on potential candidates’ perceptions of a company and can ultimately influence their decision to apply for a job.

Employee review sites can play a significant role in shaping potential candidates’ perception of a company, as most job seekers say they look at employee reviews before applying for a job. Negative reviews can cause potential candidates to reconsider applying for a job, while positive reviews can attract top-quality talent.

2A- Quick tips to improve employer branding

To manage their employer brand on employee review sites, companies must first monitor their online presence regularly. This includes monitoring employee review sites and responding to any negative reviews in a professional and constructive manner. Companies can also encourage current and former employees to leave positive reviews to counteract any negative reviews.

To ensure a positive online presence, companies must also provide a positive employee experience. This can include offering competitive salaries and benefits, opportunities for career growth and development, and a positive company culture. By providing a positive employee experience, companies can create an engaged and motivated workforce. This results in positive comments on employer review sites.

Another effective strategy is to encourage current employees to share their positive experiences on social media and other online platforms. Companies can also create content that highlights their positive company culture, such as employee testimonials and company events. By creating positive content and encouraging employees to share their experiences, companies can shape their employer brand and attract top-quality talent.

3- WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF EMPLOYER BRANDING?

3A- Substantially decreased hiring costs

When a company has a positive employer brand, it becomes easier to attract and retain top-quality talent. This means that organizations spend less time and money on recruitment efforts in various ways. Firstly, it can reduce the need for recruitment advertising. Companies with a strong employer brand often have a pool of talented candidates who are willing to apply for jobs without the need for advertising and spending less on job boards. This means that companies can save money on recruitment advertising.

Secondly, a positive employer brand can also reduce the cost of recruitment agencies or consultants who charge a fee for their services, and companies often use them to find top talent. However, with a strong employer brand, companies can attract top-quality talent without the need for external help. Ultimately, this saves money on fees & contracts.

Thirdly, effective employer branding can reduce recruitment costs by increasing employee retention rates. Engaged employees are more likely to remain with an organization, reducing the need for costly recruitment efforts. A strong employer brand can also increase employee satisfaction, leading to a positive company culture and better morale.

3B- Increased employee engagement and performance

Employee engagement is a significant factor in an organization’s success. Engaged employees are committed, productive, and satisfied with their work. In turn, this leads to lower employee turnover rates and better business results. Companies can improve employee engagement by providing a positive employee experience, including competitive salaries, opportunities for growth, and a positive company culture. To manage employee engagement, companies can conduct surveys and offer training and development opportunities.

Employees take a long time to acclimate. Very few new hires work their hardest and best right away. According to an article in Training Industry Quarterly, it takes 1 to 2 years before an employee is “fully productive”. A lot of potential value is lost after your previous employee has left. With a strong employer brand, you will be decreasing the turnover and related costs.

Retaining employees themselves will be easier since they already want to work there. It means that you can grow a very experienced workforce that wants to stay in the long term. Thus, you would be increasing the company value. It also turns your employees into promoters, and they themselves start to do the recruiting and advertising to work at your company, helping reduce costs even further. An employee referral also can turn out to be a better candidate due to the professional reference given.

The success of an organisation isn’t only related to how its employees develop their talents. It is also related to the employees’ commitment to the company. Employee engagement is widely addressed in terms of employee turnover and the costs imposed on the organisation. However, the performance of the employees at work is as crucial for the company as employee turnover. There is a significant correlation between employee engagement and performance, which hugely impacts how the organisation performs.

4- HOW DO YOU IMPROVE EMPLOYER BRANDING?

Companies should empower their workforce management and recruitment divisions with the right types of tools, education, and authority. The Corporate Communication team might have bigger budgets for various reasons. Specifically, for two main goals mentioned below. For the same reasons, the HR team also needs similar resources to establish and maintain a positive employer “brand”.

• Make the corporate brand look good with consistent branding & messaging
• Communicate externally via press releases & brand management.

HR teams have to wear many hats. The hats range from recruiter to salesperson, from therapist to policy enforcer. It is a wide range of topics that needs to be covered. They can usually be overwhelmed to fill in recruitment quotas within a timeframe and employee salary budgets. Thus, it is essential to provide HR teams with the right tools, education, and authority to manage employer branding effectively. HR teams must understand the importance of employer branding and its impact on the company’s success. The HR team should be able to create and implement a strategy that aligns with the company’s goals, values, and vision.

There are various courses and programs available to improve employer branding. For instance, courses on digital marketing, social media, and brand management can help HR teams stay updated with the latest branding techniques. These courses can provide a comprehensive understanding of employer branding, equipping HR teams with the skills and knowledge necessary to manage their organization’s brand effectively.

5- WHERE CAN YOU FIND EMPLOYER BRANDING COURSES?

We like to offer our expertise within this area that will help in remodeling your entire employer branding. Our team tackles all the common problems that can occur during the recruitment process, as well as the most common issues employees can have. The courses are user-friendly, approachable, conversational, and comprehensive, making the learning process easy and enjoyable.

Our Employer Brand Strategist programme is an excellent option that provides a step-by-step guide to getting your employer branding under control. We have a proven track record of helping companies build a winning employer brand strategy, and we’re confident we can help you too. By the end of the program, you’ll have the knowledge and tools to create an employer brand that reflects your company’s values and attracts the right talent.

If you’re not ready for our course, we also offer an eBook that covers the importance of employer branding, the common pitfalls and issues that can hurt your branding, and the costs that can occur if change doesn’t happen. Our content is comprehensive, and we provide a clear incentive to check out our online training programs and showcase the benefits that can happen when you follow our course guidelines.

You might want to check our resourceful blog with practical content or the employer brand strategy checklist for a great headstart.

6- WHEN SHOULD YOU START EMPLOYER BRAND COURSES?

Companies do not stop their recruitment process. This means that the longer you start to wait to shift your mindset and how you handle your employee relations, the worse it possibly gets. Also, if your branding starts to get worse, it will only take more time and resources to begin to reverse the process.

Remember that companies are run by the people that go there every day. Companies can last for a long time because they always need to reinvent themselves for the new ages. They do this via a new mindset or a completely different way of working. Do not hesitate in reaching out to us and begin this journey to start turning all that noise on the internet into a positive outcome for your company, your employer branding, and ultimately the employees themselves.

In the meantime, you can download our free ebook creating an authentic employer brand here or you can join a free week session of Employer Brand Academy certificate courses here.

If you like what you’ve read, please feel free to share this post on your preferred channels.

If you have a question or have had a similar experience, please leave a comment below so that fellow employer brand professionals can learn from your experiences.