When to start Employer Brand communication

WHEN TO START EMPLOYER BRAND COMMUNICATION: TIPS TO GET OFF TO A GREAT START IN YOUR FIRST DAYS (PT. 1)

Are you new to the field of employer branding? We understand starting out in this career can be a daunting task. With a multitude of processes, procedures, and nuances to learn quickly; it can get difficult. However, with the right guidance and tips, you can get off to a great start in managing an employer brand. Thus, quickly achieve success in your first days on the job!

Employer branding is an immensely rewarding role, as it plays a crucial part in the success of any organization. Currently, employers are increasingly seeking to promote their brand and create a positive perception of their organization among potential employees. This is why the demand for this role is high.

By reading this article, you will get a comprehensive overview of the necessary steps to take in order to jumpstart your employer branding career. It outlines the key elements of employer brand management, as well as strategies for effective implementation. Furthermore, it provides practical tips for achieving success in your first days on the job.

1- EMPLOYER BRAND STRATEGY & TACTICS

Unfortunately, many people are eager to jump into action and take marketing action without devising a sound strategy. However, we call it misguided because creating a successful employer brand requires a comprehensive understanding of many dimensions. These include the organization’s culture, values, and goals, as well as the external environment. A well-crafted strategy is necessary in order to effectively implement tactics and ensure success. You need to implement tactics to appreciate your employees in the context of a strategy.

For instance, tactics such as creating content, launching social media campaigns, developing partnerships only can have a lasting impact this way.

Imagine an organization that wants to increase its appeal to potential employees. For them, a strategy highlighting commitment to employee development & growth is necessary. You can achieve this by creating content that illustrates the organization’s commitment to employee training and development. Additionally, implementing initiatives to ensure employees feel valued and appreciated supports the process. These were just a few simple examples to make the point and we could add more to the list.

2- WHAT IS EMPLOYER BRAND MANAGEMENT?

Employer brand management involves understanding the current brand, developing and refining it, and then implementing plans to ensure the employer brand is communicated to people. The goal of employer brand management is to create a positive perception of the organization among prospective employees and existing employees.

To achieve this, employer brand management combines elements of marketing, human resources, and communications. As such, it requires a comprehensive understanding of the organization’s culture, values, and goals, as well as the external environment. Employer branding is an ongoing process and must be adapted to the changing needs of the organization.

Employer brand communication is a vital component of a successful human resources and organizational management strategy. It involves communicating the unique employee value proposition to current & potential employees Effective employer brand communication can help attract and retain the best talent, build a positive reputation, and achieve organizational goals.

3- DO YOU HAVE AN EMPLOYER BRAND?

Every organization has an employer brand, whether they are aware of it or not. This is because people form perceptions of an organization as an employer based on various factors such as recruitment processes, job adverts, and employee stories. There is another side to this story… Most people may confuse consumer brand & employer brand, because they see the organization as a single entity with a unified brand image.

People assume an organization’s overall reputation as a product or service provider extends to its reputation as an employer. Additionally, the lines between the different types of branding can be blurred because they often overlap.

Imagine an organization known for its innovative and high-quality products. People may logically perceive them as an employer that values creativity and excellence in employees. However, it is important to recognize that employer brand is a separate aspect of an organization’s branding strategy. This is why employer brand requires its own unique communication and marketing efforts.

4- WHEN SHOULD YOU START EMPLOYER BRAND COMMUNICATIONS?

The answer is simple: when you have sufficient data about your current situation and enough resources to analyze that data. You can gather the data from a variety of sources, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups. Once the data has been collected, you need to analyze it thoroughly to identify key trends and insights. Thus, you can form the employer brand communication strategy on solid foundations.

4A- Knowing your audience

Just like in any brand communication, it is crucial to have a well-defined target audience for employer brand communication. This target audience is both internal (existing employees) and external (potential candidates). The corporate goals of the organization, such as expansion or maintaining the status quo, will also impact the employer brand communication strategy.

Before launching any structured external or internal communication, it is essential to know about the organization’s best-performing employees. This can be achieved by analyzing their educational background, turnover rates, and recruitment journeys. This information can help organizations identify many key points, such as the following.

• Which schools and departments to hire from
• Any problems with existing leadership that may repel the best people after they are hired
• The most efficient platforms for posting job adverts

Additionally, internal event attendance rates also provide valuable insights into what content should be posted to attract similar personas. Data analysis can help determine the most effective communication channels for employer brand communication. For example, you will know which channel to focus on; such as social media, job boards, or employee referrals.

4B- Tracking your progress

Finally, it is important to remember that employer brand communication is an ongoing process. Organizations should use data to develop KPIs that will help them measure the effectiveness of their employer brand communication strategy. By using data to inform their employer brand communication strategy, organizations can attract and retain the best talent, build a positive reputation, and achieve their organizational goals.

5- UNDERSTAND & DEFINE YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND

To get off to a great start in your new employer branding career; you need to understand the company’s employer branding mission, values, and objectives. This will enable you to align your strategy and expertise with that of the organization. If the organization does not have an established employer brand, it is still the relationship between the organization and its current & potential people.

Understanding the current employer brand of your organization involves conducting an audit. The goal of the audit is to identify the current strengths and weaknesses of the employer brand, as well as identify opportunities for improvement.

Your success depends on your ability to quickly identify the current state of the employer brand. Understanding the current situation is a must to devise a strategic plan for future employer brand development. To do this, you must have access to reliable data sources for your audit. In addition to gaining knowledge on what platforms you could communicate on, you will be able to see the platforms and activities that receive the most engagement.

After this point, you should be reviewing the internal and external data sources.

6- REVIEW INTERNAL DATA

Reviewing internal data sources as the first step will enable you to gain the accurate understanding of the current state of the employer brand. Additionally, you will have the chance to learn from past mistakes or improve on the already successful processes. Common internal data sources can include the following.

6A- Employee surveys

Employee surveys provide direct feedback from the employees themselves on how they perceive the organization. The data gathered from these can include opinions on their job satisfaction, motivation, working conditions, and overall engagement with their jobs. This data is invaluable for companies that want to understand the current state of their employer brand. Employee surveys can be conducted in a variety of ways, such as through online surveys, in-person interviews, or focus groups. Once the data has been collected, it is essential to analyze it to gain useful insights. Later, you can use these to bolster the employer brand by providing a better understanding of the employee’s experience in the organization.

6B- ATS

Applicant tracking system (ATS) reports provide valuable information on job postings, number of applicants, and time of posting. You can use the data to gain insights into the job market by providing an understanding of the number of applicants and other trends. It can also help employers understand the effectiveness of their job postings and the type of applicants they are attracting. Ultimately, you can make informed decisions about the type of job postings and the messaging used in job postings.

6C- Job postings

Job postings are an important part of an employer’s recruitment process. They provide insights into the type of job, the salary range, the qualifications required, and the company culture. All of previous instances can help employers understand their employer brand. You can use this data to create job postings that accurately reflect their employer brand and attract the right type of applicants.

6D- Performance reviews

Performance reviews provide valuable insights into the performance of individual employees. You can benefit from the data to also understand the overall performance of the organization. Performance reviews also provide insights into the overall culture of the organization, as they provide information on how employees are managed and evaluated. You can use the data to foster a positive employer brand by providing a better understanding of the organization’s culture and performance.

6E- Exit interviews

Exit interviews provide insights into why employees are leaving the organization and can provide valuable feedback about the employer brand. You can use this data to understand the overall working environment of the organization and make decisions on how to improve the employer brand. Exit interviews can also provide valuable insights into the recruitment process and help employers understand how to attract the right type of applicants.

7- REVIEW EXTERNAL DATA

Once you have completed your analysis of internal data sources, you should move on to external data sources. This will provide a more comprehensive overview of the employer brand, as well as a more holistic picture of the competitive landscape. Common external data sources can include social media, job boards, online reviews, and so on.

Talent market competitor analysis provides insights into the strategies and practices of other organizations in the same industry and data on job postings, salaries, and qualifications required. You can use the data to make decisions about the type of job postings and messaging used in job postings. Talent market research can also provide insights into the type of applicants other organizations are attracting and help employers understand how to attract the right type of applicants.

One of the fastest and most efficient ways to reach data is to perform a desktop search. For example, this search can include social media, career websites, and online reviews on third-party sites. These sources provide insights into the public perception of the organization and you can use it to understand how employees and potential applicants view it.

Reviewing & analyzing competitor career websites and job postings can provide an understanding of how you can stand out. For example, you can assess their tone, language, and imagery to determine which tactics you can employ to make your own employer brand stand out. The goal is to create a brand that is distinctive and memorable, so think about how you can use language, design, and imagery to create a unique employer brand.

8- CONCLUSION

Next up, we will be building our team and developing our employer brand strategy.

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