How To Build Your Employer Brand

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Summary. Building an employer brand means you can control and positively impact your company’s reputation. A compelling employer brand can attract a larger and more curated talent pool, bringing more stakeholders and loyal customers to your business.

When you hear the word branding, you may think of external marketing and the positive impact you wish to make on customers. However, branding can apply to the company as an employer as well. Building a positive employer brand attracts better talent and can positively impact retention rates and overall productivity.

In a competitive recruiting landscape, having a compelling employer brand can directly affect how successful you are in attracting and retaining your talent. In tight-knit industries, this is especially important in maintaining a positive company identity that knowledgeable professionals want to work for.

Key Takeaways:

According to a recent Glassdoor survey, 69% of respondents think it’s extremely or very important that their employer brand is one they are proud to support.
Storytelling is a major part of employer branding, but the most important piece of the puzzle is that it’s implemented and practiced by everyone in the business.
By creating and implementing an employer branding strategy, you can better dictate how potential candidates view your business.

What Is Employer Branding?

Employer branding is foundational in attracting and retaining a great internal team. Positive employer branding can boost morale and influence the public’s perception of your company. According to a recent Glassdoor survey, 69% of respondents think it’s extremely or very important that their employer brand is one they are proud to support.

Employee branding can be defined as the reputation you have as an employee among your employees, potential employees, and within your industry. This includes how you market your company to job candidates and your existing internal employees. A key part of employer branding is defining and practicing your company’s core values.

Leadership and culture have a direct impact on your employer’s branding. This should start at the top and be felt by all employees so that when asked, they provide a positive opinion of their working experience. Storytelling is a major part of employer branding, but the most important piece of the puzzle is that it’s implemented and practiced by everyone in the business.

The Importance of Employer Branding

In today’s recruiting market, job seekers have access to a number of different tools to give them information about your business. Before applying for a job, many candidates will do research before considering throwing their hat in the ring. If they stumble across something negative or concerning about your company, they may choose not to apply.

By creating and implementing an employer branding strategy, you can better dictate how potential candidates view your business. Your strategy should include their hiring process experience and retention strategies. Most importantly, it should outline your employer’s value proposition and clearly define how your company can benefit an applying candidate.

Building an employer brand doesn’t need to be complicated. Chances are you have the answers to many of these considerations already, but it is important to define them to put your branding strategy into practice. Here are some steps to take to build your employer brand.

Define your vision, mission, and values. Your company should have clear business objectives as well as a vision to strive for, a mission statement, and values to live by. These three things can help identify your company’s value proposition and help job candidates decide if they would be a good addition to your team.
Analyze your company culture. It’s important to ensure you speak directly with your employees about company culture. Understand what they love about your company and what they might like to change. Getting a handle on this can help identify weaknesses and better identify your strengths to highlight as part of your employer brand.
Decide on the story you want to tell. Building an effective employer brand starts with connecting with candidates on an emotional level. Storytelling is an incredibly effective way to do this and can differentiate your company from competitors. Consider using written or visual brand storytelling to connect with candidates on a personal level.
Establish employee advocacy. The best way to build an employer brand is by using your employees as advocates. Offering incentives for candidate referrals or promoting branding information is a great way to get them involved. But remember, your employees must feel a connection to your company before they’re willing to be advocates.
Use metrics. When you track your employer’s branding initiatives, you’ll better understand what parts of your branding are working and what parts aren’t. Your metrics may differ depending on your industry, but you should track the quality of your hires, employee satisfaction, and employee referrals, among other things.
Perfect your hiring process. Hiring procedures should be fair, consistent, and transparent. Your candidates should find your process easy to navigate and a positive experience even if they don’t get the job. Ensuring these things will help your business maintain a positive employer brand in the marketplace.
Use social media. Social media is a powerful tool for brand marketing, but it can be used for employer brand promotion as well. Highlight things like company culture, philanthropy, or any positive impact you have in your field or community. These things will improve the public’s perception of your business.

Even if you’re a small company, it’s important to invest time and resources into improving or maintaining a positive employer brand. This will have a long-lasting impact on the type of talent you attract, which ultimately impacts the success of your business. Do the right thing. In the end, even the best branding won’t make up for poor culture or unsatisfied employees.