Let’s explore Employer Branding, a topic that is widely discussed. Today, we’ll find out what Employer Branding is, why it’s important, and as HR professionals, how we can contribute to developing Employer Branding to attract new talent.
What is Employer Branding?
Employer Branding, or the creation of an employer brand, is the process of establishing and delivering an organization’s value proposition to both employees and external audiences. This involves communicating the organization’s values, culture, and the benefits employees can expect when working for the organization. An organization with a strong employer brand stands out, has a desirable image as an employer, and is often considered a top choice by job seekers and employees alike.
Why is Employer Branding Important?
Employer Branding stems from several challenges that companies and HR departments face today, such as:
- Traditional methods of recruitment through job advertisements or recruitment agencies are costly and often ineffective in attracting the right candidates who truly fit the organization.
- Many organizations are unaware of their unique selling points that could attract the right candidates.
- Setting up booths at educational institutions or job fairs is not sufficient to create a compelling experience for applicants and showcase the organization’s image effectively.
These challenges have led HR departments to focus heavily on Employer Branding to attract and recruit talent effectively. Did you know that organizations with strong employer brands can reduce recruitment costs by up to 50% and decrease employee turnover rates by up to 28%? Additionally, 23% of new job seekers aged 18-34 are willing to negotiate salary if they join a company with a strong employer brand.
Therefore, Employer Branding has become a critical focus area for HR professionals, as it directly impacts recruitment effectiveness, employee retention, and overall organizational success.
The advantages of employer branding
Employer branding is beneficial both in terms of attracting and recruiting talented individuals, as well as in retaining high-performing employees. Statistics show that 75% of job seekers research a company’s reputation or image before deciding to apply for a job. Additionally, 69% of employees choose to reject job offers from organizations with poor employer branding, even if they are still unemployed.
This is because a strong employer brand helps organizations :
- Stand out and differentiate themselves from other companies.
- Attract the right people to become part of the organization
- Create positive experiences and a clear organizational image for employees, both past, present, and future.
Moreover, according to LinkedIn data, effective employer branding helps employees stay with the organization longer, reducing turnover rates by up to 28%, and can also save up to 50% in hiring costs.
Employer Branding is the key to attracting new-generation job seekers.
Nowadays, job seekers are increasingly interested in and considerate of a company’s brand reputation when making decisions.
- 75% of job seekers choose to apply to companies with good employer branding.
- Additionally, 86% of job seekers read company reviews before applying for a job.
- Employer Branding levels the playing field for both small and large companies, giving them equal opportunities to attract talent.
- Companies that have embraced Employer Branding have found it to be a valuable tool that makes recruitment easier than ever before.
(Source: Jobtopgun)
Channels for HR to do Employee Branding
Once you understand what attracts employees to choose to work for our organization, the company should adopt a recruitment approach that aligns with those preferences. The key is to do branding effectively to present our organization’s identity and communicate in a way that attracts the type of people we want to join through the recruitment process.
The next step is creating content to promote our organization through various channels such as the company website, social media, and job posting platforms. Maintaining updated content and organizational news through these channels is crucial. Employer Branding through different channels includes:
- Company Website:
The company website is often the first channel people use to get to know the organization. It should provide comprehensive information about the organization, including its history, vision, mission, culture, products, services, and contact details. This enhances credibility and lets job seekers know who we are, what we do, and our goals.
- Company’s Social Media:
Social media is a powerful tool for Employer Branding in today’s era. Updating company activities and news across various social media platforms helps increase awareness and accessibility to the company. Interesting content related to the organization shared on social media platforms can lead to more shares and further exposure.Content promoting the brand can be varied, such as office and work environment showcase videos, photo albums showing different aspects of the office, or employee interviews sharing their work experiences or discussing various benefits received. This presents what job seekers can expect from working with us.
- Job Postings:
Job postings are another channel for Employer Branding that is often overlooked. While companies typically focus on providing a complete job description, including details about the company itself is crucial in decision-making for job seekers. Not including the company’s logo or introductory information about the company in the Company Profile section of job postings may make the organization seem less appealing.
Therefore, including company information such as a brief history, the company logo or an image representing the company, other contact channels of the organization, and sometimes even videos can make the job posting more attractive and increase the likelihood of job seekers wanting to join us.
In summary, organizations that prioritize talent acquisition and retention need to seriously consider understanding the employer brand image. Just taking care of employees alone is not enough; others need to feel this too.
Source: Workventure
