“Your employer brand is your reputation as an employer”
At a time when finding, hiring and retaining top-notch employees is a No. 1 priority, an organization’s “employer brand” can be an unsung hero. According to Gallup, 36 percent of job seekers say the brand of a company is very important when evaluating a potential job, so it can easily become a tie-breaker in this job market.
According to the 2018 Retention Report by the Work Institute, one in four employees will leave their jobs this year, and perhaps more shockingly – 77 percent of that turnover could be prevented. In 2017, employees left jobs because:
- 21 percent – opportunities for growth, achievement and security
- 13 percent – work-life balance
- 11 percent – manager behavior
Largely, these are culture and value issues. The often-blamed compensation issue ranked at just 9 percent, tied with well-being and moving away. Bottom line? You have an opportunity to get a leg up by creating a great employer brand.
What Is an Employer Brand?
Your employer brand is your reputation as an employer. It’s the word on the street about whether or not your employees love coming to work or are just there for a paycheck. Are you known for fantastic benefits, a cool workspace and scheduling flexibility? Or are you a place with high turnover, poor responses to job applicants and OK-ish compensation.
Like a logo or signature product, your employer brand becomes the face of your company. Here’s how to nail your employer branding.
What Should an Employer Brand Do?
A good one will instill confidence in your company and make public the image of your company as a happy, vigorous, competitive and great place to work that takes care of its people.
A bad one…will not only scare off potential employees, it can contribute to turnover and tarnish your reputation.
Good Employer Branding = More Employee Referrals
Good branding stems from great company culture, which produces happy employees. These satisfied employees often become natural brand ambassadors for your company and are likely to personally recruit friends and family. This is ideal! Employee referrals average a 46 percent retention rate compared to 33 percent of organizations that only use career sites. Even better: Your current team knows what it takes to thrive and wants great team members on their side.
Good Employer Branding = Powerful Job Descriptions
A brand-infused, well-written job description can make a difference in number and quality of candidates. Not only does it stand out from other similar positions, it also extends an inviting hand to the applicant. A jargon-free, conversational tone should talk about what the potential employee will gain be joining your company – not just the what you want from employees.
Good Employer Branding = Increased Digital Presence
Current and former employers who leave reviews of their organizations can make a huge impact on recruitment efforts. The rising trend has taken over the job hiring market, and your digital reputation is on display with a simple search on sites like Glassdoor. Monitor your brand on these sites, and if you have soaring reviews, mention them in job descriptions and at recruitment events. If they’re bad, thoughtfully respond. You can’t control what’s being said about you, but you can take part in the conversation and look for ways to address missed marks.
Good Employer Branding = Better Fitting Candidates & Quicker Evaluations
With a well-defined employer brand, your values and culture are top-of-mind. This will help narrow the candidate field more quickly because in addition for hiring based on skills, you’ll know what character traits and culture fits are most likely to succeed at your company. You’ll have better luck finding long-term matches and diversify your workforce, too (because not everyone will need the same background).
A focused effort to define your employer brand will benefit your recruitment efforts, but it will also be felt throughout the company. We talk a lot about the importance of engaged employees, and team buy-in on culture and goals is often the first step. You can leverage your employer brand to bring in great team members and impact your current employees in a positive, bottom line-boosting way.
Deploying your employer brand is simple with an easy-to-use, customizable Recruitment & Applicant Tracking System like the BirdDogHR cloud-based software. It’s easy to implement, centralized with your other digital efforts and you control its branding.
