We know we’ve talked about employer brand a lot at this point, but we do it for good reason. Your employer brand is integral in helping youattract new candidates and retain existing ones (a pretty big feat in today’s hiring/talent climate!). More and more companies are considering what their employer brand says about them and whether it is communicating who they really are: budgets for employer branding and recruitment marketing are have “increased on average by more than 10% compared with 2020.”
If it hasn’t sunk in yet that employer brand is a crucial part of your strategy for 2022, you need to get on board-- and quickly.
But what if you haven’t thought about employer brand for a while or are unsure about what employer branding is? Do you know what your employer brand says about you right now?
Let’s break it down.
At WorkReels, we hear business owners define employer branding every time they say, “I know our company is a great place to work, but no one gets to see that.” A company’s employer brand is simply the perception people outside of a company have about what it’s like to work there – whether it’s accurate or not! And employer branding represents the actions companies take to tell their authentic story.
There continues to be so much uncertainty about hiring, where and how people are working, how their jobs may be changing, the list goes on. A well-crafted employer brand can demonstrate some comfort and consistency that both current employees and potential hires will gravitate to. A brand is “always-on.” When you have a strong brand it speaks to everyone working for and considering working for your company in a way that informs whether they belong at your organization. A strong employer brand speaks to candidates and helps you to snag the right ones more quickly. A strong employer brand should be the cornerstone of your talent acquisition strategy.
When you have a strong employer brand, candidates will have a good idea of what working at your company would be like before they even start. This helps you in a variety of ways— not only will you attract better candidates, candidates who know why they want to work for you, but you’ll also experience lower rates of turnover. Think about it! If a candidate knows what working at your company would be like, knows why they want to work for you— what reason would they have to jump ship. Most people who quit jobs shortly after they start cite a culture mismatch. Let your employer brand do the work for you by weeding out candidates who may not be aligned with your company.
So now you know what employer brand is and why it’s so important.
There are a variety of themes coming to the forefront of employer brand in 2022. A lot of these themes have been influenced by the massive shift we’ve all experienced in the past couple of years.
Purpose: Employees want to feel like the work they do makes an impact, that they’re working toward a purpose or common goal.
Growth: Employees look for a company that will hire, promote and train from within, a company that will work with them to develop sought-after skills rather than just hire someone new.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: This is at the forefront of a lot of job-seekers minds’. Job seekers increasingly look for their values to be reflected in the values of a company they would consider working for. And companies are taking note, 98% of the World’s Most Attractive Employers say that diversity in hiring is growing in importance.
Flexibility: The pandemic forced on us a lot of changes. One welcome change for many workers is increased flexibility on where jobs get done. Along with remote work, companies began to focus on their employees’ mental health and emphasize time away from work. Even after the pandemic is long gone, employees’ desire for flexibility at work will not easily disappear. The opportunity for flexibility is also allowing many people who are differently abled into the workforce— some for the first time.
To update your employer brand, you first need to understand what the perception of your company is now. What does your public persona say about you?
What are three words to describe our ideals?
What sets us apart from others doing the same or similar things in our industry?
What is your company doing to address the top themes for candidates?
If you don’t know the answer to these, the holidays may be a good time to start thinking about it. Ask your employees for help too! How they see your company will help you to understand how potential candidates may see your company as well. Is your brand attracting the right employees? Is your employer brand spreading the message you want it to be? If your answers don’t seem to align with your materials or the responses of your employees, it may be time to do a refresh.
When you’re refreshing your employer brand, remember that your audience comes first. How and where you communicate to them is important— where do they naturally go to learn more about companies like yours? What do they respond to? Where have you found success in the past?
When you take the time to invest in your employer brand, you can really send a strong message to potential employees and even customers.
Top employers are already taking note of the main areas that employees want to see from them. If you want to be able to compete with the top employers in your field-- you’ll need to start paying attention too!
In today’s job climate you need to attract candidates, and there aren’t enough to go around. It is so important to make sure everything that’s out there about your company sends the message that you want it to, to attract the right candidates to your roles.
Contact WorkReels to learn how to share your employer brand in 2022.