How Employer Branding Can Grow Your Business
With the sheer number of cooperative firms today, the competition has become fiercer than before. A firm can easily be swept under the rug if not appropriately managed. This is where Employer branding comes in.
A company holding a positive employer branding can go a long way. Not only does it boost the recruitment process, but it also retains the current employees in a firm.
What is employer branding?
Understanding the positive aspects of employer branding can benefit a business firm. As per Minchington, employer brand is the reputation of a company in the minds of its people; employees as well as external stakeholders.
Why is it important?
A good brand isn’t just defined by the customer’s feedback or the quality of the products. It’s the working employees that know the brand best. Employer branding is directly dependent on its employees.
We know how the internet is widely spread out these days. We have online job portals, company websites and social media accounts. If an employee likes working for the brand and its employer, they will write a good review about it. Most job applicants look for reviews while searching for jobs. A positive review is certainly impactful. It would speed up the recruitment process, thus saving time and money.
Employees are never short of opportunities. If the brand fails to satisfy the employee in its work incentives, career development or work culture, they can always switch over to a better brand. If the employee happened to be someone of higher stature, then the company suffers a vital loss. This will only burden the HR further in recruiting the desired talents. This is why it is crucial to retain working employees.
The company with negative employer branding will have the opposite effect. The recruitment costs would go twice as high and the workforce would grow weak. Not only could the brand potentially lose its current employees, but it would also lose its customers and clients, bringing a heavy toll to its finances. Under such circumstances, any brand is prone to crumble easily.
How to establish good employee branding?
For attracting new talents, it is important to analyse the way a brand presents itself to the public. One needs to ask the question—what are the employee’s thoughts on the brand? How do the candidates view your brand? How common public (customers) perceive the brand? A positive response from all these sectors is guaranteed to bring the maximum recognition to a brand.
Work environment
It is the job of the employer to make his employees comfortable and maintain a professional yet friendly relationship with them. It is advised not to try to imply dictatorship, rather become someone who can lead the team whilst working alongside them. It is important to make them realise that you need them, which can be done by commending their efforts. A positive employer-employee relationship is a crucial factor in establishing good employee branding.
Training
One must impart training sessions to help employees acquire new skills and give them new opportunities every now and then. This provides the room to advance within the industry. Many brands tend to lose their employees due to a lack of growth within the organisation. The HR and the employers should draft the job graph in a way that seeks growth and development. It is one of the most efficient ways to retain old employees.
Brand marketing
A job description is the first thing that a candidate notices about a company. Never go for the usual, boring, lengthy descriptions. Rather, make sure it is unique, attractive and brief. Implement SEO to bridge the gap between job posts and candidates. Upload videos on social media websites instead of written posts as the majority of the audience prefers watching visuals than reading something. Create catchy presentations or videos, describing the company’s vision and mission. Interview the current employees about their experiences in working for the company. If possible, narrate the benefits received by the employees as a part of the organisation. This comes out as an effective marketing strategy.
Building EVP
Employer Value Proposition (EVP) are values set in place by employers for rewarding their employees as a token of appreciation for putting in their time and efforts for the growth of the organisation. This includes benefits, bonuses, rewards, programs etc. EVP plays a crucial role in employer branding, as it is the deciding factor that makes employees stay in the organisation. If an employer wants to retain old employees as well as attract new ones, he needs to build an attractive EVP. The EVP should be clear, precise and unique and post it on the company’s website and your LinkedIn profile. All candidates would be looking at a brand’s EVP, whether they are aware of it or not.
Be active on social media
7 out of 10 employees between the ages of 18-24 said to have discovered jobs through social media. That is how relevant social media is today. Be active on social media like LinkedIn or blogs; interact with employees and candidates; like comment and share your opinions to create an impact. The virtual presence of the brand will increase, which will further attract a pool of candidates to you.
Conclusion
According to HBR, the relevance of employer branding is estimated to be increased to 40% by 2020 in terms of recruitment. Employer branding should be planned systematically by the HR team and the top management in the organisation. A positive employer branding will help build up a healthy workforce, which ultimately secures the future of the brand. It is what makes a brand stand out amongst the crowd of competitive markets.