Your employer brand is your company’s reputation as an employer, conveying your value proposition to potential employees. In today’s economy, it’s essential to implement a strategy that incorporates effective messaging and multiple communication channels to build a positive employer brand.
The Importance of Creating a Positive Employer Brand
Your employer brand can have a direct and measurable impact on your bottom line. A positive employer brand helps to attract and retain quality employees. Quality employees create a positive experience for your customers. Building and retaining your customer base is crucial for the long-term growth of your company.
Today’s job seekers have a wealth of information at their fingertips. Glassdoor, Indeed, Facebook, Twitter and, of course, your company’s web site can all play a role in shaping opinions about a posted position and your company as an employer. When making a decision on where to apply for a job, 84% of job seekers say the reputation of a company as an employer is important.1
Focus on these 5 steps to build a strong, unique employer brand that attracts quality applicants.
1. Build and maintain a premier Careers site…and make sure it’s mobile friendly!
The Careers section of your company’s web site should be a hub – a repository of essential information to include detailed job descriptions, a quick and simple way to apply, information about the company culture and work/life benefits, community involvement photos, and video testimonials from current employees.
In addition, it is crucial that your company focuses on enhancing the mobile candidate experience. According to a SHRM.org article2, although more than half of those currently searching for jobs are using a mobile device for the search, those job seekers average 53% fewer completed applications due to the cumbersome application process. Be sure that your company is optimizing the mobile candidate experience by understanding the importance of mobile-friendly websites3. Click the link below to see if your site is mobile-friendly:
https://search.google.com/test/mobile-friendly
Regardless of the channel used to get your message out to potential candidates, or how they access your site, job seekers should be directed to a well-designed Careers section that doesn’t have to be costly to build but can be an investment that pays significant, long-term dividends.
2. Increase interest in job postings
Stay away from generic and incomplete job postings. Review job descriptions and identify where you can infuse unique aspects of company culture to help them stand out. Properly communicating the expectations, experience and education required, and benefits of a role can help filter out unqualified job seekers while inspiring qualified job seekers to apply.
3. Implement a multi-channel approach
Reach the active and, especially, the passive job seeker by developing a multi-channel recruiting strategy across social media, search, mobile, print, and digital display advertising. A robust SEM campaign can help drive qualified traffic to your careers site. Identify top recruiting areas and develop digital display and print advertising campaigns that are geo-targeted to those areas. Learn how to build out your social media recruitment initiatives on Facebook and LinkedIn. Advance Ohio can help with each of these recruiting strategies.
4. Stay active on social media
As mentioned previously, potential candidate will scan social media to get a sense of an employer’s brand and culture. This is a great outlet to share your content and the great things you’re doing as a company. Incorporate company events, work culture, team building, benefits of working there, employee highlights, testimonials from employees, and even former employees who had a positive and exciting experience.
5. Incorporate current employees
Involve current employees in your recruitment marketing process. Job seekers trust what employees say about their employer, so showcasing unique employee experiences and perspectives via video content and social posts, and encouraging employees to share positive reviews, adds credibility to your advertising messages. Engaging current employees is also an effective retention tool, and retention is a key indicator of the inside workings and culture of any business. Understanding what inspired employees to join the company, what keeps them motivated, and what positive (and negative) job experiences they share with friends can help you strengthen your employer brand from the inside out.
All of these elements will contribute to a positive employer brand, instilling a sense of loyalty and enthusiasm among your employees, and helping you attract top candidates.
Let’s discuss how you can attract and retain quality employees.
SOURCES:
Ad Choices
