What is the image your company projects as an employer? Are you attracting top talent, or do they politely avoid your calls? Do you know if your employer brand is contributing to or detracting from your ability to get ahead in the war for talent?
In today’s fiercely competitive job market, establishing and maintaining a consistent employer brand is a crucial tool for attracting and retaining the right kind of talent.
A compelling employer brand makes it easier to recruit the very best candidates but is also a foundation for creating the best talent experience by enhancing the loyalty of employees. By closely tracking and managing your company’s reputation as an employer of choice, you can build a loyal following and build the workforce needed to stay ahead of the competition.Here’s how.
1) get buy-in from the leadership team
The leadership team will need to determine mission, values and desired culture in order to ensure your employer brand sits well with strategy. And as with every major HR initiative, chances of success are far greater when the leadership team supports the program. They will also be critical in providing the resources you need to strengthen your brand and experience.
2) figure out where you are and where you want to be
Define a baseline onwhich to measure progress. Consider quantitative and qualitative research that looks at what attracts and deters people. Include staff, suppliers, people leaving the business and candidates. Ask recent hires whether the job they applied for is the same one they ended up with. All of this information forms your baseline.
Then decide how you would like to be viewed in the market. This effort should be at the heart of any marketing efforts aimed at attracting candidates, and should also be promoted internally to shape corporate values.
3) address the gap between where you are and where you want to be
Sometimes a chasm is identified that some businesses consider too large to cross. But merely acknowledging the chasm is often a positive launching pad. It is something you can work on gradually. You can’t opt out of having an employer brand; you can only opt out of actively managing it.
4) create a plan of action to activate your brand
When enhancing your employer brand, consider both internally and externally directed measures. Encourage employees to voice their opinions and play an active role in resolving brand discrepancies. Some changes will be simple and others will become projects in their own right. Monitor how your brand is perceived by all relevant audiences including candidates, customers, partners, competitors and any other parties whose opinion are key to your success.
5) take the employer brand to market
Appoint employer brand ambassadors and encourage employees to spread the word through their online and social media profiles. Develop metrics such as cost per hire, fulfillment, satisfaction, honesty, values etc.