The short answer is “yes, you should”. Although employer branding is still a relatively new concept, it is important for your recruitment strategy. Due to the newness of the concept, many employers poorly execute employer branding or don´t have a strategy at all, and if you want to be successful hiring your next superstars, this needs to change.
Here are some reasons on why you need to start thinking about employer branding:
- A great product or service is not enough to attract talent
You might think that if your company sells great products and / or services, that these speak for themselves and will attract the right talent for your team. When you are the product leader, candidates will line up to work for you right? However, this is not the case. There are plenty of companies that are leaders in their field and provide excellent products but are also known for their poor employer brand. A great candidate probably doesn´t want to work for that company despite them being the industry leaders.
- Rating sites don´t tell the whole story
Many job seekers check rating sites at some point during their job search where they can find company pay information and general ratings on how it is to work there. However, especially in the digital era, we are living in, this is not their only resource (anymore). A good rating on these sites is great, but what if social media tells a whole different story? Your employer brand needs to be consistent across all media.
- Your company website doesn´t tell the whole story either
The same goes for your company website, like your customers, potential employees also know that this is the place where you are trying to sell yourself. In other words, it doesn´t share all the aspects and different perspectives they are looking for when considering working for you. They will want to learn from (former) employees as well, their families and friends and whoever can provide them with real insights on what it is like to work for you. Hence, your (former) employees are your biggest brand ambassadors.
- Candidates don´t just look at salary and benefits
You might think that as long as you offer great compensation and benefits, you will be able to attract the best talent. However, truth is that many great candidates are willing to take a small pay cut if they get to work for a company with a great reputation for how they treat their employees. Of course, salary and other benefits are very important, however, your employer brand is as well.
- Employer branding doesn´t stop after you hire the candidate
When designing your employer brand strategy, you might design a great employee value proposition (EVP) to attract the best candidates. But the strategy doesn´t stop after you have hired them! You will need to deliver that great EVP as well because not doing so obviously negatively impacts your employer brand for future hiring.
- It´s not a quick fix that you can forget about shortly after
Finally, defining an appealing EVP is not a guarantee for a successful employer branding strategy in the future. Ensuring you have a strong employer brand is a work in progress and an ever-evolving project. You will constantly have to be on top of your employer brand and monitor the status. And, at least as important, you will constantly have to be committed to making your workplace a truly great place to work and ensuring a work experience that is matching what you are promising to potential candidates.
In summary, although employer branding is a relatively new concept, you should pay attention to it to optimize your recruitment and retenties strategy. Why do you think employer branding is important for you?
