Have you wondered why some people conceive the idea of working for an organization even before they are qualified to do so? Although most of them may not get employed at the company, they might forever view it as an awesome place to work.
Without ever visiting a company’s physical workplace, one of the reasons people desire to work in an organization is because of its online presence and activities. In this article, you will understand what employer branding means and how organizations can build and maintain a positive image to attract the best talents.
What is employer branding?
Employer branding is the representation of an organization as an employer of talents. It is the process of proactively managing your reputation as an employer among job seekers, employees, and other relevant stakeholders.
An employer brand mostly encompasses its mission, vision, values, and culture. Employer branding also involves articulating your company’s unique selling point, recruitment marketing strategy, personality, and voice.
Employer branding usually helps attract new talent and retain present employees through job satisfaction. It plays a pivotal role in talent acquisition and retention, thereby building a workforce that aligns with the organization’s values and goals.
Why is a positive company image important in talent acquisition?
Many talents are unlikely to avoid working for an organization rumoured to have an unhealthy work environment. This highlights the importance of non-toxic organizations paying more attention to creating a positive image that appeals to top talents.
Having a positive brand attracts talents that align with your organization’s values and cultures, increasing the prospects of finding employees who may be a good fit for your organization.
When talents identify with the organization’s mission and values, they are likely to stay for a long time, contributing to your long-term success. If top talents are persuaded by competitors, the game-changer might be having a positive company image because they will view your workplace as a place with a healthy organizational culture.
How does employer branding affect organizational success?
If you’re looking forward to achieving organizational success in the long run, consider prioritizing employer branding.
According to statistics from Micro Biz Mag, about 61% of employees attributed their resignation from their previous organization because of workplace culture issues.
Similarly, 73% of employees experienced burnout because of a toxic workplace culture. This implies that when top talents discover that an organization is toxic, they’re likely to leave.
If this cycle continues in the organization- where the best talents exit because of unfavourable work conditions, prospective candidates will avoid applying for a role within the company.
A strong and positive employee brand is a breeding ground for outstanding talents, making it effortless for hiring managers to recruit premier talents. These employees are usually motivated and engaged, increasing their productivity, which positively contributes to the success of the organization.
How to build a strong employer brand
If an organization wants to attract the best talents, learning how to build and maintain a positive employer brand is important.
An interesting study from Glassdoor revealed that 92% of employees may consider changing jobs if they get a role with an organization with an excellent corporate reputation.
Also, 50% of talents would not work for an organization with a bad reputation, even with a pay bump. This makes it imperative for companies to create the impression that they have the best place to work.
1. Audit Your Employer’s Brand
If you’ve not consciously thought about building an employer brand, you may be oblivious to how outsiders view your brand. Hence, carry out an audit to know your present status.
You can evaluate your employer brand by checking if it reflects your organizational culture. Define goals for your employer brand audit and identify areas for improvement and employee satisfaction.
2. Be Transparent With Your Hiring Process
Employers can be transparent with their hiring process by providing accurate and detailed job descriptions clearly showing qualifications, expectations, and responsibilities.
The application steps should be communicated, highlighting what candidates should expect at each phase, alongside the timelines.
Hiring managers should create communication channels, ensuring candidates can get answers to their inquiries. It is crucial to provide candidates with basic information about the company’s values, culture, and work environment, allowing candidates to evaluate if it aligns with them.
3. Give Candidates a Seamless Experience
Employers looking to build a strong brand can provide candidates with a seamless recruitment process that highlights the company’s integrity and respect for everyone.
When candidates undergo a smooth, seamless process, a good perception of the company is created, which helps attract the best talents.
Employers need to realize that the application/recruitment process is mostly the candidate’s first interaction with the organization. This stresses the importance of making a good first impression when candidates want to apply for a role.
4. Provide a Smooth Onboarding Process
When candidates are eventually hired, their onboarding process must remain equally smooth, sustaining the already-created positive impression.
Organizations need to organize a proper onboarding process, ensuring that new hires have a welcoming experience. This may be helpful in influencing the new employee’s vigour and dedication to their role.
During onboarding, new hires should undergo cultural integration, which is one of the core functions of the onboarding phase. This helps new hires understand the company’s values, mission, and culture.
A smooth onboarding process helps improve workplace positivity, resonating with new and current employees.
5. Be Active on Social Media
Being active on social media platforms is one of the profound strategies for building a strong employer brand. This is primarily because it enables organizations to engage with a broader audience, showcasing their organizational culture, which helps to attract the best talents.
When organizations are active on social media by sharing valuable and meaningful content, it helps to increase their visibility and reach. This allows companies to connect with prospective candidates, industry experts, and clients.
Organizations can leverage social media to showcase their company culture. They can show their work environment and company events and share employee stories, adding a human touch to the organization.
6. Employee Recognition
When employees are recognized for their input and achievements, it boosts morale and sustains their motivation, improving engagement and productivity. This ensures that employees are more inspired to work towards achieving the organization’s goals, which fosters building a positive employer brand.
A company notable for appreciating and recognizing diligent and talented employers becomes attractive to prospective candidates.
Similarly, current employees may prefer to remain with the company, especially if it aligns with their career goals. Employee recognition showcases the company’s commitment to employees being its most treasured asset.
7. Modify and Review Programs and Policies
Revamping and reviewing an organization’s programs and policies plays a pivotal role in building and enhancing employer branding. This is primarily because this helps to align the organization’s practices with its desired image, objectives and values.
When an organization’s policies resonate with its values, the authenticity of the employer receives a big boost. This helps to create an authentic connection with employees and prospective hires.
It is important for companies to learn to adapt due to the regular changes in technology, market trends, and their peculiar industry. Therefore, a company that periodically modifies and reviews its programs and policies shows it is forward-thinking and dedicated to remaining relevant.
8. Cultivate a Healthy Workplace
Organizations need to focus on building and nurturing a healthy workplace as it directly impacts employee engagement, satisfaction and organizational success.
Employers can offer wellness programs and work-life balance initiatives to show that they prioritize employee well-being. This helps to create a positive perception in the public, making the organization a popular choice in the job market.
It is also crucial for employers to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and respected for their efforts and contributions.
Conclusion
Employer branding in organizations should not be treated as minor aspect of a company’s growth measures. Rather, it should be a strategic and conscious initiative that organizations should employ to ensure long-term success and sustainability.
A good employer brand helps to attract the best set of talents that aligns with the company’s short-term and long-term aspirations. It also repositions recruitment as a dynamic interaction where both parties gain value from each other.
