Leveraging Your Employer Brand To Attract Talent
14th Jul 2023
Imagine this; your company effortlessly draws in top-notch candidates, you fill every role with a wonderfully aligned candidate, and your employees stay for longer and are happier than ever before, plus your team is not only highly skilled, but they're also loyal.
Sounds like a dream, right? Well, the answer is your Employer Brand!
Your Employer Brand is your unique story that connects and captures the hearts and minds of your employees. And in today's ultra-competitive job market, where every company is competing for the best talent, progressive companies have discovered the immense power of Employer Branding as a strategic tool to attract top talent.
So, let's look at how your Employer Brand can become your most valuable asset in attracting top talent and have them happily sticking around for the long haul.The link between Employer Branding and talent attraction
The role of Employer Branding in attracting and hiring top talent cannot be underestimated.
Where skilled professionals now have more options available to them, a strong Employer Brand can be the make or break. It acts as a magnetic force, drawing in the best and brightest candidates who are seeking not just a job but an awesome workplace and experience.
Here's how Employer Branding plays a pivotal role in attracting and hiring top talent:It’s what makes you stand out
A compelling Employer Brand sets your company apart. It’s your unique company culture, values, benefits and opportunities for growth, which is what candidates are looking for.
By creating a distinctive Employer Brand, you'll be able to attract and retain candidates who are genuinely excited to work for you.Your reputation precedes you
A strong Employer Brand, showing off a positive workplace culture and opportunities for advancement, is a powerful asset when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent.
Cameron Skinner - Head of Internal Talent at Instant Impact
“I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of leveraging our Employer Brand to attract top talent. We have worked hard to cultivate an authentic and compelling work environment, which we love to shout about on social media at any given opportunity. And when we do, we not only attract skilled individuals but also create a magnetic force that pulls in the best of the best. Our amazing Employer Brand acts as a beacon, illuminating our company culture, values, and opportunities, resonating with exceptional recruitment specialists who want to join us on our exciting journey. Which in turn makes my job a lot easier.”People relate to real stories
Your current employees are your best brand ambassadors. A strong Employer Brand builds a sense of pride and loyalty among your teams, motivating them to share their positive experiences with others.
When employees actively promote your company as being a great place to work, it creates a ripple effect that attracts top talent. People trust the recommendations and experiences of others, making employee advocacy a powerful tool for attracting high-calibre candidates as well as keeping your current employees happy and engaged.
Chris Woods, Senior Regional Employer Reputation & Recruitment Marketing Manager at Mars UK
“Employee generated content for me is key to building and maintaining an Employer Brand which truly reflects the experiences of your associates every day. There’s nothing more authentic than hearing and seeing an associate’s thoughts and feelings about your company, directly from them. They have networks which reach further than your company brand, and they speak with credibility which you just can’t match from your brand’s media. I always say my job is not to tell stories about Mars, but to build a strategy that enables our associates to tell their own stories!”Makes recruitment selection easier
A strong Employer Brand acts as a filter, attracting candidates who are the best fit for your company both technically and culturally.
This self-selection process saves valuable time and resources, making sure that you attract candidates who are genuinely interested in your company and have the potential to thrive and progress.
And when you hire the right people who align with your mission and values, they’re more likely to stick around.Employer Branding strategies to attract top talent
There are a number of different strategies you can use to strengthen your Employer Brand; here are five approaches to consider:1) Develop a clear and authentic Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
Your EVP makes up your Employer Brand it showcases the unique benefits and advantages of working for your company. It should communicate your company's values, mission, and vision to attract employees who align with your culture and are motivated by your purpose. Want to learn more about how to create a killer EVP? You’re in the right place.2) Showcase your company culture
You need to be shouting about your company culture and how awesome you are.
Provide a glimpse into your company's culture and work environment through employee testimonials, videos, blog posts, social media content.
Share stories that highlight your company's values, employee achievements, and the positive impact your company has on people's lives. Authentic and relatable stories resonate with candidates and help them envision themselves as part of your team.
And increase your likelihood of being considered as an employer of choice by 257% with Flexa, a powerful Employer Brand platform, by doing so you’ll be able to:
3) Prioritise the candidate experience
Make sure that your recruitment process reflects your Employer Brand and provides a positive experience for candidates. Streamline your application process and provide timely communication and feedback (when a candidate doesn’t hear back from you for months that leaves a lasting impression of the wrong kind!). A positive candidate experience enhances your Employer Brand and encourages candidates to have a favourable perception of your company, regardless of the outcome of their application.4) Shout about your growth and development opportunities
56% of employees say career growth and opportunities for advancement are the top things they look for in a job.
When potential candidates witness a clear path for progression and spot success stories among your current employees (let's be honest, we all do a bit of LinkedIn stalking when considering a company we really want to work for), they'll be more inclined to choose you as their preferred employer.
Consider making your progression structure for each role clearly available during the application process, or share stories from employees who have progressed within your company on your blogs or social media.5) Promote work-life balance
Promote a healthy work-life balance by offering flexible work arrangements and mental health and well-being initiatives.
Why is this so important? The stats speak for themselves. With data collected by Flexa from over a million users, we’ve found that 92% want flexibility in some form, while 34.7% of people want to work for a company prioritising mental health.
And demand continues to grow, but with 68% of companies not outwardly publicising their flexibility, there’s plenty of opportunity for employers to attract talented team members.