What Is Employer Branding?

During recruitment, 78% of applicants believe that what they experience as job candidates indicate or reflects the way an employer values its workforce (source: talentadore). This is the main reason why employer branding is very important. Employer branding is a method or a concept that deals with the identification of variables, elements, and factors that can contribute to the development of an organization’s impressive and effective employer brand. Employer branding takes care of the ways in which a business presents itself as a corporate entity to its target employees. Hence, employer branding is all about ensuring that a business retains an ideal brand which professionals can appreciate and would like to be associated with.

Factors to Consider for Proper Employer Branding

Do you want to be an organization where high-performing experts and professionals would like to work at? Your employer branding can just help you with that. There are certain things that you have to prioritize if you want to get involved in employer branding. A few of the factors that you have to consider as you try to conceptualize your employer brand are as follows:

1. Specification of Appropriate Employer Branding Strategies

How will you develop your employer brand? You need to have a list of employer branding strategies that you think are suitable for your needs and the way you would like to be perceived by your target audience. You have to specify and define these employer branding strategies clearly so that your stakeholders can understand the things that you would like them to do and prioritize.

2. Participation of Employees in All the Stages of Employer Branding

The things that your current and previous employees will share to other people about your business can shape the image of your organization. Even if you do not have any control on what they have to say, allowing your employees to feel their involvement in every part of the employer branding process can serve as an internal activation and a communication channel that can let them share positive things about you as an employer.

3. Involvement of Leaders When It Comes to Championing the Employer Brand

Leadership is essential if you want to carry your employer branding initiatives all throughout the organization. Your department heads, managers, and supervisors should make sure that the employer brand of the company is known by its workforce. Allowing this to happen can let your employees be proud of a work culture that can also be appreciated by job seekers.

4. Development of Healthy and Collaborative Relationships Between the Human Resource Department and Involved Entities

The human resource department is responsible for the processes of recruitment. Marketing the business to potential employees is a part of this process. As an example of corporate communications, employer branding should also be shared by the human resource department to other stakeholders. Ensuring the healthy relationship of the hr and the business to suppliers, employees, applicants, and other entities are very vital for an employer brand to be strengthened and further be improved.

Platforms and Activities Used for Efficient Employer Branding

If you want to create a sample plan for businesses, it will be best if you can include a discussion about employer branding. Ensure that you will utilize the strength and power of your employer brand. Here are some of the platforms and activities that are utilized by organizations to present their employer brand:

The website of the business: Your official website should have a list of the work positions that are open for employment. Having a careers tab can enable professionals to easily have an idea about your manpower needs. Aside from a section that presents the careers that you can give to qualified applicants, it is also important for your website to have certain information that can provide an image of your credibility as an employer. Present positively noted write-ups from existing employees, clear job descriptions, and other details that can promote transparency and clarity about your employer brand. The content marketing strategies of the employer: The hr documents and marketing tools used by the organization can heavily impact the impression of its target audience. Invest in content marketing as this can enable your hr department to relay the message about your organization which can hopefully be positively received by professionals and other entities who would like to get involved in the operations of the business.The employee advocacy of the company: If you are confident that you are providing your employees with work-life balance, make sure to include this in your recruitment channels. Present your employee advocacy so you can give an overview of what applicants can expect once they get employed by your business.The online pages and social media accounts of the company: One of the main tools used by 25% of job seekers when looking for a job is social media (source: beamery). Add some recruitment announcements and other employer branding-related details in your social media accounts so you can build rapport between your business and professionals who are looking for job opportunities online.The recruitment process of the organization: The application and recruitment experience of applicants matter a lot. As a preview of how you treat your people and how you value processes with manpower involvement, it is important for your recruitment process to be as organized and as impressive as possible.

7 Steps for Developing an Effective Employer Branding

As a business, it is essential for you to know what employer branding is all about and how it can help you in a number of ways. In addition to this, it is important for you to have an idea on how you can create an employer branding from scratch. Here is a simple process that you can follow if you already want to begin the creation of an effective employer branding:

Step 1: Use an Employer Branding Template and Other Kinds of Relevant References

Find the best template that you can optimize for the creation of your employer branding document. To improve your knowledge about employer branding; you can also review a number of branding proposals, branding quotations, and other documents which can provide you with an idea of how you can make, better, and/or maintain your employer brand.

Step 2: Create an Introduction Which Can Directly Identify the Needs and Vision of the Business

It is essential for you to focus on your employer brand if you want to showcase a strong and impressive company culture that can surely get the attention and approval of talented and skilled work candidates. Your employer branding should have an introduction that can present the purpose of the activity and the reasons why it is essential for the organization to focus on its employer brand.

Step 3: Discuss Your Employer Value Proposition, Key Performance Indicators, Goals, and Objectives

After a brief introduction, you can already present the ways on how you would like your target audience to see you. Give an idea about your employer value proposition and key performance indicators. Aside from these, you also have to describe your employer branding’s goals so you can set time frames and deadlines for your strategies’ implementation.

Step 4: Describe and Understand the Target Audience of the Organization

When developing the brand of your business as an employer, you have to consider the people that you would like to tap. Know the kind of employees that you would like to reach. Having an idea about the specific skill set, abilities, characteristics, and behavior that your desired employees should have can make it easier for you to know how you can develop an employer brand that can be interesting to the type of professionals that you plan to hire.

Step 5: Select Communication Channels to Optimize Available Business Resources

You have to really develop communication ideas. Know the mediums, channels, touchpoints, and platforms that you can use to share your employer brand. Look at the resources of your organization so you can maximize their usages whenever you plan to establish an effective employer branding.

Step 6: Come Up With an Annual Employer Branding Plan Filled With Strategic Actions

Aside from your operational, marketing and sales strategies; you also have to look into the employee engagement strategy and employer branding strategies of your business. Use an annual plan that can organize the schedule of your employer branding processes. You have to know when to implement specific strategies and activities so you can get the benefits that you expect to have out of your employer branding efforts.

Step 7: Polish the Employer Branding to Have an Outstanding Output

Finalize the content and format of your employer branding. Ensure that you have a refined document that can help you execute your plans of action accordingly. Once you have already implemented your employer branding, we recommend you to do some evaluations and assessments so you can identify the things that you must change and improve.

Benefits of Having a Thorough Employer Branding

Employer branding is the process of identifying your employer brand. It also involves dealing with the expectations of your candidates and employees so you can allow them to be your ambassadors. With the help of an employer branding strategy, you can explain what professionals can gain from the business. There are many advantages that your business and its stakeholders can experience if you can have an employer branding that works effectively. Below are some of the benefits of having a thorough employer branding.

Employer branding can provide you with a unique identity which can separate you from your competitors: You need to set your business apart from other companies aspiring to get or hire the same quality candidates. Aside from your work and salary offer, your employer branding can impact the decision of qualified candidates on whether to accept or reject the employment opportunity that you would like to give to them.Employer branding can enable you to present your business as the employer of choice to qualified professionals whose expertise are aligned with your operational and other business needs: Employer branding can affect your organization as a whole. The people that you work with play an important role in ensuring that you are on the right track in terms of business development. With the proper execution of employer branding, it can be easier for the business to recruit candidates who can add value to the organization while still retaining the existing employees of the company.Employer branding can help your business achieve its strategic goals and objectives: Employer branding is a concept that you have to keenly look into so you can understand its connection to the needs of your organization. If you can have a strong employer brand, you can hire the right people who can realize your vision. This is very important if you want to have high chances of achieving both your short-term and long-term goals.Employer branding can give your business the ability to lower branding, recruitment, and business marketing costs: Employers that execute poor employer branding actually pay their workforce with 10% higher salaries. (source: smartdreamers). An efficient process for employer branding implementation can enable you to lower the costs of recruitment as well as the amount that you need to pay your employees just to convince them to stay in the company since you already have a credible image that can attract your desired candidates. A powerful employer branding can also help you easily market your organization whenever you are in need of more employees.

Dos and Don’ts for Making an Impressive Employer Branding

Employer branding can help you to potentially increase the number of quality candidates who are willing to be a part of your organization. With this, you have to prioritize the development of your employer brand. Here are some tips, guidelines, and reminders that can help you make an impressive employer branding in a timely manner:

Do’s

1. Do Identify The Best Employer Branding Strategy to Use

Understand the needs, desires, and wants of your stakeholders. How you are perceived by entities involved in your business operations play an important role when it comes to building your employer brand. Make sure that your approach is objective and fully-driven so you can eliminate the variables that hinder you from achieving your desired employer brand. Investing on the right strategies for employer branding can help you optimize your time, resources, and efforts.

2. Do clarify Your Employer Offerings

Be specific with your employer value proposition. What are the things that you can offer to the professionals who have the potential to be your employees? What can these professionals expect once they are already a part of your business? Clarify your strengths and make sure that these are known by your target audience. In this manner, you can attract people who can add value to your organization.

3. Do Know That An Employer Brand Is Not Always Pursued Actively 

Even if you already have a clear employer value proposition and a list of employer branding strategies, there are still variables that are out of your control. Aside from the continuous maintenance of your employer branding and the improvement of your recruitment processes as a business, the experiences of your employees and the initial impression of applicants towards your business can also contribute to your employer brand. Hence, your approach to employer branding should be multi-dimensional so you can make the most out of what you can do for the organization.

Don’ts

1. Don’t Use Poorly-Made Employer Branding Strategies

It is imperative for you to have an idea about the fundamentals of employer branding. In this manner, you can create a strong foundation for the creation of an employer brand that you can be proud of. Poorly-made strategies can only weaken your intentions. With this, it is important for you to veer away from using strategies that are not of quality whenever you are in the midst of planning your employer branding activities.

2. Don’t Make a Generic Employer Branding 

It is essential for you to have the skills for employer branding. You need to develop unique strategies that are fitted for the needs and expectations of your organization. If you want to craft your employer brand the way you would like to, make sure that you are equipped with the knowledge about employer branding development and employer branding strategy implementation. Relying on samples alone can only result to the creation of generic employer branding which may not always be suitable for your desired employer brand.

3. Don’t Copy Your Competitors Employer Brand 

Employer branding can help you with hiring new employees that are competitive and effective enough to positively contribute to the improvement of the organization. With this, it is important for your employer branding to be original. Just because an employer branding works on one of your competition does not directly mean that it will also do the same for your business. Craft your own employer brand based on the nature of your operations, the quality of your recruitment, and the needs of your own stakeholders.

Presenting an employer brand is not all about attracting the candidates who you would like to hire. Your employer brand should also allow you to officially recruit and potentially retain a high-performing workforce. If you already want to have your own employer branding at this very moment, we suggest for you to begin downloading any of the employer branding templates and samples that we have listed above.