Five Tips for Effective Employer Branding

02/05/2019

Today?s competitive labor market requires organizations to enhance their game and stay as an employer of choice. Competition to hire the best talent is at an all-time high, and companies with an inflexible hiring process and talent-strapped market find it particularly difficult to find and hire the right candidates.

The 2018 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends report, published on the basis of a survey carried out on over 11,000 employers, revealed that about 30-50 per cent of businesses and HR leaders were open to meet the imperative workforce expectations and trends. The importance of building and maintaining a powerful employer branding strategy can?t be overstated when it comes to establishing a higher level of readiness.

Here?s how you can improve your recruiting strategy and come up with a winning brand.1. Know your competitivenessAre you the preferred employer for job seekers? Do candidates scan the job postings of your competitors before they take a look at yours? Do you have a loyal set of employees? Striking the right balance between employer branding and technology is important if you want your organization to be a desirable place to work. A company may have a fun work culture, but aligning the channels to prove your worth over your competitors can make you the preferred employer for today?s talent. Creating engaging job roles, branding your workspace, implementing new human resource (HR) technologies, and showcasing your work culture on social media can fetch you the best talent.2. Stress on culture fitInstead of selecting candidates based on their resumes, hire someone who fits your company?s culture. The skillset can come second. Set up a ?right fit? persona for each job role before beginning the search. Each persona will be different from the other, but at the same time, must highlight the characteristics you are seeking in the employee.
While writing the persona, take a look at your existing employees and find out what makes them heroes in your company. Jot down the must-have culture fits and the not so important ones. An internal survey among employees often serves the purpose. The survey should focus on obtaining details like goals, motivation, frustrations, barriers, and likes and dislikes.3. Use visual storytellingIt?s time to replace wordy job descriptions with visuals. Photos and videos are increasingly being used in job posts to attract candidates. With the internet saturated with content, it has become imperative to leverage the benefits of a digital presence. Visual storytelling establishes an instant connect with candidates. A job can be described quickly and vividly through a video. Current employees can also participate in the video to explain the benefits of working in your company.4. Create a millennial experienceMillennials and gen-Zers are more interested in a transparent and socially responsible company culture that requires communication to be fully engaging. They care about autonomy at work, recognition and rewards, and the opportunity to create a social impact. Candidates want to hear authentic stories about working in your organization. The careers page on your website should highlight the core company values, as well as employee perks and benefits. Use pictures of your staff engaged in outings, community events, and internal activities to help candidates understand what it is like to work for you.5. Consider staffing as a team sportRecruiting a candidate should not only involve the HR manager. Your entire team can be involved in the process. Many companies encourage employees to write honest and anonymous reviews about their working experience. Peer review websites like Glassdoor are a great place for employees to highlight your organization.

Social media plays a similar role in your overall hiring strategy. More than 75 per cent job seekers scan social media for jobs. An active social media presence, with skillfully crafted branding messages, can get suitable candidates to knock on your door.