November 17, 2021 - We’ve all been there. When you’re considering a new job, you research your potential employer and find out what other employees (and past employees) have to say, what reviews they have, and what they’re posting on social media. Whether what you read is true or not, you can quickly gain positive or negative perceptions of an employer that will have an impact on your decision to move forward with the hiring process.
As an employer, how can you ensure you’re not losing potential hires through your online reputation? It’s simple – improve your employer brand.
We’re all familiar with branding, but a lot of organizations miss the mark on employer branding. Employer branding involves marketing your company as a desired place of employment, and it’s essential if you want to recruit high quality talent.
Here are four ways to improve your employer brand:
1. Audit your current employer brand
Before you can improve your employer branding efforts, you need to get a clear picture of where your organization stands with current employees.
Review your organization’s mission and vision statements, core values, and company culture. What makes your organization unique? Are the values of your organization aligned with its business goals?
2. Implement recruitment marketing
Implement and prioritize successful recruitment marketing into your overall communication strategy. High quality photographs, videos, and graphics will make your organization stand out against its competitors.
Recruitment marketing can be overwhelming, so start small. Consider your organization’s current brand and determine what company values your current employees are proud of. Then, implement storytelling to paint a picture of your workplace. Focus on what makes your organization unique.
At drop & hook, we have found success in sharing “day in the life” content that gives potential employees a story about a position instead of a stand-alone job description.
To be successful, it’s important to understand where your potential employees are. Depending on your target audience, you might need to focus on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or even Glassdoor.
Once you begin recruitment marketing, it’s important to review the performance of your content to see what’s connecting with your audience and where potential employees are engaging with you. Meet your audience where they are.
“Currently, several of our clients are facing recruitment challenges due to a competitive job market. Instead of focusing on average salaries or sign on bonuses, we have found success by highlighting company values when they include a work / life balance, family support, tuition reimbursement, and other benefits outside of compensation.”— drop & hook founder, Michelle LeBlanc
3. Include your current employees
Your employees are your brand advocates. Find happy employees with inspiring stories and ask them to share their experiences with you. Consider employees who have advanced their career within your organization and employees who have excelled in their current roles.
Some employees might be intimidated to be under the spotlight, so use your Human Resources and Marketing staff first. Then, you’ll have solid examples to encourage additional employers to share their success stories.
4. Practice what you preach
Regardless of how influential your recruitment marketing is, the key to success is being true to your values. Look inside your organization and evaluate the relationships between employees and leadership.
Working towards a positive and inclusive culture is something that should be actively addressed on a regular basis.
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