It’s a well-established fact that people are a company’s most invaluable resource. Talent, when identified and harnessed within the right people, is what drives business results, growth and enduring success. With around 75% of global organisations struggling with ongoing talent shortages, attracting and retaining employees has become a critical mission for most business owners.
Having the right employer brand in place can be one of the most powerful tools to do this. It’s important to get your brand right from the start though as an incomplete or misaligned brand might put high-value people off. With a little planning and strategic execution, though, it can become your biggest magnet for top industry talent.
A closer look at employer branding
Let’s unpack what we mean by an employer brand: it’s the image people have of your company that you deliberately and strategically craft. It’s different from a personal brand that showcases your unique values, beliefs, goals, and drivers. It shouldn’t be used as a driver for you and your objectives. Its sole purpose is to serve and benefit your company.
Your employer brand is an extension and representation of your organisation, including its mission statement, core values and unique identifiers and benefits. It’s all of what makes it a unique and positive working environment, presented for everyone to see – especially high-value people looking for their next place of work.
How your employer brand can become your most powerful recruitment asset
So why does an employer brand (when done well) do such incredible heavy lifting for successful talent attraction and retention? Transparency and authenticity play a key role here.
When you present a clear, discernible account of your company’s values, culture, priorities and larger goals, you’re not only showcasing what the working experience is like, you’re demonstrating confidence in its appeal.
Your marketing and representation of your organisation is also your endorsement of it and is key to building trust over time, trust that will make people more willing to approach you with a job application, based on what they’ve seen and read online.
Employer branding and employee satisfaction
Strong employer branding doesn’t just help you win employees, it enables you to keep them long-term. According to research, organisations with a well-maintained employer brand can reduce employee turnover rates by 28%.
At a ground level, this does make sense. When your employer brand resonates with your employees, they buy into the mission, they believe in the cause and they live by the company values.
The brand you craft, emulate and share helps to form a collective identity for everyone in the organisation. A shared identity creates a greater feeling of belonging and helps to forge more meaningful relationships between employees in the workplace. In return, employees are more likely to be engaged, productive and positive while at work.
Craft your brand with care
Remember, your brand will be unique to your organisation and who you’re looking to attract. It may be tempting to copy a company you see online because their brand looks fun, appealing and successful, but what works for them won’t necessarily work for you. You’re also not privy to their success rates and ROI on their employer brand initiatives.
Benchmark your brand’s success according to how well it attracts the right talent in terms of skills, cultural alignment and longevity, not necessarily by how many people engage with it. Victories don’t have to be loud to be successful. Quality over quantity always wins.