When it comes to recruiting and hiring, you want to attract top talent and your employer brand has a major influence in that task. Understanding this concept and how to shape it will help you bring in better candidates while strengthening your organization’s identity as well. So, what is an employer brand and what are your steps to shaping it?
What is Your Employer Brand?
Your employer brand is the overall perception of your organization in the market. When job seekers find your open positions, they will no doubt research your company. Thanks to the web and sites such as Indeed.com and Glassdoor.com, candidates now have the opportunity to leave and read employer reviews.
Other research sources include your organization’s social media pages and website. Current and past employees leave reviews, as well as past candidates. Media, word of mouth, and employee advocacy are major influencers as well. Candidates will use these sources to develop and overall opinion of your brand.
How Do You Shape Your Employer Brand?
To create a positive employer brand and stand out from your competitors, you need to evaluate your organization from the inside out.
Begin by defining your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). Gartner defines EVP as, “how the labor market and employees perceive the value employees gain by working in an organization.” EVP is the unique benefits your organization offers candidates. What sets you apart? Define this and you are one step closer to a stronger employer brand.
The candidate experience is another area that cannot be overlooked. Over 70% of job seekers who report having a negative candidate experience shared their experience online on an online employer review site. Review your application process for complexity and length, both factors that may cause good candidates to abandon the process. Also, follow up after they’ve applied to keep candidates aware of their place in the process. Also, to first attract job seekers to even begin applying, make sure your job descriptions are clear, succinct, and promote your EVP.
While you are reviewing your candidate experience, review your organization online. Read reviews on career sites and social media pages. Optimize your profiles to accurately reflect your EVP, mission, and brand.
Check your job listings on your smart phone as well. The use of mobile search is increasing drastically and over 90% of smartphone job-seekers have browsed jobs on their smartphones. If your application site is not mobile-friendly, you will lose candidates.
Next, collect internal perceptions of your organization through current employees. Surveying your employees regarding their experience with your organization will help you understand your strong and weak points. Your employees can be your strongest advocates. Take time to listen to their views and work on your organization’s perception from the inside out.
Team up with professionals to help strengthen your employer brand. Charles Foster has 50 years of experience recruiting quality candidates and finding the right one for businesses. As your advocates, we are a major influence for potential applicants. We also expertly match candidates to fit your organization and job opening, saving you time!