Branding… everything?
Branding… everything? Branding… everything? Branding… everything?
Branding is ubiquitous in our modern, hyper-connected world. We all know the world-famous brands gracing our supermarket aisles, bright and inviting. To the consumer, they represent the range of various beneficial attributes of products or services. They inspire trust. They inspire loyalty. They play stand-in for reliability and quality and inspire (re-)purchase.
The positive effects of branding have not gotten lost on people – in fact, they have been quick to adopt personal branding for themselves.
Next were businesses – except that this time, the branding did not limit itself, the branding did not stop at their products and services.
Onto Employer Branding… so how do I create a brand for my business?
Onto Employer Branding… so how do I create a brand for my business?
Times have changed. In 2021, recruiting new talent for your firm no longer is immune from branding efforts. A much-cited study by LinkedIn quotes that a whopping 83% of companies agree that a businesses’ employer brand has a significant impact on the talent a company can recruit. It’s a reality of life, and no, you cannot avoid it… or well, you can, but that’s at your own risk. I wouldn’t want to leave you to it, especially if you have no resources at hand, and so here is a list of the first steps to take when developing an employer brand strategy.
Step 1. Find you employer value proposition (EVP)
What does your organisation do particularly well in terms of its employer status? Where does it comparatively rank to your competition? Ask yourself and others (your employees, for instance) what they value and pin it down and frame it. It is something that should reinforce every single decision made thereafter. If you find that there is a discrepancy between what you and your employees think you do well, work on closing that gap. This is an opportunity for growth.
Step 2. Set measurable goals for your employer branding
The more you are specific with your goals, the better you can polish your employer brand up and make sure they are met. Goals could be:
- An increase in job applicant numbers
- Improved candidate quality
- To build awareness of your employer status
- To increase reputation of your brand etc.
Step 3. Get creative and build your candidate persona
Having well-defined candidate personas can help you tailor your messaging and choose what to focus on in terms of your employer value and communicate that. In order to create these personas, it is important you think of the characteristics that you are looking for in the hire of your dreams.
Step 4. Give serious (incl. video) visual branding a go
Visual, and particularly motion imagery (most commonly known as video) is all the rage these days, and employer branding is no exception. The consistent use of appealing materials and videos of employees reflecting the positive attributes that you are trying to spread out, are highly engaging.
Step 5. Ensure consistency across all channels
Make sure that all the language, tone and visuals fall within the same group. Consistency is key – and that includes job board advertisements, general career platforms and of course all the different social media, with a focus on Instagram and Facebook.
With these introductory tips, you are close to creating the employer brand you wish for. Let us know if you have more questions or tips.
