What plays a huge role in effective recruitment? Employer branding!

Unfortunately, many HR professionals and recruiters seem to neglect the importance of employer branding throughout the hiring process.  

Did you know that 69% of job seekers admit they would reject an offer from a company with a bad employer brand? Even if they were unemployed.  

Candidates demand transparency from their potential employers. They prefer to research everything about the company before they send in their applications.

However, if you don't understand the needs of potential candidates, you miss out on the quality candidates your team needs and do not make yourself an attractive candidate as a potential employer.

If you’re fishing for top talent, consider employer branding to be your bait. Having solid and positive employer branding can effortlessly attract, engage, and retain top talent.  

What is employer branding?

Employer branding positions your company as an employer of choice to find, approach, and attract a pool of potential candidates.

From the first message to candidates to the exit interviews of your employees, it is important how you present your company as an attractive place to work.

Not only does employer branding help in hiring the right talents, but it also helps retain existing employees.

Creating an authentic and positive employer brand takes a lot of work, but it pays off to have far-reaching effects on a business.  

5 Reasons employer branding is important

1. Attract more qualified candidates  

The better your employer brand, the better chance you will have of qualified candidates who are suitable for your company.  

When you build a strong employer brand, you help your company build a better reputation as a place to work.

Thereby, you attract more qualified candidates to fill your vacancies.

Instead of wasting time promoting and reaching out to people, you can sit back and let the application pour in on its own.

2. Significantly reduce costs  

When you have a strong employer brand and reputation, it will cost you a lot less time and money to fill an open position.

How exactly can your employer brand help you financially?  

First, spend less money advertising open positions on multiple career sites. These job ads can be quite expensive and do not always attract the best candidates.

Second, a positive employer brand helps retain your employees. Low staff turnover means you spend less money and time looking for new hires. They are loyal to you and will want to work for the company for as long as possible.

3. Improve the company’s reputation online  

Reputation is everything, especially in this digital age. Potential candidates, employees, and your customers constantly visit your website and keep an eye on your social media platforms.

When applying, candidates gain a better understanding of your company culture and formulate a clearer picture of your brand identity.

If you have a branded career page, your candidates can see the employee testimonials, perks and benefits, and the company culture through videos and pictures.  

Consequently, your candidates are more excited about joining your company through your gripping brand story.

4. It creates a memorable employee experience  

HR professionals and recruiters strive to use the best tools to create an exceptional candidate experience to lure in top talents easily.  

Your employer brand and career page are your first chance to delight your candidates.    

They strongly care about the vision that your company holds and the environment it provides.  

Therefore, having a strong employer brand can impact candidates’ decisions and experience throughout the recruitment process.    

5. Increase loyalty with existing employees

If your company possesses a positive culture, your employees are more motivated by a company that values and cares for them.

Leverage your employees as brand advocates and have them share on social media all the great things your company is doing.  

The more positive your employer brand is, the more genuine your employees share their work experience and appreciation online.

As a result, you can attract more top candidates who want to work for a trustworthy company like yours.  

What makes a good employer brand?

Employer branding is an incredibly effective way to manage potential candidates’ opinion of your company – and thus, their likelihood to want to work with you!

• Clear communication of the company’s value. Apart from the paycheck, employees want to feel their work has meaning. 73% of workers wouldn’t apply for a position if the company’s values don’t align with theirs. So, be transparent about your visions and principles. Communicating these values to prospective employees will hold the company more accountable in the future.  
• Honesty and consistency. The worst thing a company can do is lie about employer branding. Reinforce the employer brand internally to ensure the company image presented aligns with reality. If you don’t, not only will the company lose respect and credibility, the employees may feel betrayed or even quit.  
• Highlight the company’s perks. As much as salary matters, employees also want to know that their company invests in its people. Offers such as healthcare, retirement benefits, a healthy work-life balance, profit sharing, career development opportunities, and other perks are more attractive.  

Refine the hiring process with employer branding

Employer branding is not only about how people see you, it also tells what they decide about you.  

Therefore, establishing a solid employer brand is the foundation of effective employer branding and recruitment marketing.  

It takes a lot of time and effort to build a brand that speaks for your company. You will get the recognition your company deserves and grow your brand awareness like never before.

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