Why go in search of quality candidates when you could have them lining up to get a job with you? Hone your employer brand and you'll be flooded with top talent looking to get a foot in your door.
What is the image your company projects as an employer? Are the most talented candidates coming to you, or do they politely avoid your calls? Do you even have an employer brand?
In today’s fiercely-competitive job market, establishing and maintaining a consistent employer brand is a crucial tool for attracting and retaining the right kind of talent.
A compelling employer brand makes it easier to recruit the very best candidates. It also enhances the loyalty of employees.
Your employer brand can be monitored, measured and managed. Here’s how.
1) Get buy-in from the leadership team
The leadership team will need to determine mission, values and desired culture in order to ensure your employer brand sits well with strategy. And as with every major HR initiative, chances of success are far greater when the leadership team supports the program.
2) Figure out where you are and where you want to be
Define a starting point against which to measure progress. Consider quantitative and qualitative research that looks at what attracts and deters people. Include staff, suppliers, people leaving the business and candidates. Ask recent hires whether the promise measured up to the reality. All of this information forms your baseline.
Then decide how you would like to be viewed in the market. This quality should be at the heart of any marketing efforts aimed at attracting candidates, and should also be promoted internally to shape corporate values.
3) Identify the gap between where you are and where you want to be
Sometimes a chasm is identified that some businesses consider too large to cross. But actually the awareness of the chasm is often a positive launching pad. It is something you can work on gradually. You can’t opt out of having an employer brand, you can only opt out of actively managing it.
4) Identify how to bridge gaps
Encourage employees to voice their opinions and play an active role in resolving brand discrepancies. Some changes will be simple and others will become projects in their own right.
5) Take the employer brand to market
Appoint employer brand ambassadors and encourage employees to spread the word through their online and social media profiles. Develop metrics such as cost per hire, fulfillment, satisfaction, honesty, values etc.
Randstad are employer branding experts, conducting comprehensive annual research into what attracts employees to an organisation. Watch this video to find out what is on the minds of Australian employees.