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When most people think about branding, we imagine advertising, marketing, that sort of thing. And while these are all bang-on examples, branding is so much more than that. Branding is the sum total of your brand image, your culture, and your public-facing persona. Your brand is about what you do, so it means just as much to talent acquisition as it does to sales.
What Is Employer Branding?
When you brand yourself as an employer, you’re cultivating the outward identity of your organization. You want your business to have a good reputation, to be known for your positive work environment, strong ethics, values, and a firm dedication to the wellbeing of your employees. You want prospective employees to see your business as a place with a great culture, and someplace they’ll want to work.
When it comes to talent acquisition, it’s about attracting, engaging, and retaining a strong team. Employer branding aims to shape the perception of your company culture, setting it apart and proving its appeal, so you can attract high-performing employees that will be proud to work there.
The Payoff
Exceptional employer branding produces outstanding results. When you have a strong team that’s dedicated to the greater mission, you’ll enjoy a positive working atmosphere, optimal team productivity, and excellent employee retention.
When done right, employer branding contributes significantly to the growth and success of your business. It reduces your recruiting costs and drives value to the bottom line, meaning you won’t have to work as hard to attract the people you most want to hire.
The bottom line is, brand awareness leads to better applicants, and subsequently, better hires. Positions will be filled quickly, helping to maintain workplace productivity, and you will retain employees longer, laying the groundwork for innovation and growth.
Strong Culture, Happy Team
If your culture is strong and thriving, your success radiates from within and draws more strength to it. It’s the law of attraction!
However, if your company is known for dissatisfied employees and high turnover, it could affect your ability to hire and retain strong candidates. Potential employees want to know that they’re making the right decision when they sign on to work with you. They want to feel that they’re teaming up with a business that will value their input and that what they bring to the table really matters.
A positive work culture strengthens the unity and performance of your team. If your company has a strong employer brand, it will give prospective employees confidence that there is a future for them there. Happy employees take pride in working for an organization that is aligned with their beliefs and values and will go the extra mile to contribute to the greater good.
Employer Branding and Coronavirus
For employers to survive the ravages of the pandemic, brand messaging needs to remain consistent and engaged with current events. It might be tempting to let certain things fall by the wayside during this time, especially if you’re closed.
Considering the widespread threat to public safety, it’s even more important to reaffirm your brand integrity. You need to make sure the public knows what you are doing to keep your customers and employees safe. If your messaging is empathetic, strong, and on point, people will remember how you stepped up.
Ask yourself: How does the rest of the world see you? How do you want to be seen? Lead by example, and good things will follow.
To learn more about what you can do to improve your employer branding, reach out today.
