Are you selling your employer brand short - Viewpoint - careers advice Viewpoint careers advice blog

Are you selling your employer brand short - Viewpoint - careers advice As an employer, it should come as no surprise that as soon as a candidate has an interview scheduled with you, they will automatically do three things: 1. Visit your website 2. Scour the employee reviews on sites such as Glassdoor and 3. Ask their recruiter and contacts what you are like to work for. Now (and be honest here), as a result of doing these three things, do you think their interest in the opportunity grows, or dwindles? The answer boils down to the strength of your employer brand. Your employer brand should accurately depict the elements which make you a “great place to work”. I’m not just talking about the fact you have a slide in your office, or that you offer free gym membership although material perks can and should be promoted. I’m talking about highlighting the more commonly forgotten elements of employer branding; from the way you attract, engage and retain talent, to the culture and values which underpin the personality of your company. A strong and well communicated employer brand, one which is tailored to your target audience and promoted via the online platforms and mediums that this demographic engage with, will make candidates feel excited about their imminent interview. A weak employer brand however, will cause them to disengage, and most likely take a more attractive offer from a competing employer. With this in mind, how could you be damaging your employer brand without you even realising? Your talent management strategy is unclear (or non-existent) Over the years, you have proudly watched the people you’ve hired grow as professionals and rise through the ranks, and you have every faith that your company is a great place to progress your career. But would this be apparent to an external jobseeker? If not, this may be the first area where your employer brand falls short. Let’s get the basics out of the way first. When both briefing your recruiter and writing the job description, many organisations omit key information about the opportunities for both learning â€" be it via training courses and mentoring schemes, and career progression perhaps via increments in responsibility and promotion plans. Don’t make this simple mistake. Beyond the recruiter briefing and job description, you could also add this key information, as well as case studies from existing employees to your website and on social media. For instance, at Hays, we have run campaigns such as #MyHaysStory, where our employees share their journey within the company. Another strong example could include Heineken, who put together “Go Places” a video advert featuring real employees discussing both the scope for career progression and international travel within the company. Further to this, you should encourage employees to share their successes on LinkedIn, whether it’s undertaking some professional training, or getting a promotion. They could also write about their positive experiences on review sites such as Glassdoor. In short, if you know first-hand that your organisation has a strong talent management strategy, one which aims to progress the career of anyone who is willing to put the work in, then you need to be shouting this from the rooftops. Your company culture is nebulous Next, you know the personality of your company, and the factors which make for a positive working environment. But if you don’t share with outsiders what it’s like to work for you, how else will jobseekers get a clear idea of your company culture, more importantly, how well their personality would fit with this picture? Which elements define the culture of your organisation? Start with the values which are led from the top, such as being innovative, open minded and inclusive. Now think about the types of personalities within your company; are they diverse, sociable, outgoing, team orientated, ambitious? And how would you describe the office environment â€" relaxed, buzzing, open plan, quiet? Throughout every stage of the hiring process, you need to channel this culture; from the wording and tone of voice in the job description, to the posts on social media pages. For example, on LinkedIn’s careers website, they share footage of existing employees interacting with one another, as well as photos of them socialising or celebrating certain milestones. How could you help your audience get a feel for day to day life at your company? What’s your wider purpose? It’s not enough for employees to just turn up to work with a clearly defined remit and adequate rewards and benefits (although this is, of course, important). Employees want to feel a sense of purpose and belonging to the company they work for. Their role needs to be connected to a wider cause within the business, your industry or society. Take KPMG, for instance. The firm surveyed their workforce a few years ago, and found that employees needed to feel more engaged and connected to their jobs. Therefore they launched their “Higher Purpose” initiative, which included a “We Shape History!” video. This video communicated KPMG’s story so far, their visions for the future, and existing employees sharing examples of their purpose driven work. Why does your company exist? Who does it serve? What are the bigger picture visions and goals? When hiring, do you put the job into context in terms of how it fits in with the bigger picture? Or do you just list the role and responsibilities? If so, then you could be selling your employer brand short. Your leaders aren’t spearheading your employer brand Your business leaders should be figureheads for your employer brand, communicating its values both in person â€" for instance when speaking at industry events, as well as online, for example, via a consistent social media presence. Encourage your business leaders to engage potential employees by providing their insights and advice via blog posts, podcasts, and social media updates. In doing this, they are likely to gain trust and credibility among this audience. In fact, four out of five employees  believe that CEOs who engage on social media are better equipped to lead companies in the modern world. This “brand ambassador” mentality should trickle down to the more junior employees within your organisation, with their professional conduct aligning to your employer brand at all times; from when they represent your company at networking events, meetings and so forth, to when they engage on professional social networks such as LinkedIn. Follow my advice, and you should soon see the results in the form of excitable and eager interview candidates itching for the chance to work for your organisation. At present, you may have the makings of a strong employer brand; progression opportunities, a great culture, inspirational leaders, and a wider vision and purpose but you also need to shout about these attributes just a bit louder if you want the best talent to know what a fabulous employer you are! Want to attract the best talent? Our talent attraction tips and advice will help you attract the right people for your business How can you compete for the best contractors? 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