The days of big, faceless corporations that loom over the business landscape are fading away as businesses of all sizes today are stepping into the spotlight. And with that sort of visibility a certain level of responsibility to do right by their employees, partners, and customers.
That raises the stakes for businesses—where they used to have to worry about only financial success, they now must also think carefully about workforce development and the impact their business has on the world around them.
That’s where employer branding comes into play, offering businesses a powerful solution that can help them meet these new requirements efficiently.
What is Employer Branding?
Employer branding is more than just a logo or a snappy slogan, it’s the way a business positions itself in the market to attract potential employees and partners. This involves understanding what set of values they should promote, how they want to be seen in terms of external opportunities, and ensuring that those values are properly integrated into the company’s mission and culture.
You can see this in action through presence on job boards and social media, the content that a business puts out, and the way they present themselves to the public.
So Many Brands, So Little Time
With so many companies competing for attention, the stakes today are higher than they’ve ever been for businesses.
Having a strong employer brand is invaluable. That instantaneous connection potential employees feel when they come across your brand is a powerful tool that can help you fill positions with highly qualified and motivated workers.
Brands today are more than just a value proposition. Whether it’s for potential employees or customers, brands are a way to promote values and connect emotionally with people. Employer branding is no different.
By promoting a few key values, businesses can shape how they are seen in the industry, what types of partners they attract, and how candidates perceive them during the hiring process. For instance, by emphasizing their commitment to the environment and sustainability, businesses can attract those that share similar values–increasing the chances of finding a good fit for the team.
That connection and trust that comes from having a strong employer brand can have an immense impact on the success of your business.
We’ll get more into how it all works below.
How Employer Branding Puts Businesses in the Winner’s Circle
Employer branding puts businesses in a better position to reap the rewards of properly managing their workforce and creating value beyond what they offer financially. Branding today focuses on more than just painting a picture of what businesses are about; they also work to create an emotional connection with their target audience—and that includes potential employees.
When you’re chasing growth and success, it’s essential to recognize how important it is to have a team of people that share your goals. That means being on the lookout for potential employees who share the same vision, values, and commitment to quality as you do.
Employer branding offers businesses an effective solution to this problem by connecting with those looking for a job through the values you hold dear.
It’s not just about attracting potential employees and partners; it is about demonstrating the commitment to the company’s goals, values, and mission that will help foster trust and understanding with stakeholders of all kinds.
Leveraging a Strong Brand
Building a robust brand takes a ton of work. It involves research, testing, and a whole lot of sleepless nights fiddling with analytics and other software programs to help you carve out an edge. But if you’ve done all the legwork and now have a brand that stands out from the crowd, you’re in the perfect place to start leveraging it.
Here are the four key benefits you can look forward to with a strong employer brand:
Visibility means credibility
We all know that when it comes to business, visibility means credibility—not just in the eyes of potential employees, but also potential investors and customers. A strong brand can position your business as an industry leader, setting you apart from the competition and giving you a competitive edge in terms of recruitment.
The more your brand is seen, the more likely it is that people will see and remember you. Customers and employees alike will recognize your brand as being trustworthy, reliable, and transparent.
Attracting the best talent
When you have a strong employer brand in place, it helps to attract top talent who are looking for companies that offer more than just financial rewards. With platforms such as Glassdoor and other review websites, potential job seekers can quickly get to know a business before they even reach out.
The right employer brand can help to set you apart from your competitors, making it easier for you to entice top talent even before they’ve applied. And once they do apply, they’ll come into the process feeling secure that their decision is the right one.
Retaining your best people
Hiring all the right people is just the start of the process, though. The real work comes in keeping them around. When employees leave, it can mean a huge loss of knowledge and experience, as well as significant disruption to your workflow.
That’s why having the right employer brand in place is so important; it helps to create a sense of loyalty and commitment in employees, making them feel like they are valued and appreciated, which leads to higher job satisfaction and engagement levels.
When employees believe they are part of something bigger and more meaningful, you can bet that they’ll be more likely to stick around.
Increased productivity
A strong employer brand serves as something for employees to rally around and stay motivated. It gives them something to work towards and helps to keep everyone focused on the same goal. When employees feel that their work has purpose and meaning, they are more likely to be productive and engaged in their roles, which can lead to increased efficiency and better results for the business overall.
Employer branding gives you everything your business needs: visibility, talent attraction and retention, and a motivated workforce. And when you have all of those elements in place, customer success is much easier to achieve.
Whether you’re a startup or a long-established business, building and leveraging a strong employer brand should be part of your overall strategy for achieving success. When done right, it will not only improve your workforce development efforts but also help to keep your business competitive for much longer.
So if you want to build a strong, successful business, start by building your brand. Your future success depends on it!
