5 Ways to Protect Your Employer Brand
Companies often pay close attention to branding, designing marketing campaigns and a web presence that's consistent across channels. Yet 45% don’t have an employer branding strategy in place, according to LinkedIn.
Your employer brand is what candidates think of your company as a potential employer. It also includes the way current employees would answer the question, “What’s it like to work there?” A good employer branding strategy can also reduce turnover and cost-per-hire and increase the number of qualified candidates in your talent pool so you can hire faster. In a skills-gap economy, this is vital.
Protect your employer brand by taking these steps towards becoming a workplace of choice in your industry.
1. Know Where You Stand
First, determine the current state of your employer brand. Even if you don’t have a strategy in place, candidates and employees have an opinion on your company. Check the traffic to your career website and the amount of applications you receive. If the numbers are strong, your employer brand is likely good. Also read reviews on employer ratings sites like Glassdoor and Owler. You can't please everyone and every company will have negative comments, but you also want to correct any valid issues that may exist within your organization going forward.
2. Improve Your Marketing
Marketing has an important place in recruiting. The top three channels for sharing your employer brand are your company website, online professional networks and social media, according to LinkedIn. Create campaigns that share information about what it’s like to work at your organization and excite potential candidates. Provide a variety of content types, such as videos, photos, posts and employee testimonials. And share company news and awards, as well as your community involvement. Paint a picture for candidates that will pique their interest in your organization.
3. Focus on the Candidate Experience
The next step is to review your hiring process. How are you treating applicants? Candidates expect to communicate with hiring managers throughout the application and interview process, but just 26% of companies do, according to CareerBuilder. That means nearly three-quarters of people are left to wonder if their application was even received at all. Keep candidates updated with emails or phone calls. In this case, no news is not exactly good news.
At Johnson & Johnson, we try to enhance the candidate experience with Shine, a platform designed to take the frustration out of applying. Candidates can use Shine to check on the progress of their application and seek real-time support.
4. Pay Attention to On-boarding
A good employer brand includes a good on-boarding process for new hires. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for at least three years if they have a great on-boarding experience. Those first days are critical to getting employees engaged and excited about their roles and their teams. Concentrate on connection, culture and career development.
5. Engage Your Front Line
Your best employer brand advocates are your current employees. Make sure you’re they're engaged and happy. Initiate formal programs, such as employee recognition or wellness initiatives, that make employees feel valued. And don't overlook ongoing training for managers, as about half of those surveyed by Gallup have left jobs in the past because of their manager. Unfortunately, 93% of managers feel they need more training to better coach employees, according to Globoforce.
Doing what you can to make your work culture a positive and inspiring one is a winning strategy. Employees that are treated well will, in turn, treat your employer brand and your customers well, too.
An Employer Brand Is Your Road map for the Future
Protecting your employer brand also protects your company’s bottom line. According to LinkedIn, a good employer brand can reduce turnover rates by 28% and cut your cost-per-hire by 50%. A good employer brand also makes your job as a recruiter easier. Three-quarters of job seeker consider an employer’s brand before even applying, and more than half refer to your website as well as social media to learn more.
Lay a solid foundation by crafting an employer branding strategy that’s consistent with your corporate brand. When you have a strong definition of your employer brand that aligns with your company's values and culture it becomes a guide for hiring employees who fit your objectives and strengthen your team.