Get Wise About Work ??

In 2024, we’re celebrating 10 years of Wiser. A decade of learning, growing and navigating the Employer Branding and Early Talent industry. And we’ve got a lot of wisdom to share.

You might be familiar with our WhatsApp broadcast already, so think of this newsletter as its chattier, older sibling. Each month, we’ll be taking you through the latest trends in employer branding, the hottest tips for talent attraction, and changing the way you think about work with our sneak peeks into life at Wiser.

• Why is employer branding so low down on your priorities?
• Is TikTok making everyone hate their jobs?
• How do you create real brand trust with your community??
• Is Katherine Ryan gonna apply for a job at Wiser?!

If any of these topics pique your interest, keep reading...

Sound familiar? Attracting and retaining top talent is on the tip of everyone’s tongue in the world of work, and you’re going to need to get creative if you want to stand out, no matter the size of your business.?

Because let’s face it, free pizza and Friday beers aren’t enough anymore.

It’s not just about the flashy perks and generic tagline, you need to get strategic this year.

That’s where the need for employer branding comes in. It's about crafting a unique and authentic identity that resonates with your business, employees and ideal candidates.

Attracting talent with a weak employer brand message is basically like using a fridge magnet to pull a car. You could be spreading yourself too thin with your messaging, and it’s applying to everyone rather than your specific target audience.

Here’s what it can cost you:

?? Your rate of retention

People know their worth; if you aren’t offering talent anything different, better or more exciting than the business down the road, what’s stopping your people from replying to those shiny LinkedIn InMails promising new opportunities??

?? Your reputation

News travels fast. Bad news travels faster. Word of mouth is the most effective way of spreading insights about your company — the good, the bad and the ugly.

?? Your money

To be profitable you need great people who want to work for your brand. Without that, you have unengaged employees, a lack of productivity and a negative rep within the job market resulting in an increased cost per hire.?

Showcase your values, culture and mission in a way that attracts the kind of people who can see themselves developing and thriving in your business.?

Building a successful employer brand is an ongoing process, rather than a one-time fix. It requires regular development and assessment to ensure it aligns with your evolving company.?

That’s how this newsletter can help: free employer branding highlights to help you spend less time researching trends and more time hopping on them.

You might be reading this thinking “I don’t use TikTok — this is irrelevant to me”, and that’s where you're wrong.

TikTok has become a reliable medium for showcasing company culture and engaging new talent, but over the last year, there’s been a shift in what people on TikTok think about the world of work.

Turns out, the pandemic wasn't just about Zoom quizzes and whipped coffee. It was the birth of the work-from-home era, where people realised that maybe going into the office just wasn’t for them. This led to the anti-work trends and ‘lazy girl jobs’, a viral opinion advocating against all things work.

No clue what we're talking about? Check out the trend here ??

• What's a ‘lazy girl job’?
• The generations working from home
• The stereotypes of Gen-Z at work

Your future hires are clocking on to this trend, and it's changing their expectations of work.

We’re not saying everyone who uses TikTok hates their job, but there's definitely a shift happening in users' perceptions of the world of work vs. what you're offering. To attract and retain early talent, it might be time to re-evaluate the true motivators of your younger demographic.

At Wiser, we’re proud that our content isn’t anti-work, but anti-ordinary. We’ve binned off the water cooler chat and icky email openers, and bring an informal lens into life inside Baker’s Yard.

Platforms are prioritising short-form videos with a genuine, authentic angle. Empowering your people to create User Generated Content (UGC) means you're not just boosting your employer brand — you're fostering a community built on trust and reliability from those who genuinely adore working at your business.

It’s been a busy ol’ month at Wiser as we ramp up for a mega 2024.

The team donned their gladrags for a night at The RAD Awards and left with full hearts and sore throats after cheering our 7 shortlist nominations and screaming for Brand Lead, Meg, who took the stage to announce an award (becoming besties with Katherine Ryan in the process).?

Back at HQ, we welcomed partners Leathwaite and Blank for an exclusive breakfast event with HR and People Leaders across London. We caught up on all things culture, employee engagement and people experience. The croissants were lush and the conversation hit the spot.

Keen to join the next one? You’re in luck! We’re hosting a panel with TalentSpaces next week with speakers from HR and DE&I Teams from Mars, EY and Google Deepmind. Our panellists will discuss the latest tips for inclusive hiring practices and there are still a handful of free tickets left. Don’t miss out!