How to build an Employer Branding strategy?

Creating a comprehensive strategy, for anything really, involves several key steps: define objectives, identify key stakeholders, research, plan, implement, monitor, evaluate, adapt, and iterate.

Establishing a strong internal brand is crucial before communicating externally, as it ensures that all employees are aligned with the company's values and vision. An internal consensus that you're a great company to work at, guarantees consistency across all external communications, enhancing the brand's credibility and reliability in the eyes of future employees and partners. Moreover, employees who deeply understand and embody the internal brand become powerful ambassadors, organically promoting the company through their professional and personal networks. Plus a well-established internal brand forms the foundation of a resilient organizational culture, making external branding efforts way more impactful and sustainable over time.

Over the last five years, our team has collaborated with several of the industry's leading employers. Here, we'll outline our approach to developing an external communication strategy that effectively showcases their employer brand.

Note: This requires a coordinated effort across multiple departments, including HR, marketing, and communications, to ensure uniformity and effectiveness.

Audience & recruitment focus

It's needless to say (we hope) that you have to tailor your external communications to attract not just any talent, but the right talent. Best case scenario: you'll use data-driven insights from the HR and recruitment teams to identify roles and skills that are in high demand. An even better approach is to further segment your target audience based on these roles and skills, focusing on where potential candidates for these positions are likely to engage. One step further will be to develop personas for ideal candidates and this might be critical if you want to tailor your messaging and choose the right channel strategy more effectively.

Message development

We try to craft messages that not only highlight the EVP's of organizations but also address the aspirations and concerns of potential candidates, directly linking to the position. We believe that honesty with humor works miracles.

It's great to incorporate real employee testimonials (videos and static images) and include success stories that demonstrate a career progression. Create clear calls-to-action (CTAs) within your copy that will guide potential candidates on how to apply.

Strategic channel mix for recruitment

Think about what existing professionals at your organization are doing. On which social media channels are they active? Leverage those channels not to only raise awareness but also to facilitate the application process.

Optimize your company’s career page or create a separate landing page to reflect your employer brand. Here are a few examples of what we've done for partners:

pontica.nploy.net | flix.nploy.net | geowealth.npoy.net | nploy.net/resolutesoftware

Ensure that the page is easily navigable, mobile-friendly, and optimized for search engines (if indexed). Utilize all relevant social media channels organically but also be aware that LinkedIn and META are business and sponsored posts and paid ads are way more visible than just a post. Engage in recruitment platforms where your desired talent is exploring opportunities (LinkedIn, nPloy, etc). =

Recruitment + marketing = BFFs

Make sure that all external communication is seamlessly integrated with the recruitment process to provide your team with a candidate pipeline that's easily accessible.

Don't forget to align messaging across recruitment communications, from job postings to interview processes. Discuss the key elements of the employer brand with recruiters and hiring managers so they can communicate this effectively to candidates. Use feedback from candidates and new hires to continuously refine the messaging.

Events, Events, Location

Create an event calendar event that your target audience will most likely attend. Build your employer brand within the community and industry to attract talent and showcase your company. Participate in or host industry conferences, meetups, and workshops, offering speaking opportunities to your existing employees.

Creative campaigns

Everyone is doing the best they can at being creative and not everyone succeeds. Hey, we have more than a few hit-and-misses with our own campaigns (to be shared at a later stage). It's difficult to stand out in the crowded job market with creative campaigns that capture the attention of potential candidates.

How to incorporate design thinking

An option is to apply design thinking methodology to continuously evolve your creative strategy:

• Brainstorming sessions: Plan regular brainstorming sessions with cross-functional teams to generate fresh ideas for content and campaigns.
• SCAMPER technique: You can also apply the SCAMPER technique (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another use, Eliminate, Reverse) to existing employer branding efforts to innovate and improve.
• Mind mapping: OR you can use mind mapping to visually brainstorm and link ideas related to employer branding and recruitment, encouraging nonlinear thinking.

If it's time-consuming or too difficult to put all of this together, there are plenty of creative and recruitment agencies that can help you out, OR you can call us and it'll be a part of your subscription access. We couldn't last this long without a short commercial break, sorry.

Imagine, if you will, employer branding as your company’s attempt at online dating. You're there, on the internet, trying to woo potential employees with the corporate equivalent of a sultry gaze and promises of long walks on the beach... or, in this case, long meetings about synergy, strategy, and circling back... You should paint a picture so enticing that candidates start dreaming of their new desk as their new paradise, where the coffee flows like wine and the Wi-Fi never slows down.