Need to step up your employer branding game?

Hack [hak]: a strategy or technique adopted in order to manage one’s time and activities in a more efficient way, derived from solving a computer hardware or program limitation.

The above definition perfectly encapsulates what I'm sharing here - minus the computer hardware part.

By “hack” we mean a creative shortcut, an innovative tactic that allows you to tackle a problem in a novel way. Hacks allow you to generate impact without maxing out your recruiting budget or overhauling your entire interview process. Oh, and there’s a certain secret sauce associated with hacks. Not everyone is using them, because not everyone knows they exist.

1. Hire a photographer to capture team photos

We know, we’re all photographers these days. Still, we promise that hiring a professional to take headshots and team photos for one day will pay off. You’ll be able to proudly use these photos in all your employer branding efforts - whether on your website, in blog posts, or even conference presentations. And you’ll help your employees put their best foot forward on LinkedIn and other social platforms where future hires are checking them out.

 2. Customize your careers page with employee spotlights

Candidates want to hear from current employees. Why did those team members join? What does their role entail, and why is it fulfilling? Use the pictures from the professional photoshoot above to portray employees in their work environment. With Lever, seamlessly build a custom page that reflects your brand and encourages candidates to apply.

3. Create a company hashtag for employees to use in social posts

If you don’t have an employee nickname, poll your team to create one. Start plastering it everywhere in your office - with hashtag included - to ingrain it in employees’ minds. Whenever you see employees post on social media with other employees, reach out to ask them to use the hashtag. ( In IBM IBMer's & In ABB - ABBan's)

4. Post on your employee blog biweekly

Start by creating a blog series that periodically spotlights a different employee. Use a simple Q&A format - with questions like “What’s your favourite [company] memory?” and “How would you characterize your team?” - and feature a high definition photo of the employee in the post. Don’t forget - candidates want the inside scoop.

5. Spend 30 minutes each week responding to company reviews on Social Media

You can sign up for a free employer account on Social Media. Once you do, block off time on your calendar each week to respond to both the positive and negative reviews. Express gratitude for glowing write-ups, and reply with concern to those that are less than stellar. The bottom line: 30 minutes will go a long way toward conveying your brand’s humility and humanness.

6. Analyze company reviews to learn which cultural pillars to highlight

If you haven’t yet fully defined your employee value proposition, Social reviews can be a great source of insight. Analyse your reviews to find 5-10 common qualities that your reviewers find special about your team, and have your employees select which ones resonate most. Then, make those the values you spotlight.

7.Roll out a “LinkedIn Profile Revamp” campaign

Host a company-wide meeting at which you ask employees to add three elements to their LinkedIn profile:

1. The impact of their role

2. What they think is special about your team

3. Their favourite activities outside of work

whether that’s concerts or chess. Recruit marketing team members to walk around and help employees craft stories.

To make those job postings way more effective...

8. Create an ‘impact description’, not a ‘job description’

Top candidates don’t just want a job that pays the bills - they crave impact. When you post opportunities, describe what candidates will accomplish in their first month, three months, six months on your team. This will save time later in the interview process - candidates will have a more concrete, inspiring sense of what’s expected of them, and hiring managers will have thought ahead to how they can successfully on-board new hires.

9. A/B test your job postings

We can drove a 15 percent increase in the number of inbound applicants by A/B testing job posting titles and descriptions. With unlimited job postings in job sites, you can write two versions of your impact description, see which delivers the most quality candidates, and stick with the most effective.

10. Identify and remove bias from your job postings

Detect and eliminate phrases that might deter women or underrepresented minorities from reading further - terms such as “coding ninja” or “closer”, to widen your pool of interested candidates.

11. Run your jobs postings through “user testing” with employees.

If you don’t want to invest in a tool, leverage the insights of your co-workers. Arrange a meeting with a diverse set of employees, read your job postings out loud, and ask them to react aloud to words they do and don’t like.

12. Ask candidates “How did you hear about us?”

Candidates don’t hear about a role or company from just one source. Add a custom application question to all job postings: “How did you hear about us?”, with multi-select checkboxes for our common buckets (referrals, job sites, publications, etc). This supplements the candidate’s origin and source data to shed light on what attracts them.

13. Schedule quarterly Employee Value Proposition “health checks”

Your talent brand breathes, grows and evolves over time, whether you like it or not. Plan for change by scheduling regular EVP “health checks” with a few key individuals each quarter. Identifying the characteristics of your org helps you be proactive about making changes to your org, rather than reacting to them.

14. Treat your brand like you treat your favourite family pet

Take your brand out for a walk - go to events, have your engineers on the floor. Or, even better, ask them to give a talk! Introduce people in your community to your brand - host meetups and networking events, and engage with people on social media. Feed your brand - crowdsource information to fuel your brand with hashtag contests, calls for information, and employee spotlights.

15. Co-locate your teams and managers

To build a great employer brand, think globally and be inclusive. If we push for global mind sets and information sharing by co-located teams and managers - for example, Employer Branding Program Manager sits in one office and reports to our Talent Operations leader in another location. We also emphasize being mindful of other languages and cultures. We partner with our Inclusion Practice Leaders and local media lines to ensure our communications initiatives send the intended message.

16. Leverage your internal experts for Talent Branding

You probably have subject matter experts inside your company that run programs you can use in Talent Branding, even if you don’t know it. For example, if you’re planning an advertising campaign, talk to your Marketing or Demand Generation teams. They bring best practices and can provide company-specific insights you won’t find elsewhere. A great talent brand aligns to your product brand, and this can be only be achieved through collaboration.

What other steps would you add to this list? I’d be interested in hearing your thoughts in the comments below.

Please leave your comment below as your insights are greatly appreciated and a learning opportunity for everyone reading this article.