Why you should care about your Employer Brand

What is Employer Brand? Fundamentally, it is your reputation as an employer. The perception people have of what it’s like to work for you. And whether you’ve done anything to build an employer brand you already have one, nonetheless. It may be distinctively great, boringly bland, or desperately bad. It lives in the minds of the folks who work for you, and those who don’t. And it’s out there for anyone to find. You can’t own it and you can’t control it. But you can influence it.

LinkedIn, Facebook, rating and review sites, and Google have precipitated the shift in the balance of power from favouring employers to favouring candidates. All the information about open positions, company culture, compensation, strengths, and benefits are a few clicks away. Surveys done by Glassdoor, TalentNow and others suggest that at least three out of four job seekers say that the reputation of a company as an employer is important or very important when deciding to apply for a job. Current employees are regarded as the most credible source of information about a company’s brand. The company’s website and employer review sites are neck-and-neck in the race for second place.

"But veterinary employers still appear stuck in the era of reactive recruitment marketing and advertising..."

But veterinary employers still appear stuck in the era of reactive recruitment marketing and advertising when the world is embracing a more proactive strategic approach. In fact, 72%?of recruiting leaders who responded to a worldwide survey agreed that employer brand has a significant impact on hiring. A positive employer brand makes it easier to recruit the right talent. Data suggest it gets you twice as many applicants, in half the time, at half the cost when compared to companies that don’t have a strong brand. And attracting and hiring the right candidates can reduce employee churn by up to a third. Yet, if conference programmes and articles in the literature is anything to go by, the profession is still focused and consumer brand and reactive recruiting and conflict resolution. I would argue that most veterinary employers pay lip service to the idea that people are their most valuable assets.?

"To be successful, employers need to give candidates all the information they want, and a reason to apply."

Why for example, are we still debating whether a salary range should be communicated in a job ad? The comments on a LinkedIn post to debate this very issue makes for interesting reading. I agree salary is not the most important factor when candidates are deciding to apply. But transparency is. It speaks to your reputation as an employer. You’re not only competing with the practice owner down the road who is also desperately recruiting, but also with inaction. Candidates agree that the number one obstacle they face when searching for a job is not knowing what it’s really like to work there. To be successful, employers need to give candidates all the information they want, and a reason to apply.

A strong employer brand is a necessity, not a nice-to-have. It answers the question on every job seeker's mind: “why should I work for you?” The corporates and consolidators in the veterinary space have realised that investing in a positive employer brand can have a significant impact on a candidate’s decision whether to engage with them or not. If you’re an independent veterinary practice owner, you have a choice to make.?Do you want to shape your employer brand, or are you happy for candidates to make up their own minds about what it’s like working for you, and apply elsewhere?