Your company has a reputation. To your customers, of course, but also to your employees and especially your candidates. This reputation is formulated based on your products or services, your leadership, your customer service and much more. 

Going beyond that reputation, there is a perception of your business for these stakeholders. Put simply, this is based on how you make them feel. Since we’re all consumers here (unless you are an extreme minimalist!), we know the feeling of emotional connection that comes with certain brands. Maybe you are first in line to get the new iPhone, and you fall over yourself for every new innovation out of Cupertino. Or maybe you can’t go a day without your cup of Starbucks and a friendly greeting from your favorite barista (although that may be more due to caffeine addiction, we’ll give some credit to the brand on this one too).

Combined, that reputation and perception can also be referred to as your brand. And when it comes to your recruiting, we like to laser in more specifically on your employer brand.  Using the descriptions above then, your employer brand encompasses employee and talent perceptions about your product/service (aka your JOBS and opportunities), your customer service (aka HR and candidate experience), and then into how you make them feel. That could mean how leadership responds to feedback (or delivers it) for internal employees. Or it could come back to candidate experience and how you made them feel. 

See where I’m going with this? And see why it’s so important? 

A strong employer brand is critical to attract (and keep) talent, particularly in today’s competitive market. A negative or even neutral employer brand can do the opposite -- repelling talent from your organization and opportunities. 

To ensure you’re building or nurturing a strong employer brand, keep these core fundamentals in mind:

Know why you’re great.

If you don’t know why employees or candidates choose you in the first place, it can be especially difficult to leverage your employer brand. This might even seem like a no-brainer to you -- Of course, we know why our employees and candidates choose us -- until you’re asked. A lot of shrugs and crickets chirping is common. 

And that’s okay, really. You’re not alone there. But, it’s important to identify what differentiates you from the competition. Be aware -- what actually sets you apart may be different than what you think sets you apart. 

To get to the heart of this, consider anonymously surveying your employees asking for feedback on what they love about you (or what made them consider working for you in the first place). Just be sure to respect anonymity and be forthright about why you’re asking.

Once you’ve gotten to the heart of what makes you different, refine the message until it’s short and sweet. Your core message should be easy to read, understand and retain. Candidates should see your differentiator(s) and have an instant understanding of who you are at your core. 

Be consistent in your messaging.

Once you’ve gotten to the heart of your differentiators, it’s time to leverage them in your recruitment marketing. Across the board, your messaging should be consistent (although depending on the platform, you may need to tweak the exact language or length as needed). 

In many instances, the first step isn’t adding new messaging, but removing outdated messaging, especially from your website and social channels. It could also mean updating your company profile on job boards, Glassdoor, and other sites. Replace the old messaging with new, short and sweet messages that make your key points (and have candidates banging on the doors to learn more). 

Always prioritize candidate engagement.

Even during times of low unemployment, candidates are open to your messages. But to refine your message and make the effort, only to lose top candidates due to poor engagement, is a massive mistake made by countless brands who invested in a cutting-edge employer branding strategy.

Everyone’s talking about candidate engagement today, as talents expect more from employers. Using a strong employer branding statement and attracting talent with the right “bells and whistles,” only to drop off due to lack of candidate engagement can be seen as a bait and switch that has the potential to cause massive damage to your brand. 

The right technology can amplify your employer brand.

Today’s cutting-edge recruiting technology empowers recruiters to deliver timely, relevant messages and jobs to talent at the right times and using the right platforms. With BrightMove, your recruiters are empowered with innovative tech, exceptional customer service and continued enhancements based on client feedback. To see BrightMove in action and learn how it can help your recruiting team, contact us to schedule a demo.