Attracting the right team members, saving costs in recruitment, building your reputation or growing your business – there are multiple compelling arguments to invest in employer branding. Unless you haven’t already, here are the top five reasons why you should start your employer branding right now.
1. ENGAGE ENTHUSIASTIC EMPLOYEES
Whether you like it or not, the company’s success depends on the commitment and effort of your employees. Unhappy employees on the other hand are expensive, as turnovers cost more money and time than one might expect and can harm the team’s morale in a long run. A strong employer brand will make your workers proud to be part of your organization. Knowing your values and visions as well as how important they are to the bottom line will help you bring out the best in them and helps to build employee loyalty. And the more loyal they are, the less likely they are to switch to a competitor. Furthermore, your staff can either be your best brand ambassadors, or your harshest critics. More than half of job seekers rely on employee reviews. When your employees share their positive work experiences with their social circles, whether off- or online, it will draw attention to the public and support your recruitment strategy. As a result, you should give them a reason to speak well of your business. It would not only help you recruit new workers in the long run, but it can also contribute to new customers.
2. FIND THE RIGHT NEW TEAM MEMBERS
The most important reason to take employer branding seriously is that you attract a large number of candidates. When you brand your organization lots prospective employees know about your company and what they should expect if they are hired. Your prospective employees will already know a lot about your business before you interview them. Employees who would not be a good match for the business are weeded out using this information. However, hiring the right person for the position isn’t enough. Employees must also suit the company’s identity in order to ensure a positive working atmosphere. By positioning your employer brand, you attract and retain people who “fit”. By being clear about your organization’s beliefs, priorities and culture, you can stop interviewing people who are not on the same page as your company and as your current staff. Employer branding accomplishes the goal of putting your business on the map for the right applicants with the right qualifications and personalities to suit the company culture. The recruiting process is made much smoother and faster by communicating with the right prospective applicants, not to mention the time and money saved.
3. BUILD YOUR BRAND REPUTATION
When it comes to employer branding, your reputation is crucial. Branding your business is a great step forward when you want to get the best people to apply for your positions. By reminding people of the values you embody, your branding campaign establishes and preserves your reputation. Think about the value of your brand, your core mission, your unique culture and the image you want to project to the world. Many businesses understand that telling their customers their core mission is important, but they don’t always succeed in conveying the message to their employees and prospective employees respectively. Use branding to highlight your core values if you want to get the most from your effort. The steps you take play a powerful role in the outcome you wish to aim in the future. When you use the correct branding measures in expanding your bottom line, your employees will know exactly what you want and what you sell, and you will not be disappointed.
4. GROW YOUR BUSINESS
You will be surprised to discover how much your branding effort expands your business. First of all, if you have a solid employer brand, you won’t have to spend much time on identifying, attracting and engaging candidates, because you will be inundated with open work applications all year. According to LinkedIn companies with a strong employer brand actually see a decrease of 43% in recruitment costs per candidate. A significant cost-cutting measure, that can be invested in other areas. Second, finding the right team members and keeping them engaged will make a huge difference. It will boost your productivity and profits in many ways. Fully committed and engaged employees come to work feeling excited and motivated to handle any challenge that comes their way. Finally, money is important, but it isn’t everything. 67% of job seekers would accept a lower salary if a company has positive reviews online. There are other benefits that are equally valuable and a strong employer brand can provide exactly these qualities.
5. BECOME RELEVANT FOR (PICKY) MILLENNIALS
Especially millennials are more concerned with achieving a balanced work-life balance than with making a lot of money. They must see themselves interacting with you on a daily basis. 88% of millennials believe that being part of the right organization with great work culture is vital. Before applying, the majority of them will look at the company’s social media profiles. As a result, use business profiles to project an employee-centric atmosphere and make the most of LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media platforms. Having a sustained positive image will leave a positive impression on candidates. Employer cultures with a good reputation receive twice as many applications as those with a negative reputation. A study by Corporate Responsibility Magazine revealed that 69% of the people would decline a job offer if the employer has a bad reputation. Even if they were jobless! Bear in mind also, that a progressive company is a major draw for millennials! Tech-savvy applicants would be attracted to an employer who shows digital aptitude. For businesses who want to remain competitive, technology is the way of the future.
