Comprehensive guide to employer branding in 2022

Everything from the hiring and orientation procedures to the ideals and perks of the organization is part of the employer brand. A company’s “employer brand” is its public persona in the job market. Therefore, it’s crucial to create a great brand as an employer since it is one of the best methods to attract, engage, and retain top talent. But where do you even begin, and how can you build a solid reputation as an employer? To answer these questions, our very own New York digital marketing agency veterans offer advice and they’ve helped us create this thorough guide to employer branding.

What is employer branding and why it matters

A company’s “employer brand” is its standing in the eyes of potential employees. Your company already has a brand and reputation, whether or not you’ve made any efforts to cultivate it through employer branding. Whether or not that reputation is one that potential employees would be interested in working for hinges on factors such as the company’s work culture, pay, and the general satisfaction of current employees.

The entire definition of “employer brand” has shifted during the past few years. In the past, firms were free to present themselves in whichever light they wanted in their advertising, leading to one-sided messages. However, today’s ever-present online communications and social media platforms have altered the landscape irrevocably.

The rise of social media and review sites made the companies need to do more and just talk the talk. Even though it’s still crucial they present themselves in the best way using different social media marketing solutions, they also need to actually deliver on the promise of an appealing work environment.  Furthermore, as permanent employment opportunities shrink and job hopping and career switching grow more popular (particularly among millennials), employer branding has become increasingly vital.

The importance of employer branding

Sometimes, employer brand is seen as less crucial than things like operating costs, profit margins, and customer retention. However, staff branding has an immediate impact on your bottom line, just like those more conventional considerations.

This is why:

• The financial success of a company depends on the strong employer brand. Spending money on recruiting, selecting, and training new employees is often wasteful.
• Other businesses are also vying for the same pool of potential employees as you. Top talent, in any industry, has many options when choosing an employer, and surveys have shown that candidates’ lack of company knowledge is the biggest problem they encounter when applying for jobs.
• You prefer to play a leading role in shaping public perception of your organization. Without spending any time or money on it, your company already has a brand. A single negative comment on an employee review site such as Glassdoor might have a lasting impact. An effective employer brand strategy can help with these.

Factors that affect your employer brand

Fortunately, successful employer branding is within the reach of any organization. The bad news is that it extends beyond branding and requires you to follow through on all of your promises.

To better understand employer brand, consider the following factors:

• If you want your employees to share your beliefs, go no further than your company’s stated purpose. Your company’s mission may be to improve the world, provide a work-life balance for employees, offer an ethical alternative to the status quo, or something else entirely. But, you must commit to whatever objective you set by investing time, structure, and resources. It’s hypocritical to promote a healthy work-life balance while expecting employees to regularly put in extra hours and be available 24/7.
• True accounts of what it’s like to work at your company from your current and former employees is probably the factor that influences your employer brand the most. When your staff is satisfied, they may become brand ambassadors, and their praise will carry more weight than if it came from management.
• Social media presence is also very important and you can use it to your advantage. For example, share information about your company’s culture, the benefits of working there, and the opportunities available to employees on social media. Or, you can connect with prospective employees and answer any queries they may have. Experts from web design company New York also emphasize the importance of having a great website, too and linking it to your social media platforms.
• Attract and retain top talent by providing a pleasant working environment. The work environment your company provides should be stimulating, open, and safe for your employees. Invest in your company’s human resources and internal communication systems and processes.

How to build a strong employer brand?

Now that you know what employer branding is and why it is essential for your business, here’s what to focus on in order to improve it:

• The first step towards building a strong brand is understanding your current position. A good idea is to start by researching review websites like glassdoor.com. Another good idea is to survey your employees and give them a chance to express their opinions.
• After you’ve gathered information, you can use it to identify where your brand is weak and where it excels and formulate a strategy to fill those gaps. If you want to strengthen your brand, it’s important to zero in on the specific areas that need improvement and work on them. If your company’s image as an employer is already solid, your plan should help you zero in on what’s already working so you can keep doing more of it.
• Create a set of metrics (KPIs) to monitor and evaluate your employer brand’s performance based on the road map you’ve created. For example, employee retention rate, candidate diversity, and the number of candidates per open position are crucial metrics to keep an eye on.
• Your company’s core principles are an integral element of its reputation and how its employees and potential hires see it. Therefore, develop a stronger employee value proposition (EVP) by following your company’s stated values and mission. Your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) includes factors like pay and benefits, corporate culture, and other incentives that make working for your firm worthwhile. Make sure your EVP is in line with your company’s values.

The bottom line

We hope our post helped you understand what employer branding is and how to build a strong one for your business. In order to attract the best talent, you need to make sure your company’s reputation is flawless. However, while you’re working on your employer brand, don’t neglect the other aspects of your business. Make your life easier by reaching out to digital marketing experts who’ll help you launch your business to the stars while you can focus on making a name for yourself as an employer, too.