Hiring and retaining the best talent is among the biggest challenges for companies nowadays.
Recruiters spend a lot of time finding the right candidate for the job. However, most of the time, candidates join competitors who offer better compensation and employee benefits. Another reason why people switch to a different organization is because of strong employer branding.
You will be surprised to learn that over 82% of people factor in the company’s reputation and employer brand before joining. Let’s explore what employer branding is and how to boost the same.
What is Employer Branding?
Employer branding is an umbrella term used for a wide range of branding and marketing activities that help create a positive image of the organization as an employer. A positive employer image can help you attract the most talented professionals.
In the contemporary era, people prefer an optimum work-life balance and job security. Top organizations guarantee the same, and that’s how they create a strong reputation.
Employer branding is also about communicating the brand’s identity and highlighting its USPs. A strong employer brand can contribute positively to the employee value proposition.
How to Boost Your Employer Brand?
Employer branding combines the organization’s culture, values, vision, and personality. All these employer branding elements help create a unique identity for the brand.
People who resonate with a company’s culture, values, and vision are more likely to stick with it in the long run. So, let’s understand how you can boost your employer brand to attract talented individuals:
1. Highlight Flexible Work Opportunities
The new-age workforce is looking for a work-life balance and doesn’t want to be chained to an organization. The best way to tackle this challenge is by highlighting flexible work opportunities.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to switch to a new normal, where people were allowed to work from home. Not commuting to the office relieved many, giving them more time and flexibility.
Now, people are accustomed to working from the comfort of their homes. Highlighting this in the job description is a great way to demonstrate the company’s flexibility.
2. Research Your Competitors
To stay ahead in the game, you must know what your peers and competitors are doing. Researching competitors’ hiring and employer branding strategies is a great way to build your own.
There’s nothing wrong with replicating what’s working for competitors. However, you can customize the strategy based on your organization’s culture, values, and vision.
You must research everything that can add to your employee value proposition, from employee compensations to incentives and other perks.
3. Enhance the Internal Employer Brand
Enhancing the internal employer brand is another great way to boost your overall employer branding. Hiring new employees is not the only issue; retaining existing ones poses another significant challenge.
When your company has a high retention rate, it’s natural that the existing employees are pretty satisfied with their compensation and work culture. Therefore, it can act as a talent magnet and help you build a strong employer brand.
4. Invest in the Company Culture
Every company has a unique culture. Company culture is a broad term that represents an organization’s shared values, ethics, attitude, and vision. It also acts as a rulebook for employees and other organizational stakeholders.
Tech giants like Google are famous for their work culture as it promotes fun, freedom, and flexibility. However, not every business has a massive budget to invest in the company culture.
The good thing is you don’t need an enormous budget to highlight a positive culture. Focusing on anything that brings work satisfaction and happiness can be a game-changer in this regard.
5. Work on Perks and Benefits
Fixed monthly compensations are not always the best motivators in the long run. However, having incentives and perks tied to performance and goals can be a game changer for the company and employees. It can bring out the desired level of productivity without any pressure.
In addition, the right perks and benefits can lure in the best talent. Paid vacations, performance bonuses, tuition reimbursements, etc., are some examples of perks and benefits that you can incorporate.
6. Create Employee-Friendly Policies
An organization that creates employee-friendly policies is more likely to retain existing employees and hire the best ones. These policies can be related to paid leaves, insurance plans, work-from-home flexibility, etc.
7. Train and Reskill Employees
Today’s ever-changing business world demands workers who are ready to learn and evolve. Training can reskilling employees can save a lot of time and resource for an organization. In addition, employees will be more productive when they have all the essential skillsets needed to do the job.
8. Embrace Transparency
Transparency is the key to establishing a robust employer brand. You must be transparent with your existing employees and prospects regarding all updates.
The hiring process should not leave candidates hanging. Hiring managers and recruiters must provide them with constructive feedback. Not having transparency in the hiring process can dampen the organization’s reputation.
Final Words
Hiring the best talent is a big challenge in today’s cut-throat corporate world. A robust employer branding can be the ultimate solution for all hiring obstacles.
Investing in the company culture and ensuring transparency in communication is crucial. Following the tips mentioned above can help you boost your employer branding seamlessly.
