Ask yourself: do you know what your employees – both former and current – think about working for your company? Do they know about, and feel positively towards, your brand? If you don’t know, you should. Quickly. A robust employer brand is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. It is the force behind attracting top talent, fostering a loyal workforce and ultimately driving the success of your business.

In recent years, the job market has changed dramatically, and the very best talent out there is looking for new work in different ways. This mean hiring managers must adapt and reassess their hiring process if they’re going to retain the very best – and that means incorporating your employer brand strategy into your hiring processes.

Why is it important to have an employer brand strategy?

Businesses right now are competing for the same talent: the very best. But the game-changers, the truly innovative and exciting candidates are all in increasingly high demand. They’re dealing with multiple offers – all relatively similar in terms of renumeration and benefits – so how do you encourage them to choose you?

You use your employer brand.

Simply put, an employer brand is more than a tagline or a company logo. It’s the perception of your company as an employer in the minds of current, former and potential employees. Your brand reflects your company values, mission and employee experiences. A carefully crafted, authentic and consistent employer brand is a powerful tool for attracting, engaging and ultimately retaining top talent.

How to build a stronger employer brand to attract top talent

The cornerstone of any strategy is the same thing: it’s about understanding your target audience. When considering the role you’re hiring for you can ask yourself a few questions to help hone in on your employer brand messaging to resonate with their values and what they’re looking for from a new role:

• Who are the ideal candidates you’re looking to attract?
• What are their motivations?
• What are their career aspirations?

Once you’ve defined your target audience, you can then craft your employee value proposition. This is the unique package of benefits, challenges and rewards that your company offers its employees. It’s the answer to the question: “why do you want to work for our company?”

Your EVP should be authentic, specific and aligned with the realities of your company culture!

How to enhance your employer branding

Modern job seekers are a discerning bunch, and they can see through smoke and mirrors. Living your employer brand is equally important. It’s not enough to simply create a narrative and hope it attracts top talent. To retain talent, you must embody your employer branding. Every interaction a candidate has with your brand – the job application process, the employee experience and beyond – should reflect your employer brand. This includes everything from how you communicate internally, to things like employee recognition programs to your company’s social responsibility initiatives.

Employee advocacy is also a key component of a successful brand strategy. Your current employees should be your most powerful brand ambassadors! This means empowering them to share their positive experiences, which in turn, allows you to amplify your employer brand’s reach and credibility. Encouraging your employees to share company news, values and culture on social media plays a huge role in attracting top talent.

Grow your employer brand with Venquis

Building a strong employer brand is a long-term investment that requires consistent effort and dedication. Venquis can help. Get in touch today.