Why is good employer branding important for a successful company?

The world becomes increasingly connected and the jobs market gets more and more competitive. That’s why employer branding is becoming an essential part of the hiring process. Did you know that 86% of workers wouldn’t apply to or continue to work for a company with a bad reputation? Makes you think more about employer branding, doesn’t it? This statistic alone should be strong enough motivation to start focusing more on your company’s brand. Your employer brand affects your performance and reputation. It also affects your ability to attract and retain new talent. 

So, what exactly is employer branding?

Basically, an employer brand is your company’s reputation among the workforce. It is also your current employee’s perception of you as an employer. So, employer branding is how you market and present your company to job seekers and your employees. It is a long-term strategy that helps your company manage the knowledge and perceptions. It is also a way to convey the values and characteristics that define your organization’s culture. Employer branding is an effective way to promote commitment and pride in belonging to your company’s workforce. 

Let’s think about it

Getting back to that 86% statistic mentioned earlier for a second. Taking this into consideration, it actually makes sense that your bad reputation as an employer may lead to not as many job applications as you’d like. Put yourself in the shoes of a person looking for a new job. You find this company’s job ad and it seems like a great opportunity to start building your career. You start looking up that company and you start seeing, reading, or hearing from people a lot of negative comments. Maybe they used to work there, or maybe they just heard something from a friend of a friend. You start thinking about the pros and cons and finally decide not to apply. That’s the fastest way to lose a potentially good new employee without even knowing. 

Why is good employer branding important?

When you think about it, both companies and current or future employees benefit from this. If it’s done properly and genuinely, of course. Don’t try to make a good PR story out of your employer branding strategy without actually walking the walk. Having a ping-pong table and blasting about it in every job ad will make your company look bland and dishonest. Let’s be real, I don’t know anyone who ever said “The salary is terrible and the working hours are crazy, but they have a dog-friendly office so I’m happy there”.

A good employer brand can reduce your turnover rates, and cut your cost-per-hire by half. Also, 75% of active job seekers are likely to apply if the employer actively manages its employer brand. So, the main reason to have an employer brand is to differentiate you from others in your field. This helps you define what makes your company unique. Give people a reason why should they work for you or with you. 

Cut the B.S.

A strong employer branding indicates employees are happy and engaged, which results in a great reputation. It also helps retain existing team members which leads to continued growth. It’s important for employees to feel like they belong and are a good fit for the company. Each company has its own values and guidelines. It’s important, again, to be genuine. Most people can see through your B.S. so don’t underestimate the power of honesty and integrity. Here you can find out what it means to be a good fit for our agency. Maybe you’ll learn something new that you can use for your company as well. 

Think about your values

Maybe you haven’t been thinking about this before and this is new to you. You have to keep in mind that your company’s values are important if you want to keep your employees happy. That’s because your values help you find new talent that’s the perfect fit for your company. Start focusing on your company’s mission statement, values, vision, and culture. Identify what your business needs are. Then go back to understand what type of talent you need to acquire to fulfill those objectives. 

“What do you think about our company?”

Get ready for feedback from your employees. Make that a reoccurring thing that helps you grow and reach your goals. Sometimes it’s hard to be objective about your business. That’s why your employees are the best people to tell you what is good and what can you improve. That’s a great way to make sure your employees are happy at work. It also makes them feel heard and validated which is extremely important for a healthy workplace.