How impactful is your employer brand?

Employer Branding has become crucial to any brand – not only for attracting talent, but retaining it too. Read our top 5 tips to make your employer brand shine!

Teamtailor hosted a webinar on an important topic: “How Impactful is your Employer Brand” where our expert panel came together and shared the dos and don'ts when it comes to employer branding. Here are the biggest takeaways:

1. "It's not just attracting them and forgetting how to treat them"

Employer Branding is crucial to any brand, not only for attracting talent, but retaining it, too. In a world where the rush of the “new thing” gets us so excited and ready to dispose of what we already have, it’s important to remember that in many cases, your team is irreplaceable and your employer brand starts with them. Attracting new, incredible talent is arguably one of the most exciting parts of growing a company but you don’t want your current talent to leave while you’re in the process of looking for new people. So before you start hiring new people, ask yourself:

1. Are our current employees happy?
2. Do they feel valued?
3. Do they feel a sense of loyalty to the company?
4. Are we really offering what we are portraying to new candidates on our career site and during interviews?

If any of the answers are “no”, ask yourself why, and what can you do to change that. Your best investment is in your people. Always do the internal work first. Your career site and the brand you promote should be a direct example of what candidates can expect when they join your company.

2. "If you don't walk the talk, employer branding becomes makeup"

Be authentic and own what you can offer. A huge takeaway was that transparency is the new luxury in recruitment. If you were to market yourself as the stereotypical “dream employer”, making it seem as though you can offer and provide a type of workplace that you truly can’t, that will become apparent to your new starters almost instantaneously. The good news? There’s a simple fix: Be transparent. Whilst screening CVs, it’s easy to forget that behind the CV, you’re dealing with a human being. It’s a great reminder to take off the recruiter hat and remember that people would be much happier understanding what they’re getting themselves into from the get-go. If, for example, you’re a young company and aren’t at the point where you can offer everything your competitors can, don’t be scared to say that! Share your vision and goals and if your candidates believe in what you’re doing, they will appreciate the transparency and likely be more enthusiastic to join your team as opposed to being strung along on false narratives.

3. "Employees are your greatest brand ambassadors, if you take care of them properly"

isioWant some free advertising? Well, no one will speak better about your company than your employees… if you treat them well. If your employees feel valued, respected, able to be themselves and feel like a real part of your company, the likelihood of them sharing that with their network and surroundings will skyrocket. Whether it’s to encourage more people to join, or to show off that they’re at the best company, people like sharing the best aspects of their life. Do the internal work, invest in your people and it will be the most priceless form of advertising for your employer brand.rrativ

4. "You won't build an employer brand from one day to another - it takes consistency"

To build a reputable employer brand, consistency is key. It can be easy to think that having a nice career site is enough to attract a candidate, which may be true to an extent, but diving deeper into the true values and DNA of a company, it takes time to build up a brand and reputation. Good things take time, building trust takes time and creating a community takes time. Be realistic, create a plan of action, execute it and watch as your consistency pays off.

5. Care about improvement - ego aside"

One of the final and most important takeaways from the webinar is that genuinely caring about what your team has to say is essential. If your employees are giving you feedback, listen to them. People often have different perspectives, which can be of extreme value for you. It’s easy to be biased when you think you’re already the best company with the best EVP, but putting your own opinion aside and hearing what others have to say is extremely important. There’s power in numbers, and learning what your team both like and dislike will help you realise what can be changed as well as what is working and can be amplified to make your employer brand even better. Here are some ways to do this effectively:

• Anonymous surveys: people often feel more comfortable giving genuine feedback when they know they won’t be judged for it. Give them the freedom to do that and share how you plan to improve the negatives and continue the positives with them.
• Be approachable: let your team know that they can speak to you, without fear of judgement or ridicule. You don’t want your team to be scared of you, making sure to foster an open and welcoming culture is the best place to start.
• Exit interviews. Conduct as many exit interviews as possible.

Tips on what to ask:

• What would you do differently?
• Why have you decided to leave?
• If I was your best friend, how would you translate this company culture in one sentence?

The full recording of the webinar can be found here.