Becoming a talent magnet

Lis Anderson at AMBITIOUS explores the art of building an effective employer brand strategy 

In late September 2023, one in 10 (10%) businesses said they were experiencing worker shortages, leading to more than half (54%) reporting that they were unable to meet demands as a result. A competitive job market means that attracting and retaining top talent is now a paramount challenge for companies across industries.  

To address this, employer branding has become a critical component of any business looking to market itself, recognising its pivotal role in showcasing company culture, values, and opportunities.  

From recruitment drives and reputation management – to communicating brand values and culture both internally and externally – having a proactive employer brand strategy keeps a business in control of the company’s image and champions a positive workplace culture with proactive communications at its core.  

Work in the field of employer branding has increased as the intensity of securing the brightest and best talent becomes a core business objective. Businesses have a desire for sustainable growth with low attrition and to support this, it has become essential that companies talk about the benefits of working with them. 

An employer of choice 

An employer brand campaign involves strategic initiatives aimed at shaping and promoting an organisation as an employer of choice. It’s about crafting a compelling narrative and showcasing the company’s culture, values, opportunities, and work environment to attract, engage, and retain top talent. 

It starts with conducting an internal audit combined with external market research and sentiment analysis to understand the current perception of the company. It also involves identifying what sets the company apart as an employer and why people should want to work there. 

From there, the strategy will involve developing a cohesive narrative that reflects the company’s culture, values, and mission. This will be communicated to priority employee target audiences through engaging content—such as videos, blogs, social media posts, media articles and employee testimonials. Leveraging both online and offline platforms ensures that these communications will reach a wide and diverse audience of potential candidates. 

More than just a pension 

The role of an employer brand strategy is not to structure benefits packages. It goes beyond pension schemes. When considering what aspects of the company to highlight to potential candidates, it’s essential to be clear on your mission and purpose. If people believe in what you stand for as a company, they’re more likely to want to work for you. This is increasingly important for younger generations. 

This could be personal development opportunities, such as skill enhancement and access to a professional coach. But it could also be the opportunity to get involved in ‘nonbillable’ responsibilities which enable the employee to help move the business on, and spot new growth areas. Not only does this take the pressure off of the front line, but it also provides an opportunity for the employee to make a real difference to the company. 

As companies respond to demands for more flexible work, it’s now imperative to showcase flexible work arrangements, remote work policies, and initiatives that support a healthy work-life balance. These will demonstrate the organisation’s commitment to employee well-being. 

It’s important to highlight programmes that recognise and reward exceptional performance, such as employee of the month/year, bonuses, and incentives tied to achievements or milestones. 

A core part of employer branding is to communicate the organisation’s culture. It’s important to communicate policies in place that speak to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (ED&I), which can resonate strongly with candidates seeking alignment with their personal values. The company’s involvement in the community, sustainability efforts, or corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes also appeals to candidates who value socially responsible organisations. 

Employee involvement and advocacy 

One of the most effective ways to communicate the company as an employer of choice is through current employees. Make them the advocates of the business by encouraging them to be brand ambassadors. Encourage them to share their experiences and insights about working at the company through branded and personal social media profiles. Engage employees in content creation via internal channels but also at employee-centric events.  

Ensure that company communications are consistent with employee communications across all channels to align the employer brand message with the actual employee experience. This will help to build trust and credibility among potential candidates.  

Attract a more diverse workforce 

An effective employer brand strategy will essentially help a company to get more people through the door for interviews, helping to attract a more diverse workforce. 

With any employer brand campaign, it’s important to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the success. This could include metrics such as application rates, engagement metrics, employee retention, and employer reputation scores.  

It’s also important to look at employer brand not as a siloed activity, but as a fundamental strand of activity that continually evolves with the company. The employer brand narrative may also need to evolve to remain relevant and competitive in attracting top talent. To do this, the strategy will need to respond to feedback, market trends, and changing candidate expectations. 

Evolve your employer brand strategy 

Employer branding is an ongoing process that requires dedication, collaboration between HR, PR, marketing and other departments, and a commitment to nurturing a positive employer reputation in the eyes of current and potential employees. After all, employees are a core audience, equally as important as the customer audience.  

Lis Anderson is director and co-founder at AMBITIOUS 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com