Whether it something you realise or not, all companies have an employer brand – it’s essentially the company’s reputation and what people think of you as an employer.
The CIPD define employer brand as; ‘a set of attributes and qualities, often intangible, that makes an organisation distinctive, promises a particular kind of employment experience, and appeals to those people who will thrive and perform best in its culture’.
With skill shortages throughout the UK and a competitive market place it’s increasingly important for companies to stand out in a crowded market to recruit, retain and engage key talent.
Here are some statistics;
- 78% of candidates say the overall candidate experience they get is an indicator of how a company values its people.
- When making a decision on where to apply for a job, 84% of job seekers say the reputation of a company as an employer is important.
- 9 out of 10 candidates would apply for a job when it’s from an employer brand that’s actively maintained.
- Employee turnover can be reduced by 28% by investing in employer brand.
- 80% of talent acquisition managers believe that employer branding has a significant impact on the ability to hire great talent.
- 92% of people would consider changing jobs if offered a role with a company with an excellent corporate reputation.
(source: https://everyonesocial.com/blog/employer-branding-statistics/)
Job seekers today are operating in an era of unprecedented transparency, where detailed information on nearly every organisation is available right at their fingertips. Quality candidates know this, and use it to their advantage. That’s why they turn to websites…to evaluate companies, researching things like compensation, benefits packages, career opportunities and more. (source: Emily Moore, Glassdoor)
An employer brand should be reflective of the actual experience of employees and not simply how you would like it to appear. As a result, feedback is an essential part in understanding your employer brand.
Building an Employer Brand
- Research – Get to know your company. Think about; what does your current employer brand say about you (everyone’s got one)? What are the company’s purpose, vision, mission, values and culture? Gather feedback internally and externally about what it’s like working for the company.
- Evaluate results – what were the key findings from the research? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What is working well at your company so you can keep doing it, and what areas need improvement?
- Create an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) – this identifies the values of your brand and says what’s great about working at the company. The EVP should be aimed at your employees and aligned to your customer brand.
- Communicate your EVP – although the employer brand should be reflective of what it’s like working for the company, it’s a good idea to regularly reinforce messages linked to the EVP such as training, team events, company benefits etc. Communication should be both internal and external.
- Evaluate – as with any business initiative you should evaluate its effectiveness. With an employer brand you could consider key metrics such as cost-per-hire and employee satisfaction, as well as reviewing feedback from external websites such as Glassdoor.
It’s important to remember that an employer brand is always evolving so companies develop their brand through active involvement with current employees.
If you would like further guidance or support on this matter or require advice on other people management and recruitment matters please contact Clover HR on 0121 516 0299 or email us at info@cloverhr.co.uk ©️ Copyright Clover HR
Sources:
https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/people/recruitment/brand-factsheet
https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/employers/blog/facts-recruiters-need-to-know/
