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How Does Employer Branding Impact Recruitment?

The twists and turns in the job market during the past several years have caused employers and hiring teams to evaluate their recruiting strategies in many ways. Between efforts to create work-life balance to all the workforce shakeups amid the pandemic and beyond, it has become essential for hiring teams to consider factors like company culture and employer branding in recruitment.

75 percent of active job seekers are more likely to apply for a job if the employer actively manages its company brand. With that in mind, employers willing to focus on positive branding have a great chance of attracting the best talent for immediate job openings and building long-term relationships with potential hires for future opportunities.

Are you considering boosting your employer branding efforts? In this blog post, we discuss what employer branding is, why it’s so important, and how you can get yours in shape to attract fantastic candidates for today and build a pipeline of future talent.


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What is Employer Branding?

Employer branding is basically the promotion and marketing of a company’s positive reputation. It has become a marketing tool designed to impress potential job candidates and customers and includes information about a company’s products, services, leadership, employee culture and team members, history, achievements, awards, and much more.

If you’ve ever worked for a company you loved—and then told someone about it—you already understand employer branding, at least from the other side of the desk. Your company’s brand serves as both an advertisement and a handshake, drawing in top talent and making them feel welcome once they arrive. 

The concept of employer branding for recruiting works so well because it provides insights and inspiration on multiple levels:

  • Intellectual
  • Emotional
  • Instinctive

With a strong employer brand, visitors to the company’s website, social media platforms, advertisements, and on-site locations offer people a peek into the inner workings of the company and how it operates.

How Can Employer Branding Impact Your Company’s Recruitment Efforts?

Organizational branding offers employers a chance to proactively manage their employer brand to target their ideal job candidates. Many employers do this by showcasing their organization’s unique cultural differentiators and broadcasting them to position their company as a desirable workplace.

An effective employer brand reveals the essence of your company. It communicates what your brand stands for, how unique it is, and how it aligns with what candidates are seeking. When you create a solid brand, you showcase that your company is worthy of the best talent and boost your recruitment and employee engagement and employee recruitment efforts.



Why is Employer Branding Crucial for Recruiting Today’s Top Candidates?

A strong employer brand attracts high-quality candidates committed to finding a job and working in a company with values and a culture that aligns with their attitudes and desires. The right branding efforts, featuring diversity and engagement, become a magnetic force for talented individuals. A positive employer brand goes beyond making people feel comfortable or accepted.

Employers with robust branding report faster and more effective recruitment and hiring processes. You may find that your recruiting process moves along two times faster with a strong branding strategy than without it.

How a Positive Employer Brand Can Help Attract (and Retain) Talent

More and more companies understand the value of instituting employer branding efforts for recruitment. It’s helpful to review companies that are doing it right and reaping the benefits.

Here are a few to consider as you prepare to boost your employer branding efforts!

Chipotle

Consider a company like Chipotle. The Mexican fast-food restaurant focuses on keeping employees happy, using employer branding that focuses on employee benefits, inclusion, and promotions.

And it’s working, according to Comparably. 81 percent of Chipotle employees report that they are proud to be a part of the Chipotle brand, while 80 percent of their employees believe they work in a positive work environment.

A few key initiatives Chipotle has made to generate so much employee satisfaction and goodwill include the following:

  • Enhanced its parental leave program
  • Added mental health programs to its benefits package
  • Offered ample opportunities for professional development and education for employees
  • Provides internal promotions, with 70 percent of the company’s general managers having started in an entry-level capacity

PetSmart

Pet retailers could almost get a pass for workers who want to work with animals, but even the most ardent pet lovers have professional standards. PetSmart is a leading pet specialty retailer in Canada and the United States, and the company understands employer branding.

The company creates a strong lead on its career page, noting that everyone who works for PetSmart loves pets. That’s the phrase every animal lover wants to hear or read from a prospective employer. PetSmart marketers have homed in on people’s passion for pets, and it instantly creates a company culture that aligns with candidates’ values and unites workers.

Additional Benefits of Employer Branding

We know that employer branding attracts top talent looking for a job or career path with growth opportunities and a positive culture, but there are more benefits to consider, like the following.

1. A Positive Employer Brand Builds Trust with Candidates

Employers who create an atmosphere of transparent communication inspire trust among candidates and employees. When you share your company’s vision, mission, core values, and goals with your employees, asking for their input and help, you are building your brand and developing an invaluable sense of trust.

2. Great Employer Branding Inspires Referrals

Whether a candidate writes a positive post about their recent interview process with your company on their social media page or a current employee can’t stop sharing how great your company culture is with friends, their positive feedback about your branding is invaluable. When their talented friends, associates, or followers decide to apply to your company, your branding efforts are rewarded.

3. An Effective Employer Brand Centers Your Employer Value Proposition

Your employee value proposition, or your EVP, is the unique combination of opportunities, benefits, and rewards that your company provides its valued employees. Your company’s EVP allows you to distinguish your company from industry competitors while appealing to your target audience.

How to Improve Your Employer Branding

With all these benefits, you’re probably ready to get to work on your employer branding strategy. Start by assessing your target talent, EVP, and ideal branding channels, such as social media or your website. You can also use employer branding to set behavioral and productivity expectations supporting your business goals. 

For instance, suppose your company wants to add a new location in an adjoining city, and you’re on the cusp of generating the revenue to expand. In this case, your culture should focus on promoting revenue-generating behaviors, such as: 

  • Publicly rewarding those who bring in new clients or close deals
  • Acknowledging people who outperform their productivity metrics 
  • Showcasing an achievement by an individual or team during company meetings

In addition to highlighting your company culture, putting employee benefits front and center can help you maintain an employer brand that encourages top talent to join your team and grow with your company.

Most importantly, though, identify your ideal candidates and their professional desires, needs, preferences, and expectations. Then focus your branding efforts on finding ways to express how your company delivers exactly what they want.


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We Can Help Boost Your Employer Branding for Recruitment

Are you ready to improve your position in the competitive marketplace to find top talent? Our Insight Global team is here to help you communicate employer brand in your job description and attract ambitious, industrious candidates looking for a company where they can thrive.

Need Expert Hiring Help?

Fill out the form below, and our team will contact you in as little as 10 minutes! Questions? Call us toll-free: 855-485-8853