Recent research indicates that 76% of hiring staff believe attracting quality candidates is their biggest challenge. While there are many factors that contribute to a struggle finding ideal candidates, small business owners should conduct an honest review of their employer brand to find out why their business is not receiving applications from the top tier of the talent pool.
Are you wondering if employer branding really matters? Consider the cautionary tale of GameStop, the American-based electronic gaming and merchandising retailer. Although the company touts a business brand centered around “family”, when the pandemic struck, many employees cried foul as the company insisted on remaining open, claiming to be an essential business. While full-time employees had the option of taking paid time off to avoid exposure, part-time employees were forced to make a difficult decision—go into work and endanger their health, or risk losing their job. If you’d like to read more on this cataclysmic employer branding failure, you can read an interesting piece written by a former GameStop employee by clicking here.
GameStop’s response to the pandemic made it appear that profits mattered more than employees. This is exactly what businesses want to avoid when creating their employer brand.
Are you wondering how to get it right? Here are 4 ways to boost your employer brand and ensure your company is a place where the most sought-after candidates are clamouring to work.
Get a Grasp on Current Culture
You cannot improve your employer brand if you don’t have a good understanding of how employees view your business.
If your company is listed on business review sites, take time to see what employees are saying…and don’t be too quick to dismiss negative reviews. Now is not the time for thin skin—if you want to affect real change moving forward you must be willing to accept where things stand in the present.
The company should respond to each review, positive or negative, in a way that shows the organisation is listening and values employee response. Though it may seem counterintuitive, the way the business replies to a negative review reveals more about the company than graciously accepting accolades.
Gather feedback from employees internally through anonymous surveys. Ask them what they enjoy most about working for your organisation…and what they would like to change. Are there specific issues or conditions within the work environment that have them considering a job change? Finding out what’s currently working (and what isn’t) can help you make things better for future employees.
Highlight Company Values
A recent survey found over 70% of millennials (who will make up 75% of the workforce within the next 5 years) stated they were more likely to work for a company with a strong environmental agenda.
What your company stands for matters to job candidates, so frame up both your business values and mission statement, then market those alongside your social/environmental philanthropy to show current and future employees what really matters to your organisation.
Build a Social Media Presence
Did you know a whopping 79% of job applicants use social media as part of their job search? If you are holding out on jumping into the social media realm it is past time get on board. Social media serves as powerful social proof that working for your company is satisfying and rewarding.
By regularly posting and sharing content that comes from every level of your business—from the CEO to the managers to the employees themselves—you provide candidates a window through which they can clearly see the culture of your company.
- Show the Authentic, Human Side of Your Business
If you’ve reached out to employees to understand the current workplace culture, you’ve already taken an important step in creating authenticity within the workplace. Doing so tells employees you care about their experience and want to ensure the culture you’re promoting is what they’re experiencing.
Authenticity should be the goal in every aspect of your business. Research has shown that an employee’s perception of authentic leadership in the workplace is a strong indicator of job happiness and satisfaction. Encouraging management to build relationships with employees based on respect and trust is an important part of creating authenticity within your organisation.
This segues nicely into the other part of this point—your company should be highlighting and celebrating the human side of the business. People want to work for other people, not impersonal organisations. Once again, social media is the perfect platform to show of the human side of your business. Candidates can engage with your company, have questions answered by current employees, and ask more detailed questions via direct message.
And so…
If the idea of creating an employer brand feels daunting, know that you’re not alone—it just so happens that nearly half of all employers believe they don’t have the tools needed to enhance their employer brand.
If this describes you, know that we at Acquire Talent would love nothing more than to guide you as you create a cohesive, authentic employer brand that accurately represents the current culture of your business. Contact us today to learn exactly how we can help.
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