Top talent, A++ employees, the cream of the crop — call them what you want, the best employees don’t have to settle for any old job. They don’t always have to try too hard to secure a job either. To use a dating analogy, the most skilled employees don’t do the chasing — you as the employer has to.
In other words, life is distinctly harder for an employer looking to fill a role than it is for a highly skilled professional looking for a job change. The stats back this up, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ report, the number of unemployed persons per job opening was 0.9 in January 2019 compared to 6.4 at the peak of the recession in July 2009.
Highly skilled workers aren’t going to settle. They’re aware of their talents, they know what value they bring and what they deserve in return. This just makes your job as an employer harder if you’re going to persuade them to come and join you instead of another company.
But here’s the thing: If you can sort your branding out, by polishing and making it consistent and professional, you’ve got a much better chance of appealing to the right candidates. In this article, we take a look at why branding will help you attract outstanding candidates, and how you can take yours to the next level.
Why Employer Branding Matters
Just like your company might be on social media profiling candidates, the best candidates are also on your website looking at your company. Why? Because they want to be sure it’s the right fit for them.
Improving your branding should tie into your company’s overall hiring strategy because it not only reduces costs (A LinkedIn survey showed strong employer brands had a 50% cost-per-hire reduction), it also improves your hiring process by ensuring your business stands out to the right employees.
PREMIUM CONTENT: To what degree do temporary workers recognize staffing firm brands?
Candidates are looking for businesses they’d be proud to work for. With the right logo, brand colors, voice and so on, you can present your business as a company that has the same values as your employees, and which has a culture that’s just the ticket for them. This is important to note because 88% of millennials say that the right company culture is paramount.
On-point branding that’s consistent and powerful boosts employee motivation and enthusiasm, too. Think about it: Would you — as a top talent — be more motivated to work for a company that has no clear direction, messy branding and no consistency in their marketing … or a company that was the complete opposite? Employee morale is important and you can boost it by showing that you’re a company that cares about what they’re doing by nailing your branding.
Reputation matters as well, with 78% of candidates saying that they actually look into a company’s reputation before even applying for a role — let alone accepting it. And it’s through your employer branding that you can emphasize your reputation.
In order to improve your branding so that you attract the right candidates to your company, you will need the right strategy in place.
In my next couple of posts, I will share some specific recommendations for how to improve your brand to attract and retain the interest of job candidates.
