Employer branding

Employer branding helps you attract, recruit and retain top talent.

As a business owner, you recognise the core concept behind marketing: no matter how good your product, if no one knows about it no one buys it. So you invest in promoting your product…most commonly through advertising.

But have you thought about how you market yourself as an employer? And what might be the benefits of a strong employer brand?

While recent surveys indicate over 90% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before applying for a job, only 46% of employers say they have an employer brand strategy. While just under 50% isn’t a great figure, it’s a great opportunity for you because effective employer branding improves an organisation’s ability to not only attract, but retain talent.

Think about this: everyone wants the best employees. The best employees always have a choice where to work. If the best don’t know about you – or if your brand as a quality employer isn’t strong – you have little chance of attracting, recruiting and retaining the best.

So what can you do to build your employer brand? Your first step is to consider your current team members and their working environment. Ask yourself (and answer them honestly):

• Do I acknowledge the efforts of my employees on a regular basis?
• Do I address underperformance or conduct issues in a timely, objective and consistent manner?
• Do my Team Leaders have the skills to effectively manage my people?
• Do I offer my employees the opportunity to provide me honest feedback about their work? Is their feedback actioned?

How well (or poorly) you do each of these things has an impact on how your people perceive you as an employer. Whether it be working with colleagues, interacting with your customers, speaking with their friends or posting on social media, your existing employees can be your best resource when it comes to promoting your company brand. Or your worst. Positive employer branding helps to attract and retain quality employees, who are crucial to the success and growth of your business. There’s no rocket science there: it just is.

Before you start thinking about spending money to influence outside perception, look within…to your current workplace environment, people and culture. Spending time and money on branding to attract new employees without fully understanding your existing workplace environment is throwing your money against the proverbial wall. Get your workplace internals sorted, then consider whether you need to spend money on branding from an external perspective.

Makes sense right? The concept is simple and getting things moving in the right direction in 2021 can be simple too. Start by finding a partner with genuine HR management experience in tailoring an internal branding process. Your three-word solution? Bare Bones Consulting.  Call or shoot us an enquiry here.