Why is Employer Branding Important?
Have you ever wondered what your employees think about your company? Branding is one thing. This is the image you create for your customers and potential markets, but employer branding can get you smoothing far more valuable – the biggest and brightest professionals in the field, the rising stars, the most wanted candidates. Interested? You should be.
Тhis is quite an underestimated aspect of the modern business but with the opening of the working markets, it will become a respected advantage for every smart and innovative firm. Being an employer of choice can bring you many other advantages, including a better place in your customers’ minds.
The good news is that if you don’t have such a policy or even the idea for that matter, you are not alone and you still have the opportunity to be different and choose the path of a preferred employer. For those in doubt, we will explain why employer branding is so important.
Better retention and proud employees
If you are an employer of choice, your employees will be proud and happy to work for your brand and will become ambassadors in favour of your business. Being part of the right company and feeling on the place while working, is a major factor in the minds of modern workers. People spend more time at work than at home. So they want to fit in, to be part of a company culture that shares the same values as they do. You may have the best environment, the most positive culture and the happiest people working for you, but if you don’t show it – how can a potential candidate know about them. Show, but don’t show off – it is nice to have social network profiles where you post pictures of your company events, videos of your employees talking about the working process, but don’t overdo it. Keep it professional and to the point.
Cost reduction
When you are a well-known brand with good company policy, you don’t have to spend much on recruiting and headhunting. The potential candidates will search for you, follow your openings and apply even without you reaching out to them. A lot of statistics and researches show that people are even willing to work for lower pay for a company with a good reputation, because of the prestige that the experience will bring them in the future. By having a good name, you will gain more. More job applicants, higher-quality candidates, more career site visitors, more social media engagement and last, but not least – an increase of offer-acceptance rate. All of these will make the process of hiring new talents an interesting and exciting experience rather than a stressful fight for mediocre candidates.
Better social image for your brand
Being a good employer and letting the world know about it, will gain you a higher place in your customers’ minds. They will recognize you as a socially engaged and trustworthy and this will win you their support and reliance. Said in other words – having a good employer image can bring you more customers and improve your marketing strategy.
But how to know what kind of face do you have among your employees? You can dig deep into different websites and forums; you can search what a potential candidate will search. Or, you can simply ask them. Not directly or in person, but you can make a survey with questions that are related to their everyday work experience, their satisfaction and their plans for the future. Making it anonymous will give them the freedom to speak out their minds and you will have a clear image of the current situation. Thus, you can identify problems, improve processes and keep the workflow. Listen, adapt and get better – your employees are your force. If you don’t keep and support them, someone else will.