What are the most effective ways to build an employer brand?

Employer branding is the most important talent attraction and retention strategy. Highlighting company culture, values, benefits, career growth opportunities, work-life balance, and unique perks sets any organization apart from companies not paying attention to these core things. Employees are the best brand ambassadors, so employee-centric policies and a conducive work environment will do their job. Good candidate experience ensures a positive candidate experience from the initial interaction through the entire recruitment process. Social media channels play a pivotal role, talk about company's culture, engagements, achievements, etc.

There are so many ways to accomplish this. Start by running your business the same way you state in your mission statement. Provide great a great service or product; be customer focused; treat your employees and customers with respect. A brand is your legacy. Treat it with respect and strive to always get better. Choose influencers who align with your values. Correct and own up to your mistakes. These more than anything else you do will establish and promote your brand.

Treat people as you would like to be treated. Be honest, good or bad news. Provide opportunity, stay engaged with the entry level up. Newer people have a very different perspective for a very short time. Pay attention, follow up. Over time, the word will travel.

When you are looking at developing your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) it is vital that you get all your ducks in a row. Please don't say you are super inclusive if you then don't have inclusive recruitment practices or digital and physical accessibility. Have you looked at your policies and procedures to ensure that your line managers and hiring managers have the flexibility to make the work environment the best it can be across the entire work force? Your EVP needs to be congruent with your external, and internal, messaging. Otherwise it's never going to feel authentic and attract and retain your colleagues

Employer branding starts with insuring you have the proper logo, social media, marketing strategy right from the beginning. Insure all channels are saying the same thing. Insuring your company culture matches the brand. Whether online or instore, insure all employees understand and emulate your brand.

The most important thing is for the leadership to lead by example and share their stories too. In most cases it is the employee that is expected to share the stories and live the values of the company. However, leaders of the company have to embody the values and lead the culture of the company by showcasing what it actually looks like. It’s then more authentic and easier for the employees to follow and align with the culture of the company. This way, the testimonials and stories are created in a more natural and more authentic way which leads to more sustainable retention rates. It’s all interconnected.

Stories are the narratives that illustrate your culture, values, and impact. You can use social media, blogs, podcasts, videos, webinars, and events to share your culture and stories with your potential and existing employees. You can also encourage your employees to be your brand ambassadors and share their testimonials, reviews, and referrals.

In my experience at the workplace, conducting Employee Engagement Surveys, there are two areas of focus to build our branding. Firstly, maintain open communication channels to address concerns, foster trust, and demonstrate transparency within the organisation. Next, implement recognition programs to acknowledge and celebrate employee achievements, reinforcing a positive and supportive workplace culture.

When you showcase your culture you reveal how you interact with people of all kinds in various jobs with various skills. It also says you are proud of what you bring to the table and why.

Storytelling has evolved a lot over the course of the past couple of years. As it remains a main tool to articulate the company value proposition, one should be mindful that traditional storytelling formats (e.g. testimonial posts, blogs) might no longer be perceived as authentic and informative. In order to maintain relevance, employers should focus on storytelling that's more spontaneous and tailor formats accordingly. A good example in that direction is that even though not everyone can go on TikTok, many companies can produce TikTok format content and thereby keep up with trends.

As per my overall experience, companies should take care of there employees because all the top companies take care of their employees very well and in return employees give their best. We need to understand the employee mindset.

One thing many job seekers have commented to me on is having thought leaders in positions of support and leadership in your company. More than half of job seekers list professional development opportunities as one of their top three reasons for accepting a job. Everyone wants the opportunity to learn from and be coached by the best! Do you have employees who are thought leaders, or are frequent national speakers? Call it out! Sales enablement, team building, ergonomics, diversity, and other thought leadership and national speakers would be relevant to job seekers. Who on your team is writing articles and speaking at conferences? Highlight them in your job ads and website. You want to hire people who want to grow!

As the career site of the company is the online hub (home) of the employer brand it's a key tool to make sure your candidates have a single source of truth for your brand that's managed by you as an employer. Planning a career site should start with planning the candidate's journey for every role profile that your organization has. That way you can fill in the gaps accordingly and make sure your career site adds value in the application process.

In my experience, I have encountered company culture which valued employees and companies which did not value employees. As a manager in both situations I found employees who were valued to be more productive and efficient in work activities. It did not matter if employees were skilled or unskilled labor, the employees performed better when management would place importance on the individual. Respect goes a long way to making a company successful.

Ensure your website and job postings reflect your EVP (Employer Value Proposition). Make the application process user-friendly and informative, giving candidates a clear understanding of your company and its values.

Building a brand comes with people... the better we understand the people and work with them for mutual growth and prosperity ... better recognised we are as a brand or person

People stay engaged in a workplace that shows their appreciation daily. We must continually recognize and promote positive feedback. Development will occur once the proper environments are set. We can then add in the training, gain feedback through surveys, and have real engagement with learning and development. Everyone is different so the plans for their development will always be evolving, and must remain challenging for the individual to maintain their engagement.

It is very important that employees in any position can see the impact of what they do on the success of the organization. Also, the more we can involve their opinion in the important decisions of the team or organization, the more motivated and happy employees we will have.

First, I attempt to give verbal recognition of employee's positive contributions. Make employee's feel Valued and consider their opinions when making decisions. Show them you are invested with them by working with them at every level especially during holidays. Build employees up. Tell them about opportunities coming and what they can do to prepare for those opportunities. If an employee fails to respond be honest with them and tell them what to do to be ready next time. Always end on a positive note. Truely know people and their families, do not be 100% business. Relate to them through empathy and build repour. Treat people the way you want to be treated in their situation. Take care of Achievers, or you will lose them to someone else.

Empowerment to employees is most important to build a strong brand. Common KPI across the organisation helps a lot. Clear and transparent communication on KPI MTP and reward programs keeps the employee committed to the goal.

From hands-on experience, Start by clearly defining your company's values, mission, and culture. Determine the key attributes that make your company an attractive place to work. Also enhance your company's online presence: Invest in creating a strong online presence. Maintain an up-to-date website, and social media profiles to attract potential candidates and align with your employer brand. Develop partnerships and collaborations with industry organizations, educational institutions, and community groups to boost your company's visibility and build relationships. Engaging with these entities can help establish your brand as an attractive employer and provide opportunities for networking and talent acquisition

When defining your employer brand it’s a good practice to engage employees across the organization to understand what they value about working there, how they contribute to the success of the company, and what creates a sense of belonging and community for them. Understanding how you’re perceived by your talent as an organization is a great place to start to define your brand.

Continuously measuring and enhancing our employer brand is a strategic imperative in our trades. It's not just about perception; it's about actively shaping an identity that attracts top talent of excellence. By understanding how we are perceived, we ensure that our organization remains an employer of choice, with innovation, and professional growth.

Surveys and Feedback: Conduct regular surveys to gauge employee and candidate perceptions of your employer brand. Use feedback to identify strengths and areas for improvement. Online Presence Monitoring: Monitor social media and review sites for mentions of your company to manage and respond to online reputation. Leverage positive testimonials and address concerns promptly. Metrics and Benchmarks: Analyze recruitment metrics, employee retention rates, diversity, and inclusion data. Benchmark against industry competitors to understand your positioning. Continuous Improvement: Implement changes based on insights gained, continuously refining your employer brand strategy.

Use surveys, feedback, and analytics to gauge perception and engagement. Adjust strategies based on results, continuously improving your employer brand initiatives.

Consistent Branding: Ensure a consistent brand message across all platforms, including social media, job postings, and internal communications. Employee Testimonials: Showcase positive experiences through employee testimonials and success stories to add authenticity to your employer brand. Engage on Social Media: Actively participate in social media platforms, sharing insights into company culture, achievements, and employee activities. Invest in Employee Development: Demonstrate a commitment to professional growth by offering training programs and career advancement opportunities. Recognition and Rewards: Acknowledge and reward employee contributions, fostering a positive workplace culture.

I have seen employee advocacy working really well for propagating an employer brand. Identify your top performers. Educate them about your employer brand. Discuss with them how they see EVP play out in their role and the organization. Ask them to talk about your EVP. Provide them curated content which they can share and educate their network about.

The employer brand is how others outside the company view the employer. The reputation of the employer is determined by the actions of the leadership and every single employee. The brand should be developed in collaboration with employees across all departments, all levels, and all generations. The brand can change over time as the workforce changes. The culture must support the employer brand, so the brand cannot be developed at the top and driven down into the workforce.

In my experience, I found offering opportunities for continuing education to be important to morale and growth. As a manager where the labor was unskilled, encouraging employees together GED opened doors for advancement and improvement in life opportunities. Morale increased as individuals were encouraged to better themselves.

Internal Alignment: Ensure that the EVP aligns with the organization's overall business strategy, mission, and values. Engage leadership and key stakeholders to secure support and alignment. Employee Segmentation: Tailor the EVP to different employee segments based on roles, levels, and functions. Recognize and address the diverse needs and motivations of various employee groups. Market Research: Conduct thorough research on industry trends, competitor EVPs, and evolving employee expectations. Stay informed about changes in the labor market to remain competitive.