If you’re an HR representative / CEO / anyone else and you need to create an employer brand, you’ve landed in the right place! Employer branding isn’t just a carbon copy of your existing brand – it’s a strategic approach to shaping the perceptions and realities of your organisation as a place to work. It’s also about aligning your organisation’s values, culture, and personality with your employee experiences and external messaging. This helps you to not only attract the right talent but also retains the star performers already shining within your ranks.
Why is Employer Branding Important?
Simply put, your employer branding helps your organisation attract candidates who resonate with your culture and values, almost like a match made in professional heaven. It reduces hiring costs by attracting candidates organically through your reputation.
Furthermore, a strong employer brand leads to a 28% reduction in turnover rates. Why? Because candidates enjoy a seamless experience from the moment they apply to a job to their first day in the office / factory / site / whatever.
It’s not just about filling positions; it’s about filling them with the right people who are likely to stay and grow with your company.
Who Decides the Brand Story?
Often, there’s a misconception that the brand story is a tale spun exclusively by those at the top – your managers or CEOs. However, the truth is far more inclusive.
Everyone in your organisation plays a crucial role in shaping and telling your brand story. From the frontline employees to the executive team, each perspective and interaction contributes to the narrative.
This collective approach ensures your employer brand is not only comprehensive but also authentic and resonant with all stakeholders.
To harness these diverse insights, workshops and listening sessions are indispensable. These are not just meetings but creative and collaborative spaces where every employee can voice their views and experiences.
Through activities like storytelling sessions, surveys, and focus groups, you’ll gather valuable data and anecdotes that form the bedrock of your employer branding strategy. It’s about listening, understanding, and then crafting a narrative that truly represents who you are as an employer.
Top Tip: Use Simon Sinek’s ‘Start with Why’
Simon Sinek’s simple yet profound model, ‘Start with Why,’ is a powerful tool in the employer branding process. It urges companies to delve deep into the reason they exist beyond making money.
What’s your purpose? What inspires your team to come to work every day? Understanding and articulating your ‘Why’ not only strengthens your cultural cohesion but also encourages candidates who share your passion and purpose.
Settling on Your Story
Once you’ve gathered insights and understood your ‘Why,’ it’s time to distil this information into a compelling employer brand story. This narrative should highlight your unique employer value propositions that distinguish you from competitors.
It should reflect your organisation’s mission, vision, and values, and resonate on an emotional level with potential and current employees. Remember, consistency is key. The story should be coherent across all platforms and materials.
Brand Look and Feel
Your employer brand’s look and feel are just as vital as the story it tells. This encompasses everything from your company logo and colour scheme to the tone of your communications and the design of your recruitment materials.
A consistent visual identity helps reinforce your employer brand and makes it instantly recognizable. It’s not just what you say; it’s also how you visually communicate your message that can attract the right talent.
Why it’s Important to Separate Brand and Employer Brand
While your overall brand and employer brand are siblings, they aren’t twins. Your employer brand focuses specifically on your identity as an employer and is tailored towards current and prospective employees.
It highlights aspects like company culture, employee benefits, and career development opportunities. Separating the two allows for more targeted, relevant communications for different audiences, enhancing clarity and impact in each domain.
Launching and Living
Launching your employer brand is a significant milestone, but it’s just the beginning. Living out your employer brand is a continuous commitment. It must be woven into all facets of your business operations, from how managers communicate to the policies you enact and how you handle everyday workplace interactions.
Regularly revisiting and refining your employer branding strategy is crucial to keep it relevant and resonant. Don’t let your efforts be a one-off campaign that fades into oblivion. Make it a vibrant, living part of your organisational ethos.
Summary
To wrap up, here’s a quick recap to guide your journey in employer branding:
- Start with Why: Understand and articulate your organisational purpose.
- Inclusive Storytelling: Involve everyone in the storytelling process to ensure authenticity.
- Consistent Visual Identity: Maintain a coherent visual style that matches your brand story.
- Separate but Symbiotic: Distinguish between your corporate and employer brands for tailored messaging.
- Live Your Brand: Consistently embody your employer brand in every aspect of your operations.
Embarking on an employer branding project might seem daunting, but with these steps, you’ll be well on your way to creating a magnetic and enduring brand. Remember, it’s not just about attracting talent—it’s about attracting the right talent and nurturing them into loyal ambassadors for your brand. Let the branding journey begin!
If you’re planning to redo your current employer brand or need to start from scratch, the Artfully team is ready to help! Drop us a line with your plans or desires and our team of employer branding experts will be in touch with some ideas or even an entire strategy.
