4 Signs You’re Hurting Your Employer Brand
The Great Resignation and the ensuing talent shortage have highlighted the importance of employer branding as candidates are significantly focusing on organizational culture as a deciding factor. There is no doubt that positioning an employer brand is now a critical recruitment strategy. In the age of remote hiring, employer branding is climbing fast to the top of the most effective recruitment approach list. So if you have an employer brand but aren’t getting much traction from it, there may be certain factors at play. Continue reading to identify if there’s one or more things that are hindering your employer brand positioning.
You’re Ignoring Your Employee Value Proposition
One of the most common mistakes many companies commit is creating an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) but not doing anything with it. They don’t use it in their communications nor integrate it with their strategy. The EVP should lay the groundwork for your employer brand and underpin all internal and external communications. Beer maker Sam Adams demonstrated this in their video ads by using their company value of “staying independent” and meshing it with their zeal and commitment towards crafting good beer. The video featured employees doing the bidding and targeted both consumers and potential candidates through the video.
You Think Managing Your Brand and Controlling it is the Same
Many employers make the mistake of equating employer branding with controlling the brand. There are many examples of brands who had to learn the lesson. Employer branding is managed, not controlled. You cannot control what your employees say about you, but you can manage your response. For instance, when a Yelp employee wrote a scathing blog against the company’s low pay, instead of starting a conversation about benefits and the rising cost of living in San Francisco, where the employee was located, the review platform attempted to deflect the issue by turning it onto the employee and taking a reactionary approach. In contrast, when the pilots’ union leader slammed American Airlines in a public letter for the airline’s cost-cutting measures and poor culture, the company spokesman owned up to it and presented the measures that American has been taking to fix the problems. This is employer branding 101. You don’t control what people say, but you can surely manage your reaction to come out in a winning light.
You’re Trying to be Something You’re Not
One of the aims of employer branding is to show a glimpse of the company’s inner workings and its culture to potential employees. What kind of tone does it set? Is the work atmosphere fun and creative or corporate and fast-paced? Organizations that are not clear on what they stand for come across as inauthentic while trying to be someone they are not. It must start with the understanding that their employees can be their advocates. An example of a company who completely embraces their culture on social media and other mediums is Oracle. The tech firm regularly shares content from employees. Not only does this fit well with the company’s positioning as an authentic employer, but it inspires potential candidates with what they can look forward to when they work for Oracle.
Your Employer Brand Isn’t Aligned with Your Consumer Brand
Although this goes without saying, many companies neglect to align their consumer brand with their employer brand. This creates a disconnect where potential candidates are unable to connect the dots. It’s what goes in the “why work with us” part on your careers’ page. Another aspect of not doing this can end up alienating your employees. For instance, when GoDaddy ran an ad campaign that was provocative and racy and depended on attractive women to generate buzz, it offended the female employees of the company and required much damage control to fix.
Conclusion: Revisiting Your Employer Brand
Creating a strong employer brand is about owning your company’s culture, employee opinions, and feedback. Streamlining all these can take time and resources, but with the right approach and tools to support your recruitment marketing strategy efforts, it is easy to pivot your way to a better position that attracts top talent and engages them deepers.