Building an Employer Brand

They have come to realize that creating a standout employer brand is essential to have ‘people advantage’. Talent and marketing are the new sides of a branding coin.

What Employees Want ?

 

This is because employees today expect much more than a stable income and promotion once-in-few-years. They must provide an open and free work culture alongside all possible amenities and facilities, competitive compensation and benefits while taking care of their overall well being.

Important Questions to Ask before Undertaking the Task of Building an Employer Brand

Every professional wants to associate with an organization of repute. And same is true for organizations when it comes to hiring talent. They want to recruit winning teams. It’s also true for the same organization in different talent markets.

1. What is the main challenge an organization is facing ?

   First of all, you have to identify the problem. That’s how it begins. What is the main challenge that you face? Do you:
   
   • Find it difficult to attract the candidates with the right skills?
   • Experience high employee turnover rate?
   • Have trouble retaining top talent?
   
   

2. Who’s your target audience?

   You know what challenges you are facing. Considering it the base, identify your target audience. Find answers to these questions:
   
   • What does your target audience expect?
   • What do they find of value?
   • What are they looking for in a future employer?
   • What tools are they using to find jobs?
   The answers of these questions will vary depending upon the age, experience and lifestyle of your target audience. Gen X professionals will have different expectations than Gen Y and millennial.
   

3. Why would your target audience want to work for you?

   What are the most compelling characteristics of your organization? Be objective. It’s about exploring and counting reasons why people would want to join your organization. Compare yourself with others in the industry and analyze your strong and weak points. Remember, the process is about finding what you currently offer and not about what you aspire to be when you have the right candidate on board. Think about:
   
   • Work culture
   • Compensation and benefits
   • Work schedules
   • Employee wellness/healthcare facilities
   • Paid off-time and other benefits
   If you think, these are not up to the mark, address these problems before you begin with your employer branding campaign takes off the ground.
   

4. What is the hiring process at your organization?

   Critically analyze the hiring process at your organization. Sometimes, application process is so casual that potential candidates don’t even apply for an opening. Or the job description looks really boring. Look at your hiring process from a candidate’s point of view. What would compel you to apply for a job?
   And if they are applying, do they ever receive a confirmation email from you? Take these factors into account and identify the loopholes in the process.

1. What is the current perception about you internally and in the job market?

   What your previous and existing employees have to say about you? Are they spreading good things about you? Do they love working for the company? No, if the employee turnover rate is high.
   The number of resumes and type of candidates applying for jobs at your organizations must give you sufficient hints about how you’re perceived in the job market. You should try and understand how this is affecting your ability to attract the right people. Find out the reasons and work towards eliminating them.
   

Once you find answers to all these questions, you can build a strategy defining how to go about employer brand creation. However, it’s important to remember that employer branding is:

• A comprehensive recruiting strategy
• A meticulously defined and focused corporate message
• A long term vision
• Not an advertising campaign
• Not a short term movement
• Not a quick fix