Employer branding as a recruitment weapon

Success hinges on your employees. But how do you attract the best combination of talent and experience? And, just as importantly, how do you keep the competition from hijacking your current employees?

Why employer branding is so important

The strength of your business lies in your staff. The experience and unique talents of your employees create a chemistry that pays off in the long run. Staff who are happy show loyalty and are the perfect signboard for your company. It raises production and makes you more competitive.

Tight labor market

The only problem is that times have changed. Staff no longer stay with the same employer for decades, but are open to opportunities at other companies. It has become normal for someone to move to a new employer every five years.

In times of economic prosperity, companies compete by offering favorable working conditions. So that competition in recruitment makes it harder for you to attract staff. Fortunately, there is a solution that allows companies like yours to entice ideal candidates.

What is employer branding?

Employer branding aims to become irresistible to (potential) employees. It is the collective term for actions that result in you attracting the right candidates and retaining employees.

Employer branding is more than just building a work at site or being active on social media. It starts with putting down an authentic story: what makes you so special as an employer? Based on your goal, ambition and budget, you then choose the best means to get this message out.

Different forms

Meeting your business goals is difficult when your company has high turnover. In addition, the tightness in the job market means you have to make an extra effort to find the right candidates. That you need to invest in your employees is a given, but wouldn’t it be nice if you could get much more out of that investment?

Employer branding offers a solution by positioning your company as irresistible. After you create a unique story, choose one or more ways to tell that story. Of course, you also take into account the characteristics and habits of your target audience. In addition, Google for Jobs has been introduced in the Netherlands, changing the way users search for jobs. Some ways to express your employer brand are:

• Build your own working at website
• Create a social media campaign
• Post job openings on your own website as well
• Place ads through Google, Facebook, Linkedin, etc.
• Motivate your employees to present candidates

Retaining and bringing in the best employees requires a well thought out plan with tight execution.

Website entirely dedicated to employer branding

A work-at-home website is a separate website (or subpage) aimed specifically at attracting new employees. Instead of placing vacancies between services or products, employer branding takes center stage here.

Why is a work-at-home website useful?

• You show who you are as an employer, not just as a company.
• Candidates immediately get a feel for the atmosphere and culture.
• You bundle all jobs in one convenient place.
• Findability in Google (SEO) improves significantly.
• You make applying for a job accessible, including mobile.
• It is easier to share content through campaigns or social media.

In short: a work-at-home site helps you reach the right people faster and better.

More profits thanks to online recruitment

Candidates who do not fully meet your job requirements require a longer familiarisation period, additional courses and a dose of patience. And even then there is a risk that they will not reach the desired level.

Retaining and bringing in the best employees requires a well thought out plan with tight execution. A strategy that creates a steady flow of the right candidates. Feel free to factor the results of this into the cost-benefit calculation of your online efforts. For example, consider the following KPIs:

• Number of potential candidates reached
• Number of applications received
• Number of job interviews started
• Number of employment contracts signed

Strong employer brand

A strong employer brand is the linchpin of successful employer branding. It determines how (potential) employees think about your organization. Even before they have ever spoken to you. A powerful brand story creates recognition, trust and attraction. It shows what you stand for as an employer, your culture and the values you consider important.

By communicating consistently and authentically, both internally and externally, you build a reputation that fits your ideal candidate. This can be through a social media post, a job posting or a conversation at a networking event. Every moment of contact contributes to the image of your organization as an employer. And that very image determines whether someone is attracted to your company or not.

Get started yourself with our employer branding checklist

If, as a company, you want to become more attractive to candidates as well as current employees, there is no way around employer branding. But how do you go about that? Where do you start and what steps should you take? With our handy recruitment checklist, you can immediately see what you need to think about.

Want to learn more about recruitment and employer branding? Then read the recruitment white paper.