Guest Blog – 10 mind-blowing employer branding tips for recruiters Marketers
Attracting the best talent is every recruiter’s goal. But how?
The answer lies in effective employer branding, which influences candidates’ perceptions and decisions.
This article outlines practical tips for recruiters to enhance their brand and make their company the top choice for job seekers.
1. Define your employer value proposition (EVP)
An employee value proposition (EVP) is the unique package of benefits and experiences a company offers in exchange for an employee’s skills and dedication.
It’s what makes your employees say, “Hey, working here is awesome!”
So, always define what’s unique about your company.
Is it the endless growth opportunities, the rockstar team, or the unbeatable company culture?
Whatever it is, make sure it shines in your messaging.
2. Leverage employee advocacy – A company’s employees are its best brand ambassadors. They live and breathe the brand every day, so who better to sing its praises?
Encourage them to share their stories and experiences on social media.
When potential hires see real people loving their jobs, it speaks volumes about the workplace.
This authentic insight into your company culture can significantly enhance your employer brand and attract like-minded applicants to your candidate pool.
3. Optimize your career page – Your career page is like the front door to the company. You want it to be inviting and give a peek into what it’s like to work with you.
Make it visually appealing, easy to navigate, and packed with information about your EVP, culture, and jobs.
A stellar career page can make all the difference in attracting top talent.
Utilise a hiring platform to streamline the application process and showcase your company as a modern and efficient employer.
4. Engage in social media – Use social media to showcase the company’s achievements, culture, and job opportunities.
Share stories, photos, and videos that capture the business’ essence. And don’t forget to engage with your audience, answer questions, and build a community.
It’s all about creating a buzz and making the organisation a place where people want to be.
5. Cultivate an amazing company culture – A great company culture is like a magnet for top talent. Create an environment where diversity, inclusivity, and work-life balance are not just buzzwords but a reality.
Celebrate successes, encourage open communication, and make sure everyone feels valued.
A positive culture attracts candidates and keeps your current team happy and engaged.
6. Utilize employee testimonials – Testimonials from existing employees provide a genuine glimpse into your company culture and work environment.
Feature these on your career page, social media, and recruitment materials.
Hearing directly from current employees can significantly influence a candidate’s decision to apply.
7. Leverage employer review sites – Employer review sites like Glassdoor can significantly impact how your organization is viewed.
Monitoring and responding to positive and negative reviews shows that your company values feedback and is committed to continuous improvement.
Additionally, using feedback from these platforms to identify areas for improvement can help strengthen your employer brand over time.
8. Participate in industry events – Participating in events like job fairs and conferences can enhance your brand’s visibility.
Use these opportunities to network with potential candidates, showcase your company culture, and highlight your EVP.
Engaging with people from the industry can also position your company as a thought leader and attractive employer.
9. Leverage employee recognition programs – Recognizing and celebrating your employees’ achievements is a powerful way to boost your employer brand.
Implement programs that acknowledge their hard work, dedication, and contributions.
Whether through awards, shout-outs on social media, or special events, showing appreciation boosts morale and showcases your company as one that values its employees.
This positive image can attract potential candidates seeking an employer that recognizes and rewards excellence.
10. Collaborate with marketing & PR teams – Collaborating with the company’s marketing and PR teams can help amplify your employer’s branding efforts.
By aligning branding initiatives with overall marketing strategy and leveraging PR opportunities, you can increase visibility and attract top talent to the organization.
Additionally, using a recruiting software can streamline the collaboration process, ensuring your employer branding messages are consistent and effective across all channels.
Frequently asked questions
1. How can small companies with limited resources improve their employer branding?
Small companies can improve employer branding by focusing on authenticity, leveraging unique strengths, and utilizing free or low-cost resources such as social media platforms and networking events.
2. Is employer branding only crucial for attracting external talent, or does it also impact employee retention?
Employer branding is crucial for both attracting external talent and retaining existing employees. A strong employer brand fosters pride and loyalty among current employees, leading to higher retention rates.
3. What role do current employees play in shaping the employer brand?
Current employees are essential in shaping the employer brand as they embody the company culture. Their experiences and interactions influence how the company is perceived internally and externally.
Two Cups and a Bit of String is a blog by RecConnect, the recruitment network that helps busy recruiters sell more and spend less. Follow us on LinkedIn and join our free Club.
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Recruitment Leaders Are Failing Marketers
The recruitment industry doesn’t treat marketing with the respect it deserves.
Or to be more specific, recruitment leaders don’t.
It’s a well-trodden path:
Marketing professional enters the industry full of beans and gusto, excited by the prospects of working in such a ‘dynamic’ industry.
Eighteen months later, they’re gone, a dejected trail of broken promises strewn behind them.
Because despite protestations to the contrary, recruitment leaders – the founders, the directors, the bosses – don’t get marketing. And, in the main, they don’t trust marketers.
Did you know the average annual budget for the personal development of marketing professionals in recruitment is less than £500. Five hundred pounds. That’s just over £41.66 per month. How obscene is that? And we wonder why attrition rates are so high for marketers in our industry.
PEOPLE NEED PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT TO FEEL LIKE THEY ARE PROGRESSING.
It’s a fundamental human need. You’d think, wouldn’t you, that above all others, recruitment leaders would get it. Because, sadly, for too many, recruitment marketers are simply the ‘colouring in department’. Some sort of kaleidoscopic subplot to the monochromic mainstay. Doers, not thinkers; implementors, not inspirers.
The irony cannot and should not be overlooked.
Kieron Mayers, head of marketing at Paiger, points out that “if a marketer in recruitment is lucky enough to be given a budget, they’re told where to spend it.”
What’s the point in hiring a marketing professional for your team if you don’t trust them to make independent decisions?
And what’s the point in hiring a marketing professional if you don’t allow them to evolve?
Marketing and sales should be joined at the hip (personally, I think marketing should own sales). Only by working together towards the same goals can marketing truly deliver – and be rightly accountable for – every recruitment boss’s favourite phrase: R.O.I.
Is it more likely that ROI would be achieved if marketers were invested in themselves? It’s a rhetorical question, of course, but one seemingly too readily unconsidered.
Most recruitment agencies are poor at marketing. But it’s an easy fix. By taking personal development seriously, communicating properly and encouraging collaboration, we’ll accelerate learning, fuel inspiration and – here it comes – increase bang for buck.
Stop failing our marketers and sustained success will follow.
The annual Recruitment Marketing Experience event helps recruitment marketing pros and recruitment agency owners think differently and return more on their investment. Register today.
Two Cups and a Bit of String is a blog by RecConnect, the recruitment network that helps busy recruiters sell more and spend less. Follow us on LinkedIn and join our free Club.
Two Cups and a Bit of String is a blog by RecConnect, the recruitment network that helps busy recruiters sell more and spend less. Follow us on LinkedIn and join our free Club.
Previous Blog Below
There can’t be too many journalists-turned-recruiters. But I am one.
A former frontline Sunday Times scribbler, I tumbled into recruitment when the whiff of wonga became too strong. Do I regret the switch?
Sometimes.
Because sometimes the industry drives me nuts. The sheep. The charlatans. The silos.
But mainly it’s the communication that stings. Or rather, the lack of it.
So that’s why I’m here. Commencing a personal quest to quench the thirst for better messaging, greater alliances, hoping it will help us all be better at what we do. Better at engaging with our clients, our candidates, ourselves.
I’ll be holding people to account, standing opinions up to scrutiny and, hopefully, giving us all things to think about along the way.
Expect short form writing, feature pieces, video and, naturally, podcast episodes.
For two decades recruitment has been my playground. I’ve met wonderful people, witnessed transformative occurrences, collaborations, enjoyed events, encouraged leadership development, and fostered connections and conversations.
But it can be better.
Grab a cup. This is just the beginning.