As the job market competition continues to intensify, procurement and HR professionals are finding it increasingly harder to find and keep highly skilled candidates. Because there is a shortage of talent, more positions are opening up than there are qualified people to fill them. With so many options available to them, job seekers are able to be more selective in the companies they work for, making the recruitment landscape increasingly candidate-driven. So what does this mean for you? It’s time to start focusing on your employer brand.
When it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent, employer brand plays a pivotal role. Your company’s image incorporates a wide variety of factors that influence how a candidate perceives your organization, including the language used in job ads, website and mobile app appearance, social media presence, employee feedback and reviews and even the application experience. All of these elements contribute to the overall message a business sends to job seekers and can affect whether or not a potential candidate wants to apply to – let alone work for – a company.
Your employer brand is your way of communicating to potential employees what your company has to offer and what makes your organization different and more appealing than others. By taking the time to reassess, refine and improve your employer brand, you can significantly increase the number of applicants you get, thereby enhancing the pool of talent you can choose from and ultimately elevating the success of your business.
You need to demonstrate what makes your employer brand unique.
Actively monitor and maintain the brand
Building a strong employer brand is not a one-and-done deal. It is an ongoing process. A Glassdoor research report revealed that nearly 70 percent of job seekers are more inclined to apply for a job if the business manages its employer brand. What exactly does this mean? In addition to responding to reviews, you should also be regularly updating your social media accounts and website. Also, make it a point to share updates about what your organization is up to, what events you are getting involved in and even some activities going on within the office. Not only does this add a human appeal to your brand, but it also demonstrates a fun, engaging and healthy corporate culture.
Focus on the candidate experience
When job seekers engage with your brand online, say, – for example, through an online job posting they came across, – that is the first impression they are getting. So it is important to make sure their experience is a good one. Remember, recruitment today is more about the candidate than it is the employer, meaning you need to tailor the application and interview process around his or her convenience. In an article for Talent Culture, Meghan Biro recently highlighted some effective strategies for optimizing the candidate experience, such as making the application process simple and seamless through new technologies, following up with each interviewee and providing feedback, and being as personable as possible.
Your Employer Brand Owns The Candidate Experience https://t.co/Dyw46xyPwL via @MeghanMBiro
— Shelly Kramer (@ShellyKramer) August 12, 2016
If the candidate finds your job posting off-putting or the application process too lengthy and complicated, the chances of that individual looking elsewhere for a job grows. By tailoring your recruitment and talent acquisition strategies around the candidate experience, you are creating a stronger employer brand that will leave a better impression on potential employees.
Review your reviews
The ROI of your recruitment efforts will only be as strong as your retention strategy. If you aren’t making existing workers happy, it is going to hurt your ability to onboard new ones – especially if they end up leaving a bad review for your company. Glassdoor found that 61 percent of users research the reviews and ratings of a company before even submitting an application, and 62 percent agreed that their opinion of the brand is influenced by whether or not the employer responds to a review.
“Strong recruitment strategies rely on high retention rates.”
The heavy weight that employer reviews can have on recruitment initiatives highlights the importance of going above and beyond to make sure your existing employees are satisfied in their roles and at your company. When you have a strong, happy and healthy corporate culture, workers will organically help improve a better employer brand because they will be more willing to speak highly of the business and recommend it to other candidates.
Perfect your message
When it comes to talent acquisition and recruitment, one of the biggest mistakes employers can make with their brand is not communicating the right message. This includes your website, social media and job ads. What does the design and wording of these resources say to someone who isn’t familiar with your company? You want to position yourself as an innovative thought leader, so your online persona should reflect that. This is particularly important when it comes to crafting job ads, as these are typically the first pieces of communication potential hires come across.