The Power of Employer Branding: Boosting Recruitment and Retention

In today's competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent is more important than ever. One key factor that can make or break your organisation's ability to achieve this is your employer brand. In this blog post, we'll explore the concept of employer branding, its impact on recruitment and retention, and how to establish and maintain a strong employer brand.

What is Employer Branding?

Employer branding refers to how an organization presents itself to potential and current employees. It is the perception of your company as a wonderful place to work, and it encompasses everything from your company culture and values to the benefits and career opportunities you offer. A strong employer brand can:

• Attract high-quality candidates

• Reduce recruitment costs

• Increase employee engagement and satisfaction

• Improve retention rates

For example, Google is known for its innovative and fun work environment, generous benefits, and commitment to employee development. These factors contribute to Google's strong employer brand, making it one of the most sought-after companies to work for.

Importance of Employer Branding

Having a strong employer brand is crucial in today's job market for several reasons:

• Recruitment: According to a LinkedIn study, 75% of job seekers consider an employer's brand before applying for a job. A strong employer brand can help you attract top talent and reduce the time and cost of filling open positions.

• Retention: A compelling employer brand can also help you keep your best employees. Companies with a strong employer brand have a 28% lower turnover rate than those with a weak employer brand, according to a Corporate Executive Board study.

• Employee engagement: Employees who are proud of their company's employer brand are more likely to be engaged and productive. A strong employer brand can also boost your organization's reputation and help attract customers and partners.

Establishing a Strong Employer Brand

Here are some practical tips and guidelines on how to build and maintain a compelling employer brand:

1. Define your employer value proposition (EVP): Your EVP is the unique combination of benefits, culture, and career opportunities that your organisation offers. Start by identifying what sets your company apart and what makes it a great place to work.

2. Create consistent messaging: Ensure that your employer brand messaging is consistent across all channels, including your website, job postings, and social media profiles. This will help create a cohesive image of your company as an employer.

3. Leverage social media and other channels: Use platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to highlight your employer brand and engage with potential candidates. Share employee testimonials, behind-the-scenes content, and updates about company events and initiatives.

4. Work with a professional digital marketer, we can ensure your brand is marketed consistently and persistently while also making sure it is marketed across popular channels (for example, in our case, The Kumara Vine, The Job Market, Wellington Today, Auckland Coffee Club and many, many sites across most major towns in Aotearoa.

5. Measure the results: Track key metrics such as application rates, time-to-fill, employee satisfaction, and turnover rates to evaluate the success of your employer's branding efforts and make improvements as needed. Digital marketing results can be very transparent if you set things up correctly. Understanding what works becomes second nature over time.

Successful Employer Branding Examples

Here are some real-life examples of companies with successful employer branding strategies:

• Starbucks: Starbucks is known for its strong commitment to employee development and benefits, including offering healthcare coverage and tuition reimbursement. This focus on employee well-being has helped Starbucks build a strong employer brand and attract a loyal workforce.

• Salesforce: Salesforce's employer brand is built around its "Ohana" culture, which emphasizes collaboration, innovation, and giving back to the community. This unique culture has helped Salesforce become a top employer and attract top talent in the tech industry.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a strong employer brand is essential for attracting and retaining top talent in today's competitive job market. By defining your EVP, creating consistent messaging, leveraging social media, and measuring the results, you can build a compelling employer brand that sets your organization apart. We encourage you to share your own experiences and seek out additional resources to strengthen your employer branding efforts further.

A big mistake most Kiwi organisations make is to create beautiful videos and stories that only get posted to their own website and once or twice to their own social media pages. Working with us, we make sure those assets are proactively promoted across the country or across the world, targeting the people you want on a regular basis.

I hope this article was helpful. Feel free to contact me should you be interested in promoting your brand professionally on a regular basis to our high-value digital markets here in New Zealand.

Tony Cutting
for Tony Cutting Digital & The Job Market
m. 021 911 722
e. tony@tonycuttingdigital.co.nz