Employer Branding: It Matters

Establishing a strong brand is vital for every company, especially in today’s society where new start-ups and organizations enter the marketplace by the second. The public is constantly bombarded with new information in the 24/7 news-cycle making it more difficult to catch peoples’ attention. Companies are consistently vying to attract new audiences, but the best way to establish a presence in the marketplace is to build and maintain an identity associated with an organization that is able to engage people. An organization is able to remain relevant as long as the brand’s positive image is sustained.

Employer branding is a broad issue many companies must address, but have difficulty with the initial process. To build and sustain a brand is not easy because there are many factors that go into building a brand. Companies must strategically analyze what methods work best for establishing a brand, so there may be trial and error before finding a perfect solution. While there are many methods to branding such as image design, providing excellent customer service, and having an excellent company culture, the key to establishing a positive brand is to consider the people. Companies should think about not only how the brand reaches its consumers, but also how its brand can aid in bringing in top talent, which in turn reflects the organization itself.

When organizations try to reach consumers, the message can be as loud as possible, but if it’s not meaningful to the consumer, it will simply be ignored. Very similar principles in marketing-focused branding apply to employer branding.

Companies must create an additional brand that appeals to potential talent. This includes having a strong internal presence, because current employees can share their positive experience at work to either recommend other talent or indirectly draw in top talent. With the rise of social media, it’s easy for anyone – even candidates to share their experiences. Having a strong corporate culture is absolutely necessary to attract the best talent. When building and sustaining a brand, companies must understand whom they are trying to target similarly to attracting consumers. The difference is that the individuals a company is trying to recruit as employees might be different than those it’s trying to reach with a particular product or service.

It’s vital for organizations to have two unified brands within a company – one for the consumer and one for potential employees. The audiences can overlap, but they are usually distinct. Not everyone who purchases a product or service from a company would also want to work for that same company. Organizations must understand how to attract each group and strategically reach those audiences through various branding tactics.

Video is a wonderful way to increase engagement with both consumer and candidate/employee audiences.

For more information about how to leverage video (and other important tips) in strengthening YOUR employer brand, download our new Employer Branding guide today!