Creating a Winning Employer Brand: A Step-by-Step Guide for HR Professionals

• 86% of employees look at company reviews and ratings before applying for a job.
• 50% of employees won’t apply to a company with a bad reputation.
• 30% of new hires leave within 90 days.

These are 3 interesting stats from a 2023 Forbes article. Interesting, because they show a clear correlation between your brand’s reputation and your talent game. If you want to win the war on top talent, you need to build a great employer brand. 

The work landscape has changed a lot and employees are now aware of their professional as well as personal requirements now more than ever. So, how do you make your organisation stand out? How do you attract top talent in a competitive job market? The answer lies in creating a winning employer brand. 

A compelling employer brand not only helps you attract the right candidates, but also keeps your employees engaged and loyal. 

In this blog, we’ll take you through a step-by-step guide to creating a winning employer brand, with a lot of stats and insights. Why wait? Let’s dive in!

Steps to Building A Compelling Employer Brand

Step 1: Define Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

Think of your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) as your organisation’s secret sauce. It’s what sets you apart from the rest and entices talented individuals to join your team. According to a recent Glassdoor survey, a whopping 84% of job seekers consider an organisation’s reputation before applying. So, take a moment to define what makes your company special. Is it a flexible work-life balance, career growth opportunities, or a fun and supportive culture? Whatever it is, your EVP should reflect your organisation’s unique value proposition.

Step 2: Conduct Internal and External Research

To create a compelling employer brand, you need to understand both your employees’ experiences and the external perception of your organisation. Conduct internal surveys or hold focus groups to gather insights from your employees. Find out what they love about working for your organisation, any areas for improvement, and what they believe sets your company apart. Additionally, research external sources like job boards, social media, and industry forums to identify what appeals to top talent in your industry.

Step 3: Craft Your Employer Brand Messaging

Now that you have gathered valuable insights, it’s time to craft your employer brand messaging. This is your opportunity to showcase your organisation’s personality and culture. Don’t be afraid to inject some humour and personality into your messaging.

According to a LinkedIn study, 70% of professionals want to know about a company’s culture before applying for a job. Share engaging stories that highlight your company’s values and emphasise the benefits of working with you. Remember, authenticity is key!

Step 4: Leverage Social Media and Other Digital Channels

In today’s digital age, you can’t afford to neglect the power of online platforms in building your employer brand. Create a captivating careers website that showcases your EVP, shares employee testimonials, and provides a glimpse into your company culture. Consider developing a strong presence on professional networking sites like LinkedIn, where talented individuals actively seek opportunities. Share valuable content, industry insights, and maybe even a funny video or two to grab attention and spark interest. 

Let’s not forget about job posting sites such as Indeed, Glassdoor, AngelList etc. which have become reliable sites for the candidates to understand more about the vacancies, company culture, salary pattern etc. 

Step 5: Embrace Employee Advocacy

Your employees are your brand ambassadors, and their voices carry weight. Encourage them to share their positive experiences on social media and review sites. But remember, people love authenticity, so let them share their stories in their own unique voices. Foster a culture of transparency and create platforms for employees to be heard. In fact, according to an Edelman survey, employees are trusted more than CEOs when it comes to sharing information about a company. 

Step 6: Leverage Technology

Your company’s digital maturity is pivotal in creating a positive brand reputation. We live in the 21st century and if you are not technologically evolved as you should be, your employees are going think negatively about you. It is crucial to use effective tools and software for automating, centralising, and streamlining your internal processes, which in turn contribute to an exceptional employee experience. 

For example, when you use a workforce management tool like ZenAdmin to streamline and automate your HR & IT processes, the benefits are twofold. Firstly, your employees feel happy about how streamlined the internal processes are. Secondly, your HR team can concentrate on more strategic things – like building your brand’s reputation – rather than racking their head over paperwork. 

Read The Future of Work is Here: Introducing ZenAdmin Employee Management Platform.

Step 7: Enhance Employee Experience

It is crucial to focus on your employees’ overall experience in the company. Today, employees have taken the centre stage and with the right skillsets, they have a ton of companies to choose from. Organisations are now realising the importance of creating a great experience for their workforce, to ensure that they are happy, satisfied and growing. 

Step 8: Focus on Culture

As per LinkedIn’s survey, 70% of candidates think that the biggest hiring deal breaker is bad company culture. Your employer brand is not just welcome kits and welcome posts on social media – but rather it’s a consistent process of creating a positive culture where employees feel like they belong. You might have great products, high packages, and cool benefits. But if your culture is not appealing enough, your employees will never be truly happy. 

Step 9: Measure and Refine

Building an employer brand is an ongoing process. Measure the impact of your effort through employee satisfaction surveys, feedback from candidates, and retention rates. Analyse the data and identify areas where you can improve. Remember, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is a winning employer brand. Be open to making adjustments along the way to keep evolving and staying ahead of the competition.

Creating and managing an employer brand can be overwhelming, but fear not! With ZenAdmin, you can forget about routine tasks such as setting up meetings, manually updating data base, rolling out documents company-wide etc. It’s time to focus on building a winning employer brand. From onboarding, employee data management, devices, and payroll, to offboarding, ZenAdmin has got you covered. 

Follow these steps as closely as you can, invest in employer branding, keep refining your strategy and viola! You will soon become a great place to work and top talent will line up to join you!