6 Ways To Build An Engaging Employer Brand

Employer branding has to start within the organization and with your own people

An organization is no longer known merely for its products and services. People are now more interested in knowing about the experiences of employees working in that company. Over the years, we’ve realised that the way employees perceive their company can make or break the brand’s name in the market. Employer branding is, in fact, much like marketing in that sense. And here, the brand ambassadors are the employees. With this in mind, here are six ways to holistically build an effective employer brand. 

As the team in charge of talent acquisition, it’s important to ask ourselves, “What makes a person want to work in my organization?” More often than not, it’s the culture and values a company embodies. While leaders are important representatives of a company, over time, I’ve understood that it’s best to make employees the face of the brand. We have to build a culture that will make employees voluntarily speak about the company positively. 

The workforce is changing and evolving every day. And that means we as organizations also have to make changes to accommodate newer and younger people. One of the most important aspects of building a team is diversity and inclusion. A few decades ago, there wasn’t much emphasis on this, but now people want to see a company include people from all walks of life, take a stand on important issues, and ultimately promote what’s right. With time, the newer generations also prioritize work environment over just money, and these are changes that should be embraced systemically.

The key to consistently keep people interested is posting on your social media regularly so that you as a company are always on top of the audience’s mind. A study by Jobsoid said that 94% of candidates are willing to apply to a company that actively manages their employer branding. However, posting just the company’s accomplishments is not enough. Plan out a proper content strategy and try to mix up social media communications with a variety of subjects. From employees’ achievements, celebrations and events at the office, to posts on the organizational vision, mission and philosophies. Add to these with hiring posts and updates about unique policies that the company has such as paternity benefits, flexi-working hours and remote working options.  

Employees first or customer first? I’d say when it’s employees first, it inevitably leads to customers first. Keeping employees happy will help towards better service to the customers, as happy employees are more productive, positive and have a strong sense of ownership as representatives of the company. And happy employees are the best ambassadors for your company. Putting your employees first helps in building a reputation for your brand. This not only helps attract more people to work with you, but it also helps in retaining employees. 

Feedback is essential at every step in anyone’s career. It helps you grow and provide better for your people. Build a culture that encourages feedback. It will help you identify problems in the organization as well as keep the employees satisfied, assuring them that they are heard at every juncture. The feeling of being valued is important to everyone, and this is what keeps employees loyal to the company. If your company comes up in a positive light in conversations that your employees have with their friends and family, it’s a win for you. And this is just as much a part of employer branding as any LinkedIn strategy.

Every employee starts a job with the hope to learn and grow. If the organization gives them the chance to learn and explore to their maximum potential, this will promote higher job satisfaction and will stem the ill effects of high attrition rates. And always remember, an individual’s growth is also the company’s growth. Talk about your investment in employees through learning and development to get more engagement both online and offline.

Employer branding has to start within the organization and with your own people. Build trust, focus on employee well-being and growth for everyone in the company. It’s much more than a few social media posts. What your employer brand is, should speak truthfully about how you are as an employer. Start within, and you will shine on the outside. 

Uma Maheshwara Sarma Tatipati is currently positioned as the HR Manager at Smart Drive Systems, with more than 12 years of experience in Strategic HR Management in IT/ITES business with a key focus on talent development, employee retention, and optimal utilization of resources. In his professional journey across organizations, Uma has displayed a positive people-centric approach; successfully benchmarking industry best practices.  Visit www.smartdrive.net  Connect Uma Maheshwara Sarma Tatipati Follow @smartdriveinc