Employer branding: what it is, benefits and initiatives to get started

Employer branding is a marketing strategy used to create desirability (the famous desire) for people to work for your company. But why does this happen?

With the increasingly frequent use of the Internet in the search for jobs, another need has arisen for companies: present their institution in a way that is attractive to people. Thus began the first conversations about Employer Branding. 

The concept of the strategy is quite simple: The reputation and image of your company as a workplace.

The objective is also simple: to transform your organization into a place where everyone wants to work and no one wants to leave!

What is employer branding?

It is a set of techniques that, if used correctly, generate a positive perception of the market and consequently of the candidates about your company as a great place to work.

Thus, it has become an important tool in recruitment and selection, helping to attract, reception and retain professionals.

Together, they help you keep the best people collaborating, and also, to stand out in the talent search as the company that makes people's eyes shine.

All these techniques aim to reinforce the positive aspects of working for your company. This helps to strengthen your company's image, and makes people want to be part of your organization! That in itself is already good, isn't it? Attracting really talented and hardworking people to the team is the dream of every recruiter.

Employer branding is also important for the people who are already on the staff: the team sees the company as a great place to work and build their career, either by the opportunities to develop their potential or even by the professional appreciation. In this way, those who are in are striving to stay, and those who are outside want to join.

• As Dominguinhos would say: "Those who are outside want to get in, but those who are inside don't come out.” Get it?

The benefits of Employer Branding

The list is long, but we have separated some reasons (some of the best ones) to start putting the techniques into practice:

• More applications organically;
• Talent attraction and retention;
• Higher productivity and engagement of collaborators;
• Increase in the number of referrals;
• Reduced turnover;
• Less bureaucratic routines for HR;
• Help in positioning the company in the market.

How to start investing in Employer Branding?

When we talk about a company, all changes (even the small ones that seem very simple) need a lot of study and caution. Before establishing an attractive image - both internally and externally - it is necessary to understand some aspects:

• Understand who are the talents that you want to attract;
• What are the career expectations of the best professionals in the market?;
• What are the company's goals?

Once you have gathered these points, you can start to define your identity and positioning: what makes your organization an exceptional employer? Or better yet: what makes this place the desire of so many professionals?

To help you, we have separated some steps and practices necessary to strengthen or start investing in Employer Branding. Let's go!

1- Define your value proposition

Known as the Employer Value Proposition (EVP). In short, it is the employer's set of offers, which go far beyond a cash salary. 

It can be known as an "emotional salary" and today it is very valuable for the best talents, because here, we are talking about something bigger than a product or a position: we are talking about purpose! It is the EVP that shows the difference between being an employee of your company or joining another organization available in the market.

These values can, for example, be translated into rewards and benefits offered according to performance. But beware: if the EVP is not fulfilled by the company, your credibility is at stake! Therefore, pay close attention when listing your advantages.

2- Know very well your Organizational Culture

It is very famous and important in the R&S environment. It is the set of beliefs, values, habits and internal principles that define the way your collaborators act and think.

The culture is a very important piece for those who are inside and also for those who will join the team, so it is indispensable that it is shared with the candidates still in the selection process. 

This way, you attract people with values similar to those of the company, and you also reduce turnover. After all, people who are more aligned to the company hardly ever feel repressed or out of place!

It is through the culture that the market and the candidates identify the essence of your work environment; with it, it is possible to find out whether your environment is, for example, formal or relaxed.

3- Invest in active recruitment partners

This is a little commented practice, but it makes all the difference at the moment of recruitment!

This is because since the beginning of the selection process, the candidate realizes that the company is investing quality time and even money to improve their experience in the search for the dream job, which let's agree: it's not easy and many times stressful for everyone involved.

By closing an active recruitment, HR has much more time to take ahead of other initiatives and leaves the search for the best talents in the hands of specialists, who will be concerned with giving feedback and following the candidates through all stages in a very personalized way!

This action can be crucial in the experience of the candidates involved in your recruitment process and consequently in the perception they will have about your company.

4- Also recognize the successes of the collaborator

Much more important than the mistakes, are the successes of the collaborators, right? After all, they are the ones who led the company to achieve the results outlined at the beginning of the planning.

Therefore, when the collaborator does a very good job, recognize and reward them with a compliment, or even, depending on the moment of the sector they are part of, even a short Friday. Feedbacks are very important, both positive and negative.

These actions are important so that she understands her value and feels more and more engaged at work, and even to propagate a good image of her work environment.

Understanding what employer branding is may be the key that was missing to give that important differential to your recruitment!

The results of this set of strategies will emerge over time and it is important to remember that: as in all processes, it is necessary to constantly measure the performance of the techniques applied and, in some cases, adjust the activities and strategies.

If you would like to learn more about 99Hunters and find out how we can help your company modernize its recruitment, contact us using the button below. It will be a pleasure to serve you! See ya!