We first blogged about ‘Boosting Your Employment Brand’ in 2014. This post was rewritten in 2020 to make it more factually correct and relevant to today’s practices.

We hear more and more about how to attract top talent, businesses need to promote a strong employer brand. But what is an employment brand, why is it so important in recruitment and how to build one?

What is Employer Branding?

Firstly, let’s address the issue of what employer branding is. We all understand that company branding communicates a consistent message to customers about the products a business sells and their position in the market. Similarly, employer branding delivers a clear and consistent message to potential employees of what the working environment and company culture are like within a company.

How Employer Branding Helps in Recruitment

For almost every company, whether it spans a global reach and operates in multiple markets, or is a new start-up employer branding is more important now than ever. Why? Because we are experiencing a global tech skills shortage. The ability to attract the right workforce in such challenging times can have a major impact on growth and ultimately profits.

In short, employer branding helps candidates identify the most desirable companies to work for.

Universum produces an annual ‘World’s Most Attractive Employer’ report. Not surprisingly, it’s the major tech employers such as Google, Microsoft and IBM who repeatedly appear at the top. So how can smaller businesses possibly compete?

How To Build (or Improve) Employer Branding

Well, it is important to note that not every employer wants to work for a big corporation where they would be a tiny cog in a massive machine. Many tech professionals would much rather work in a smaller organisation where they can really see the impact their work has on the wider business.

That said, small businesses can learn a lot from global organisations. So what gives the likes of Google their competitive edge in employment branding? We take a look at the employer branding tactics used by Google and how they could be applied to enhance the recruiting efforts of a small business.

Use Current Employees to Reach Out to New Ones

A brand’s reputation is everything, especially in the race to find and keep the most talented workers. Actively encouraging satisfied employees to shout about the merits of their place of work is an effective way to attract new job-seekers.

Savvy employer Google knows this and as a consequence, deliberately displays photographs of real people working at Google on its social channels.

Take a quick scroll through Google’s social media feeds displaying working life at its ultra-hip and innovative offices. It’s easy to understand why potential candidates coming to the end of their degree would be excited at the prospect of working for such a ‘happening’ company.

Demonstrate a Good Employee Value Proposition

Flexibility and juggling work and life with greater efficiency is at the core of contemporary employment. As the Universum Student Survey revealed, a huge majority of new graduates around the world are attracted to employers who encourage flexibility and friendly work ethics.

Employment brand master Google understands the modern demand to balance work and life and cares so much for the wellbeing of its employees, it performs its own study related to such issues.

In its gDNA study, 4,000 employees at Google complete two anonymous in-depth surveys. As a result of the study, Google has discovered how their employees perceive their work/life balance and are subsequently implementing various strategies to combat problems associated with workers who find it difficult to achieve a positive work/life balance.

A Good Employee Value Proposition isn’t just about offering flexible working. It’s the total benefits package an employee receives in return for the hard work, skills and expertise they deliver in their role.

It’s not enough to list the benefits you offer on your company careers page. Before applying for a job, candidates want to see for themselves what working life is like within your business. Instead, why not show pictures of your employees enjoying breakfast brainstorming session on Instagram. This demonstrates that you take care of your employee wellbeing and have a happy work environment.

How A Recruitment Consultant can Help Strengthen your Employer Brand

As employee expectations are changing, it is important that employers keep up-to-date. If you need advice on how to implement employer branding, having a recruiter on your side can help. We won’t manage your employer branding but we can help you attract talent and build a skilled workforce. Take a look at our case studies to see how we have helped our existing clients enjoy growth and success.

We work hard to find the right employees for a diverse range of clients. As a consequence, we are called upon time and time again by the same companies and brands to find new talent to keep the skilled workforce cog in motion.