Employer Branding

What is employer branding?

Employer branding is the process of cultivating a favorable reputation to help attract and retain talented employees who can ensure business success.

While a corporate brand is the perception of a company as held by the public, customers and investors, an organization’s employer brand is the perception of the experience of working for the company. The corporate brand and employer brand are generally reflective but not necessarily identical. Employer brand is a nuanced, multi-faceted concept.

Why is a positive employer brand important?

According to LinkedIn, before applying for a job, 75% of job seekers will research an organization’s reputation. Potential applicants can look at Glassdoor and other employer review sites to read reviews from current and former employees. The corporate website and social media sites can also help express the employer brand. Harvard Business Review estimates that a bad reputation increases cost-per-hire by 10% or more.

In today’s increasingly competitive job market, a positive employer brand is critical. Without one, hiring and retaining the best employees becomes challenging — and costly. You need talented, leadership-bound workers to drive your business forward, and the best way to find them is to cast the impression that your company is a great place to work. LinkedIn

How can a company improve their employer brand? (SHRM)

1. Identify your company’s:
   • Mission
   • Values
   • Culture
   • Business goals
2. Interview a representative group of existing employees in all business functions to determine if they believe the elements in step 1.
3. Ask a group of employees why they like working at the company and what could be improved.
4. Identify the hard and soft skills possessed by the highest performing employees. Create applicant personas based on the findings.
5. Write an Employer Value Proposition that articulates the employer brand
6. Create an employee marketing strategy using the Employer Value Proposition. Tailor the messaging to your applicant personas.
7. Align all HR and management practices with the employer brand. (SHRM)

See also

• Employee Value Proposition

Additional resources

• The Ultimate List of Employer Brand Statistics
• 7 Ways HRMS Offboarding Protects Your Employer Brand