5 Things People Get Wrong About Employer Branding

When most companies decide to invest in employer branding, their primary focus is on hiring. After all, a good employer brand tells the right prospective employees why they should love working at the company. But if that’s your only aim, you’re missing out on the many ways in which a great employer brand can help you:

• Attract talent that belongs in your organization. A good employer brand will always attract talent. But a great one will attract the people who belong in your organization because a great employer brand is authentic and honest about its culture, work style, general employee behaviors and expectations, and other qualities that make it unique. People who find those qualities attractive and can see themselves in your culture will likely fit well within the organization. Likewise, people who do not see themselves as belonging within the organization are unlikely to apply.
• Keep existing employees engaged and inspired. Great employer brands have messages for employment candidates – but they don’t stop there. They weave the employer brand into internal programs and communications, reminding employees of how they create, reflect and amplify the brand every day, bringing it to life. When the employer brand actively highlights all the best things about working for the company, it can – and should – do a lot. Think energized team members, stronger loyalty, and a reinforced desire to grow with you.
• Maintain positive perceptions for prospects – even if they don’t join the company. When you have a compelling employer brand, you’re likely to attract more candidates than you can hire. That’s why we recommend extending your employer brand to the whole engagement experience, up to and including rejection communications. For instance, let’s say you maintain a culture of communication and collaboration. You’ll want to communicate with candidates in ways that reflect that. Be clear and timely so they never feel ghosted. Offer feedback – and ask for feedback on their experience, too. Help them stay connected, and you’ll help keep them interested in future opportunities with you.
• Maintain positive perceptions for employees – even when they leave. Former employees often rate as the most trusted resource for employment candidates. Why? They know the employment experience – and since they no longer work there, they have no reason to sugar-coat their opinions. That’s why the best employer brands create positive experiences for people as they leave the company (whether voluntarily or not). Many even maintain “alumni organizations” that keep former employees connected to the organization and each other. This type of engagement can create new relationships with the company’s former employees. It can even help re-attract former team members who have acquired new capabilities elsewhere.
• Celebrate and reinforce your external brand. A company’s internal and external brands are rarely identical. But they should be aligned to reflect each other. After all, since your external or consumer brand impacts customers at every point of engagement, your employees’ words and actions matter. Beyond that, when people feel good about where they work, it creates a direct, positive expression of the external brand.

There’s so much to say about employer brands – what makes them great, how to build and reinforce them, when to evaluate and update them, and more – that we could write a book. Oh wait – we did! It’s a guide to employer brand development – complete with insights, information, and worksheets to help you along the way. Want one for your business? We’ve saved a copy for you right here. Consider it our gift to you – no obligation – a little taste of the knowledge and expertise we bring to our clients every day.