Employer branding is a concept that every large company should be familiar with. It is the idea that your business is a desirable place to work. Creating an appealing workspace is an integral part of the equation, but it is also important to broadcast the appeal of working at your company. Here are some insightful tips from major corporations who have mastered the art of employer branding.
Use Real Stories in Your Branding Strategy
Bryan Chaney, an attraction and staffing specialist working for IBM, says, “An employer brand is not created; it can only be revealed [1].” This is a reminder to use real stories from current employees in your brand strategy. Get real quotes, take actual photos and focus on the genuine appeal of your corporation rather than crafting a story about it.
Use Your Career Page to Your Advantage
One of the first things that prospective employees will see is your company’s career or employment page. Rather than simply listing out available jobs, take out a page from Google’s playbook. The page has a company overview, a clear summary of what employees do and a list of what they believe in. In addition, Google’s career page includes information about the company culture along with the following quote: “Although Googlers share common goals and visions for the company, we hail from all walks of life and speak dozens of languages [2].” This paints an attractive picture for future job applicants. Edward Jones, another of the nation’s top places to work, uses its career page to remind browsers about the huge investment that the company puts into their employees [3].
Don’t Settle for the Industry Standard
Jeff Bezos, founder of billion-dollar company Amazon, has a strong opinion on how to create unbeatable employer branding. According to Bloomberg Business Week Magazine, Bezos believes, “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well [4].”
Although the tips and tricks above can be helpful, there is no substitute for simply focusing on making an incredible workspace for employees and then relying on positive word of mouth.
[1] http://www.slideshare.net/lizonomics/employment-branding-stats
[2] http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/culture/
[3] http://www.careers.edwardjones.com/explore-edward-jones/index.html
[4] http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2004-08-01/online-extra-jeff-bezos-on-word-of-mouth-power