Unlike a corporate brand reputation or even from a customer position, an employer branding reputation refers exclusively to an employer’s reputation as a place to work, and the working relationship between employer and employees. Recruitment advertising firms in the bay area understand that the employer branding relationship is built on an exchange of skills, services and capability for an environment that fosters and supports each of those traits. The exchange functions optimally when the exchange is mutually beneficial.
Employer’s Reputation as a Place to Work
An employer’s reputation is important for many reasons but it is particularly key for company growth and client trust. Customers want to commit to brands that reassure them and who they can rely on for their needs. One of the best ways for a company to exemplify that they are both of those things to existing and potential clients is by having a positive reputation as an employer. There is no better way to be customer-oriented than to have employees act as spokespeople for their company values and reliability.
What Does It Mean to Be a Good Employer?
While the answer to this question is obvious in many respects (i.e. equity, benefits, team support), these things are not what highlight an employer’s reputation above competitors. The above items are examples of an ethical employment standard, but an employer that goes above and beyond for its team also nurtures, challenges, and offers opportunities for growth.
Having a positive employer reputation starts with the relationship between employer and employee. An employer who feels that they are meeting all of their employees’ needs, but is unsure of how to optimize working incentives, might consider asking employees for feedback. An employer can ask their employees questions such as:
What do you enjoy about your job?
Would you recommend your job position to a friend, and if so why?
Is there anything that you would like to see from your employer going forward?
What would make your work environment more comfortable?
What elements of your job incentivize you to commit to the company?
Are there any incentives you can think of that would encourage you to commit to the company?
The Employee Experience
Aside from tending to the satisfaction and needs of present employees, an employer with a particularly positive employer branding is also backed by past employees with equally positive experiences. An employer’s intention for their team is likely to grow a team of veteran employees, while continually recruiting fresh minds who can mature internally, but there will always be the possibility of turnover. Assuming that an employer is well in touch with their employees and is meeting team needs, employee exits may still occur under external circumstances. Whether in the case of relocation, retirement, or personal choice, it is important that employees leave on a positive note. Employers may consider offering past employees support in the following ways to ensure positive departure:
Job referral and networking assistance
Financial benefits (in terms of retirement)
An exit interview to understand the employee’s motivations or concerns and resolve them if necessary
Continued correspondence
An expressed interest in the employee’s future success
Gratitude for the employee’s contribution to the company
Testaments from past employees are particularly effective because they appear unbiased to customers and prospective hires. An employer with great personal branding is backed by both past and present employees who can speak positively about the company.
Employee Value Proposition
Another way to foster a positive reputation is to have a clear employee value proposition (EVP). This statement outlines the value that an employer offers to its employees in exchange for their work. A strong EVP is most effectively delivered in a few concise sentences on the employer’s website. It will also be listed in job postings and reiterated by recruiters and employers when hiring new team members. The EVP will not include contract benefits such as health care, but rather additional perks like meals and on-site child care, as well as tangible values such as an “enthusiastic team”, a “creative working environment”, and “innovative technology”— attributes that engage and excite employees.
Happy employees will naturally act as ambassadors for their workplace, speaking about it in their daily lives and on social media. A way for an employer to monetize this word-of-mouth effect may be to offer bonuses for recruitment (i.e. an employee who refers a new employee to a company who is successfully hired, receives $ X amount).
Employer Social Branding
Social media is a great way to get your employer brand out into the world where customers and prospective hires can see it. In our digital culture, more and more people find jobs through social networking, rather than classic web listings. Young career people and recent graduates are particularly present on social media and look to those channels for new and exciting work opportunities.
Depending on the kind of personalities an employer is hoping to add to their team, they should cater job postings to different channels and format them appropriately. Social media channels to consider branding through are:
Instagram— a great visual platform for halting a fresh mind in their job scroll. This platform also allows an employer to demonstrate their EVP in an aesthetic and creative manner
IGTV—now that Instagram offers this extended video tool, the platform is a great place to position a company voice. An employer may consider curating a video that demonstrates the company office environment, or interviews with employees
TikTok—another video platform that is perfect for highlighting extended information like employee experience and job perks. TikTok offers more interactive video options and engages a younger audience, as well as social media influencers and relevant publications
Twitter—a more concise platform that bounces around information to interested viewers. Twitter allows an employer to curate brief and exciting written content (i.e. a shortened EVP) that can be shared by partner companies, business relations, and interested parties
YouTube—this platform holds the potential for an extended version of the content that is seen on platforms like TikTok and IGTV. Longer videos should be particularly informative and engaging to multiple senses (strong visuals, music, and easily readable text)
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