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5 point plan for your 5 star employer brand
The battle for the best talent is in full swing and still few companies recognize the relevance of an independent employer brand.
War of Talents
Attract the best talent
It is no longer a secret that employers want to attract the best talent. Nevertheless, the topic of employer branding has only been receiving increasing attention in Austria for a few years. Although the battle for the best talents is in full swing, still few companies recognize the relevance of an independent employer brand in this context.
But how does one avoid getting lost in empty words when defining values, what makes an employer brand attractive, and how can such a brand be experienced authentically both internally and externally? Identum answers these and other tricky questions about employer branding in this blog post.
Why petting alpacas together is no longer enough
Millennials and Generation Z have high expectations of both jobs and employers. They want to develop their potential, make a difference and work independently as well as responsibly. They also attach great importance to work-life balance, family-friendly conditions and want to be asked for their opinion. This is the conclusion reached by the Zukunftsinstitut in its study "Generation Y: The self-image of tomorrow's managers".
So if you as a company decide to take your employees to pet alpacas, this may strengthen the cohesion and motivation of your employees, but it is far from being sustainable employer branding and is unlikely to satisfy the above-mentioned demands of the coming talent generation. In order to make your company attractive as a brand and turn employees into proud brand ambassadors, you need more than fluffy team experiences.
A few steps to a successful employer brand
Above all, credibility and transparency play an important role in establishing the company as an attractive brand. Because only if an employer actually lives the defined values internally can employees also be retained in the long term.
Identum Managing Director Sabrina Weiss makes it clear what needs to be taken into account when developing an employer brand: "The main thing is to distinguish and differentiate yourself. You often have to show the courage to have rough edges in order to develop your own identity and anchor this image in the minds of the relevant target groups - in this case, potential and existing employees."
In short, it's all about setting out a clear strategy for recruiting as well as retaining your employees and finding your very own employer USP.
With these 5 steps, you can clear most of this hurdle and find your way through the employer branding jungle:
- Anamnesis: Ask, ask and ask again!
By asking uncomfortable and courageous questions, you can find out what employees, former colleagues or applicants think about your company. Gathering feedback openly helps you evaluate yourself. And later, you won't have to worry about reviews on platforms like kununu.
- Establish identity
The goal is to make your unique identity tangible for employees. Only in this way can you succeed in convincing the best talents of you, and also in retaining them in the long term. Especially internally, clearly defined goals and unifying values ensure the necessary identification of employees with your employer.
- Find your USP as a company
The USP is what makes you unique. It writes your brand story and serves as a central directional guide in solving current and future challenges for your employer brand.
So prioritize your value definition and show what you stand for. Internally and externally, your value messages should have appeal to employees and applicants.
- Storytelling - Communicate your specific (employer) brand charisma:
Trust and credibility are - as already mentioned - among the most important factors in establishing your brand. And what better way to gain trust than through authentic stories and insights into the company.
So before you start a campaign or play on a channel, you should ask yourself what makes you special, where you want to go and what values you stand for as an employer.
- Select relevant channels - this is how you reach your employees of tomorrow
Your career website is the most important channel and business card for your employer branding at the same time. There you must make it clear why applicants should choose you. The best way to do this is through authenticity and emotion.
Employees themselves, a company blog, social media, business networks, job advertisements or campaigns are further channels through which you can convince employees and applicants of your merits.
Conclusion: Investment in your own employer brand pays off!
Employer branding measures pay off not only on paper. The Employer Brand Research of 2018 shows that Austrian companies with a positive employer brand receive twice as many applicants.
One in two states in the analysis that a job at a company with a bad reputation would be out of the question, even with a higher salary.
In addition, higher employee identification with the company leads to higher motivation, longer retention and lower sickness rates. If employees identify with you, they will recommend your company to others - vacancies can thus be filled more quickly.
A good employer brand therefore pays off and becomes a worthwhile investment in the future through employer branding.
This article was written by our sister company Identum - Agency for brand charism.
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