5 Tips to Develop an Employer Branding Strategy to Attract Top Talent

How does employer branding strategy affect your ability to attract the top talent to actually help grow your brand?

5 Tips to Develop an Employer Branding Strategy to Attract Top Talent

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Branding is one of the most important elements of a winning business plan, as it allows you to elevate your company above the competition, and thus acquire and retain the best customers.

What you might not have been aware of, though, is that your brand identity can help you attract and retain some of the most talented individuals in the industry. You have an opportunity here to bring the best of the best into your ranks, and inspire them to become a part of your brand’s family and stick with you over the long term. 

And as a small business owner, you know how difficult it is to retain good employees in this competitive day and age. Employee retention will always be a challenge, but you should look at it as an opportunity to bring more value to your business by constantly investing in your brand and your amazing employees. After all, the happier the employees, the more successful your business will be. 

With all of that in mind, here’s what it takes to build a winning employer branding strategy and attract the top talent in the industry to your doorstep. 

Work on your brand values

The modern customer doesn’t want to lie in bed with just any brand, and neither does the talented employee. People are very picky nowadays about the companies they work with, and they want to be associated only with the businesses that have a positive reputation, but most importantly, the right set of values. Values are the foundational pillar of any brand, they set the culture and the vibe, and they tell people what to expect.

It’s therefore of the utmost importance that you work on your brand values so that they resonate with your target demographic – the best employees in the industry. Your values are portrayed through your messaging and brand narrative, through your tone of voice and personality, but also through the causes you stand for and support.

Know what matters to modern employees

To build a winning employer branding strategy, you need to gain a deeper understanding of your target demographic, meaning your potential employees. Much like you would conduct meticulous and extensive customer research before launching a marketing campaign, you need to research your potential employees in order to create detailed employee personas. These personas will help you delve deep into the psychology of the talented job-seeker, and find out what truly matters to them.

Understand that the millennial and the Gen Z generations have different aspirations, requirements, and ideals, meaning that they require a different approach than the older generations of workers. To attract and retain talented young minds, you need to build your employer brand around the perks and benefits they expect to get.

This means offering a competitive salary, yes, but also plenty of opportunities for professional growth, a welcoming and comfortable work environment, wellness programs, and much more. 

Capitalize on the gig economy

Your brand should be appealing to all tiers and types of talented workers, not just the full-time employees. Now that the gig economy is thriving around the world, it’s important to build an employer brand that will attract contingent workers, freelancers, and international talent that you can easily employ for a single project or a specific period of time.

This is a very popular trend in the US, for example, but managing a contingent workforce can be a challenge and it can come with legal risks if you’re not careful. That’s why modern contractor solutions in the USA focus heavily on ensuring legal compliance and creating a welcoming environment for contingent workers, in order for a brand to easily capitalize on the rising gig economy.

Make sure to prioritize contingent workers in your branding strategy as well, so that you can attract the best of the best whenever you need talented and skilled workers to fill the ranks.

Embrace and welcome employee feedback

Of course, you can’t hope to build a strong employer brand if you don’t actually listen to your employees. Remember, your employees represent a potential treasure trove of useful information, some of which can help you build a better work environment, and optimize the brand experience for maximum talent retention and acquisition.

Whether your goal is to acquire amazing new employees quickly, or if your main concern is holding on to talent in these unpredictable times, you need to use employee feedback to shape your branding strategy and create a better work environment. Be sure to encourage honest feedback, and consider automating the process. You can use a dedicated end-of-shift tool that allows employees to clock in and out remotely, which will prompt them to leave some feedback when they’re finished with work.

Build and nurture a thriving culture

On a final note, keep in mind that your company culture can make or break your employer brand. Yes, it’s important to invest in your visual brand identity and build the right values, but all of these elements need to live and breathe through your company culture. 

The most talented employees in the industry will make sure to research your brand and its culture, and they will make their decision based on the work environment and the values your culture is built on. With that in mind, make sure to create a culture on the pillars of equality, transparency, diversity, honesty, trust, and collaboration. 

Over to you

In today’s competitive job market, it’s imperative to have a strong employer brand that will elevate your company from the rest in your field. After all, it’s not just the job-seekers who are competing to get the best job – you’re also competing with other companies to get the best of the best to join your ranks. Use these tips to develop a winning employer branding strategy that will take your business to the top of the job market in 2021.