The Essentials of Employer Branding

What is Employer Branding?

Employer branding is a theme very popular in the corporate world between employers and employees as a tool to attract and retain employees human capital within the firm. Therefore, employer branding can considered intersection human resource management and marketing management. Likewise, it is main methods of recruitment challenge. Although this concept has after decades of development, the importance of because this area is currently strengthened knowledge-based economy lack of skilled workers (Backhouse and Tico, 2004).

Employer branding is a concept of transforming employees to brand ambassadors and employees promote their organization for external job seekers. It’s about how people perceive the organization and letting employees talk positively about the company. Strong employer brand is critical in current competitive job market. Attracting and retaining talented employees is very challenging for recruiters. Having strong employer branding is a way to attracting employees and engagement and retain employees and build a good reputation as a great place to work.

Simply employer brand is the image or face of the company which shows to outside of the world as potential employer. Employer branding is the aligning process of the places where are the job seekers in company. Simply which is impression of the candidate about the company image which they have in mind.

The better do at employer branding, the more likely you are to retain and attract top talent, as 69% of employees surveyed believe it is every important for their employer to have a brand they are proud to support (AIHR,Undated).

Employer brand is the combination of psychological, economic and functional benefits provided by employment and identified by the employer and the role of employer branding is to use these benefits to position the company as a great place to work (employer of choice) in the minds of potential employees (Wilden, et al,2010)

                                         Source : YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHu59M0Yuvk

Why is employer branding important to organization

In today's fast-paced, competitive job market, attracting and retaining top talent has become a top challenge for organizations of all sizes and industries. Traditional recruiting methods are no longer enough to ensure you not only attract the best candidates, but retain them in the long run. To meet this need, the concept of employer branding has become a powerful tool in the recruitment arsenal and is a key differentiator for businesses looking to create a competitive advantage in the talent acquisition space.

So, what exactly is employer branding? It represents the organization's reputation as an employer and its ability to itself from its competitors in the eyes of potential candidates. Employer brand encompasses everything from a candidate’s first interaction with your organization (such as a job posting or career page visit) to the final stages of the hiring process, including the interview and onboarding experience.

Importance of the employer branding  to HR

1.   Creating first impression for Employee

Employer branding journey begins with a candidate’s first interaction with your company. Whether it’s the first time they see a job posting, visit your careers page, or attend an interview, these early touchpoints will leave a lasting impression. An attractive and well-defined employer brand can capture the attention of passive job seekers and make your organization the first choice for active job seekers. It sets the tone for your organization and lays the foundation for building a reputation as a great place to work.

2.      Attracting best and talent candidate for positions

A strong employer brand is a powerful magnet for attracting top talent. Skilled professionals are more likely to apply for positions with companies they consider to be reputable and desirable employers. When your employer brand conveys a positive image, you'll find it easier to attract candidates with the qualifications and expertise your organization needs. When you're competing for the best candidates in the market, a compelling brand becomes a powerful selling point.

3.   Company can maintain the cost reduction for recruitment

Effective employer branding can lead to significant cost savings in the long run. With a strong brand, you spend less on advertising and recruitment agencies because candidates will actively seek you out. Additionally, when you have a reputation as a good employer, your turnover rate will decrease, further reducing the costs associated with recruiting. The return on investment in employer branding is both tangible and impactful.

As recruiter can use the best recruitment strategies for attract the best talent pool. Eg : Organization can use the Linkedin 

Retention & Employee Engagement

Your employer brand isn’t just about attracting new talent; It also keeps your existing employees engaged and satisfied. When your employees take pride in being associated with your brand, they become brand ambassadors. This results in employees spreading the word about your organization through positive word-of-mouth and recommendations. This, in turn, increases employee retention and reduces turnover. An engaged and satisfied workforce is an important component of a strong employer brand.

5. 4.To Create positive work culture

A well-defined employer brand communicates the organization’s values, mission, and culture. This alignment ensures that culturally-fit candidates are more likely to apply and thrive at your organization. By clearly expressing your organizational culture through branding, you save time and energy for your HR team and job candidates. Candidates who resonate with your culture are more likely to self-select, streamlining the hiring process.

 

Employee Branding and  Employer Branding has a difference?

Employee branding and employer branding both are interconnected.  Their focus, scope, and approach to expand the organization's reputation as an employer. These two are essential components of a talent attraction and retention strategy, working together to create an employer brand.

Employer brand is driven by the human resources department and with the company vision, mission, values, and the brand and focuses company perks, culture, career develop opportunities, Work life balance and other benefits.

Employee branding is individual employees as brand ambassadors, where attract, engage, and retain employees and to build an organizational reputation as a great place to work.

How to Build an Efficient Employee Brand?

·        Company values

Company should shape its core values around its employees to ensure a positive candidate experience and employee retention,

Define an EVP that communicates mutual offers and addresses the needs of the individual and the company.

Employer Value Position is the  as employer what are your values for given to employee as promise for their commitment. EVP will shows the why the organization is and employer brand will express what and how the company.

Convenience why they should work at the company and address their needs and desires.

This will attract people who have the hard skills to match the job role and the soft skills to match the company culture.

Differentiate the company from its competitors.      

·       Social media

Employees can amplify their voice by allowing them to share their stories with their networks on social media. Social media posts from employees on enterprise social networks and career social channels.

Potential talent can be engaged by regularly updating company profiles on social media. This will increase the probability of the right-fit talent entering the top of the recruitment funnel.

Employer Branding Application and best Example in Global context

As HR perspective employee value proposition which define as what employee get from working for the organization, which will reveal in the company brand. As HR specialist main function the attract the best employee. For that employer brand and employer branding is essential to increasing the attached the employee for required position. 

If the company given priority for EVP which is ensuring employee trust and which leading to employee engagement for the company. To attract the talent and best candidate for the organization company culture, EVP, employer brand is essentials. 

Example for best employer branding in Global Context

1. Electric Arts - They are doing as employer branding of the company, in their career page shown what a given priority for employee. Source :career page ( https://www.ea.com/careers)
Eg : Mentioned Pay Equtity / Women's Ultimate Team/ PRIDE

2. MARRIOT International
They have identify identifies the 3 pillars of their EVP as which represents an employee journey in their organization. They are doing their employer branding from Facebook, Youtube, Instagram  (AIHR, Undated)
- Begin , Belong, Become

3. Mollie  - Mollie is the Dutch scale up and fastest growing payment processors in Europe. 
They are doing employer branding their web site's ABOUT page. They have clearly mentioned and attract way  describe the their vision and mission . 
As a candidate before apply the job position, they will going and checking the company websites and making good impression  about the company. 

Example for best employer branding in Sri Lanka
1. Unilever   
2. Allianz Lanka
3. Aitken Spence Travels
4. Brandix 

Employer can be using the difference employer branding content for making values (Ansari, Undated)

1. Social Media Content 
Facebook / LinkedIn / Instagram / Tiktok - Using those platform HR person could be advertised the their job advertisement  to attract the candidate. 

2. Video Content 
Which is can be use for employer to show company events/CSR activities, daily working operation in special events, Interviews on that. 

3. Career Page of the company 
Through this career page candidate are look at before the apply the company page and career page. If that having good and strong career page candidate will more tend to apply the job because they will feel, company trusting employee and given more value to them.

4. Employer Generate Content 

Most of companies leading the company LinkedIn page , from this page employee will share the different job related things and special event and discussion on this. These is the best professional platform which employer leading to promote the company brand name. 

Conclusion

Employer branding is no longer an optional or secondary aspect of recruiting as well as other it has become a strategic imperative for organizations looking to succeed in the modern world of talent acquisition. Organizations that invest in developing a compelling employer brand can reap the rewards of attracting the best talent, reducing recruitment costs, and fostering a positive workplace culture in HR. 

There is positive & Negative aspect of the using the different platform of the company, if the company have built the good and strong brand name, will heading to attract the potential employee and customers as well.

As personal reflect and HR specialist on learning of the importance of the employer branding is Our HRM solutions are designed to support organizations in creating and maintaining a strong employer brand that drives recruitment success and employee satisfaction. In shaping the future of HR through the power of effective employer branding.

References

Ansari,K.(Undated)10 Reasons Why Employer Branding Is Important. (blog entry) . Available at https://linkhumans.com/employer-branding-important/a (Accessed on 01 April  2024). 

 Backhaus,K(2016) Employer Branding Revisited;Organization management Journal: Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/308929357_Employer_Branding_Revisited (Accessed on 30 March 2024).

   Barcelos,K(undated) Position Your Company as an Employe of Choice with Tips and Best Practices. (blog entry).Available  at https://www.plum.io/blog/7-reasons-why-employer-branding-is-important (Accessed on 30 March 2024).

 Biswas,M. (2013) Employer Branding: A Human Resource Strategy (Online) Available                         at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/307599173_Employer_Branding_A_Human_Resource_Strategy ( Accessed on 30 March 2024).

 https://www.ea.com/commitments/inclusion-and-diversity (Undated) (Accessed on 29 April 2024).

 Silva,J.C, Dias H.(2022) The relationship between employer branding, corporate reputation and intention     to apply to a job offer ,Available at : https://www.emerald.com/insight/1934-8835.htm.( Accessed on 30         March 2024).

   Kunsman,T.(2024) What Is Employee Branding And How Do You Build It?(Blog Entry).Available at: https://everyonesocial.com/blog/employee-branding/#:~:text=Simply%20put%2C%20employee%20branding%20is,%2C%20prospects%2C%20and%20other%20employees ( Accessed on 29 March 2024).

Verlinden,N.(Undated) 13 Great Employer Branding Examples To Inspire You in 2024(Online) AIHR. Available from https://www.aihr.com/blog/employer-branding-examples/ (Accessed 05th April 2024).