Employer Branding - What is Employer Branding? - Key factors influencing employer branding

Key factors that influence employer branding

• Salary of the employee paid by the employer.

• Employee benefits given by employer.

• Job security.

• Pleasant working atmosphere.

• Work-life balance. (Definite or fixed working hours in the job , but not irregular working hours)

• Career progression opportunities. (Simply means growth in the job by way of promotion linked with increase in remuneration)

Any organisation for achieving employer brand name, should focus on above said factors. Employee salary plays a key role in gaining employer brand name by an organisation. Having strong employer brand name helps in not only attracting talented employees , but also helps in retaining talented employees in an organisation. Organisation need not struggle much for recruiting talented employees, if it has employer brand name in the market. Hence employer brand name definitely saves cost for searching talent and also its valuable time which is equal to cost.

According to Alan Price Human Resource Management, 4th edition Book:

"The basis of employer branding is the application of the same marketing and branding practices to a company's human resource activities (specifically, recruitment and retention) as it uses for consumer-targeted marketing and branding efforts. In other words, the business markets its brand image to its staff. And just as customers will cease buying a company's products or services when a promise is unfulfilled, its employees will also leave if the company fails to live up to its employer brand promises."

Some businesses use separate, dedicated employer branding efforts aimed at aligning employees with their organizations' vision and values whereas others pursue this goal as one element of broader corporate branding strategies.

"BMW, Apple and Google have all created brands that make it easier for these companies to recruit talented workers and to motivate their employees".

Google emerges world's most attractive employer: Survey

India: Google continues to be a hot favourite for career seekers as the company has emerged as the world's most attractive employer, for the fourth consecutive year, says a survey. According to global employer branding firm Universum's global talent attraction index "The World's Most Attractive Employers 2012", Google has retained the top position in both categories -- business and engineering -- for the fourth year in a row.

"The Google fever is still hot! Students are attracted by Google's relaxed and creative work environment, international atmosphere and innovative products. Google offers great benefits and opportunities that are hard for other companies to match," in the business category, Google has blocked the top rank, followed by KPMG in the second place and Procter & Gamble in the third position.

Besides these, the world's top 10 employers in the business category include

• • Microsoft India has been adjudged the ‘Most attractive employer' for the second year running, in a survey conducted by HR services company Randstad. The Randstad Award 2012 ranked Oracle and TCS second and third, respectively.

  • Deloitte

  • Ernst & Young

  • PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC)

  • J P Morgan

  • The Coca-Cola Company

  • Goldman Sachs

source: the economic times

The 2011 Nielsen survey also showed that the top five dimensions students considered when it comes to seeking employment were high degree of independence at work, salary package, learning on the job, growth prospects and standing of the company in the market [Employer brand] respectively.

From an analytical study of the above definitions, we may conclude that:

• Employer branding requires alignment of management and HR practices that ensure an employee experience that matches the image portrayed.

• Employer branding necessitates allowing the work environment and experiences to sell corporate image to human resources.

• Employer branding is about effective and coherent talent management system - recruitment, orientation, training and development and performance management.

Thus, employer branding is a solid process based approach to discover and articulate the organization's unique identity, which is connected in compelling ways to the individual identities and aspirations of human resources, both current and potential.

According to human resource consultants Hewitt Associates, there are five steps to develop a strong employer brand:

1) Understand your organisation

2) Create a 'compelling brand promise' for employees that mirrors the brand promise for customers

3) Develop standards to measure the fulfillment of the brand promise

4) 'Ruthlessly align' all people practices to support and reinforce the brand promise

5) Execute and measure.

Why Is Employer Branding Important for Business Performance

Kelly Barcelos is a progressive digital marketing manager for Jobsoid – Applicant Tracking System. She is responsible for leading the content and social media teams at work.

Employer branding has evolved from just a marketing buzzword to an integral element for business growth. According to research, 75% of job seekers consider an employer's brand before they even apply for a job. And 96% of employers believe that their employer reputation and brand have an impact on their business revenue. Many companies all over the globe are taking note of these numbers and are continuously striving to develop their employer brand to attract a better quality of talent. Because if they don't work on their employer branding, they would be sabotaging their hiring efforts, making it more challenging to hire the best talent.

Why is employer branding important for a company and why more organizations should invest in it?

1) Attracts Quality Candidate

Research says a strong employer brand attracts 50% more qualified applicants.

When your organization has a solid reputation in the market, you have no problem in attracting the best people for the job. Moreover, you spend less time reaching out to qualified people as the applications pour in.

2. Reduces Cost Per Hire

When your company has a reputation for being a top employer in the market, candidates approach you directly, and these candidates are a better fit since they already know what the company stands for and what is expected from them.

With the increased inflow of qualified candidates, you tend to spend less time and lesser money on sourcing the right people for your open roles. The money you save can be reinvested in further enhancing the employer brand or in product development to get ahead of the competition.

3. Enhances Employee Experience

Employees who work for top employers take pride in their work. They are generally more motivated and enthusiastic. Highly motivated employees are great assets to the employer. They are more productive, and that translates into better business growth, ensuring higher revenue and increased financial stability of the company. While a financially stable company makes employees feel secure in their jobs, it also becomes attractive to potential candidates.

4. Increases Employee referral rate

If your current employees are happy working with you, they become your brand ambassadors. They spread positive reviews, opinions, and statements about you, making you an ideal employer. The more your employees talk positively about you, the more referrals they generate.

5. Improves company perception on social media

Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room. So, when these people talk good about you on social media channels, people reading about you on these channels form a positive opinion about you. So, when the time comes, they won't think twice about approaching you for a job directly.

Final Thoughts

It's important to understand why employer branding matters and how it can benefit the overall business performance in the long term. Employer branding is not something you leave to chance. Take time to plan and document a robust employer branding strategy and ensure everybody is working towards the same goal.

Why is Branding Important to Employees

Besides the obvious importance of branding for your customers, it's also essential to understand how branding impacts your staff. The top factor in attracting talent to your business is your reputation. Building your brand means growing your reputation.

Marketing shouldn't have a narrow view of their role in the organization. It's more than generating leads and accommodating sales. Marketing also includes attracting new talent to your organization.

A strong relationship between HR and marketing can enhance your business's core functions. The company can build a culture in line with its brand, adding value to the whole business.

HR and marketing do the same for different audiences. They promote your business in different spaces. So HR and marketing working together will improve both teams' ability to meet their goals.

Benefits

Collaboration between HR and marketing translates into benefits for employees, prospective employees, and customers.

Employees

HR can train employees in brand messaging and help them to engage positively with the company. In turn, this will create a positive image of the business. The employees know what the company is about, so they're excited about the brand. Engaging in the brand also improves staff morale, which, in turn, influences productivity.

Prospective Employees

The business can attract and retain the best talent due to its positive image when marketing and HR work together. The battle to attract the best talent is fierce, and a good image is vital to winning the top employees.

Customers

Customers can benefit from better informed and motivated employees who know the product and believe in it. The behavior of your employees reflects the beliefs and organizational culture. If they have bought into the brand, customers will pick up on that.

Engaging Employees to Become Brand Advocates during COVID 19

As COVID-19 continues to rain havoc around the world, the need for businesses to maintain their customer bases is even more evident. Businesses are closing down left right and center, and if your customers don’t hear from you for a long time, they might assume that you are not operating. One way to ensure that customers keep hearing from you is by strengthening your online presence. And what better way to do that is than to partner with a web development company that offers both creative and marketing services. This will also inspire your employees to further advocate for the company.

You see, the context of the message has to change considering that we are living in a period of uncertainty. You don’t want to appear promotional when your customers are focused on the pandemic. Your employees can help you send your brand message without appearing too pushy. In addition, your employees have a more personal relationship with their audience. They are more likely to be a trusted source of truth about your brand.

Here are 5 tips on how you can encourage your employees to become your brand ambassadors during the pandemic period.

1. Make them feel a part of the company goals

One secret about turning employees into brand advocates is not to push them. The need to share about the organization should come from within them and not something HR orders them to do. The only way they are going to be compelled to talk about you is if they feel like a part of the bigger picture.

Now that your employees are probably working away from each other, a constant reminder of how their roles align with the company’s goals can go a long way in cementing their position in the company. This will keep them engaged and committed to the organization, projecting their brand ambassadorship naturally.

2. Keep them updated

With teams working away from each other, constant communication is what glues everyone together. It is even more important when it comes to turning employees to become brand ambassadors. To start with, employees can’t share information that they don’t have.

It is therefore very important to ensure that you are keeping them in the loop of what is going on in the organization. If you have offers coming up, new advertising campaigns, or anything new going on, ensure that you keep them updated. This will not only show transparency, but it will also create a sense of trust between you and them.

3. Provide shareable content

Many people would be willing to share about their employers, but the thought of finding the information to share or writing a full blog post appears to be too much work for them. You can make their work easier by providing curated content for them to share. Think of relevant videos, blog posts, case studies, and industry news. Encourage them to share that with their personal perspective of the same.

Of course, the process involves handling and sending large files. You need a solution that can help you ensure efficiency.

4. Offer personal development incentives

When employees hear about brand advocacy, it is easy to think about what is in it for them. If they don’t see anything to gain from it, most will be likely to back out. It is important that you approach the whole thing as beneficial for both you and the employee.

Think of an incentive that will keep your employees engaged in the process for a long time. For instance, you can equip them to become influencers in their line of work. They can showcase their expertise in their fields while tying the message with your brand message. This way, their career gets a lift and your business benefits.

5. Offer rewards

Besides offering incentives, rewards for good work are known to keep employees engaged in their roles. It can do the same when it comes to brand advocacy. Keep employees interested in sharing your brand message out there by offering frequent giveaways for the people that surpass expectations. You can also create fun social media contests that they can share on their pages and award the winners.

Conclusion

Employee advocacy is the new trend in online employer branding. It is successful in that employees are able to bring out the brand message in a loyal and genuine way. People out there can tell between a paid promotion and a genuine message, and using employees makes all the difference.

Only about 32% companies consider the impact on business performance as a measure of Employer Branding (EB) process effectiveness. However, about 20-30% HR managers acknowledged higher retention rates, improved productivity and employee engagement as the key benefits of having a strong EB. In fact, during an UpperCrest Job Fair, an exclusive job fair by TimesJobs.com focused on recruitment of senior professionals, HR managers pointed that companies with strong employer brands are able to hire or retain experienced/senior professionals without worrying about their competitor's approach.

Having an effective employer branding strategy is crucial, but if your strategy is not convincing enough for whom it is targeted to it is not going reap any results. TimesJobs.com survey shows that there exists a wide gap in how employers perceive their branding and how employees sees it

The Employer Take

Increasing popularity

The good news is that 64 per cent of the surveyed organisations claim to have a clear and well-designed employer branding strategy in place while 20 per cent plan to build one in the next six months. In 2012, our employer branding study showed that only 25 per cent employers had a clearly defined strategy in place. This is a big achievement for India Inc. Moreover, the need to have an employer branding strategy in place is not confined to large organisations. Small organisations too are embracing the practice and acknowledging its benefits.

Of all large companies (with 1,000 or more employees) that took part in the survey, nearly 60 per cent said they have a clear employer branding strategy. About 75 per cent mid-sized and 63 per cent small-sized companies also claimed to have a winning employer branding strategy in place, reveals the TimesJobs.com survey.

Employer branding works!

Nearly 74 per cent of the surveyed employers saw their employer branding practices as paying off results. They said it was leading to quality hires, better job acceptance and improved retention and engagement. Quality hires, in fact, are considered as the biggest advantage of a successful employer branding strategy by nearly 37 per cent of the surveyed oragnisations while 24 per cent consider better job acceptance and 23 per cent consider improvement in retention rates as the biggest advantage of the practice, shows the survey.

About 16 per cent employers feel effective employer branding helps improve engagement rates. Nearly 42 per cent large, 58 per cent mid and small-sized organisations consider their employer branding strategy is effective in engaging and retaining employees, finds the TimesJobs.com survey. Interestingly, an increasing number of small and mid-sized organisations found their employer branding strategy to be successful. About 55 per cent of the small and mid-sized organisations term their employer branding strategy successful, finds the study.

Newer metrics

The survey revealed that it’s not only numbers that organisation are relying on while calculating return on investment of their employer branding strategies, and most employers go for softer metrics to assess the long-term benefits of the practice.

Nearly 59 per cent organisations are looking at engagement rates and 47 per cent consider quality of hire while calculating return on investment on their employer branding strategy, finds the TimesJobs.com study.

Overcoming hurdles

According to over 70 per cent of the organisations, budget is no more a constraint for planning and implementing employer branding strategies. This was one of the key roadblocks in successful implementation of an employer branding plan in 2012, as told by nearly 40 per cent of surveyed organisations. However, what’s constant is the lack of vision and clarity which is seen as the primary challenge in realizing the potential of proper employer branding.

Nearly 68 per cent of the organisations feel ambiguity related to vision and objective of the process were the main hurdles to successful implementation and completion of an employer branding plan. This was also the case three years ago, when TimesJobs.com conducted the first employer branding survey.

The Employee Take

While employers are gung-ho about their employer branding strategies and are even acknowledging success, is there a gap between what employers think and what employees feel about their employer’s brand? Is the intended message crossing over to what employees see and feel? Perhaps not, shows the TimesJobs survey.

While most organisations think they have a winning employer branding strategy at hand, nearly 67 per cent surveyed employees don’t feel so. These employees rate their organisation’s branding strategy as not much convincing. About 23 per cent rate it as convincing, while 10 per cent label it as poor, finds the TimesJobs.com study.

In fact, only 42 per cent of the surveyed employees said they will recommend their company to a friend.While 56 per cent employees from tier I and II cities find their employer branding successful, only 32 per cent employees from large organisations feel so.The current branding strategies appeal to experienced professionals but entry and mid-level candidates are not quite happy with them.