By Joe Moreland

In its most basic form, the word “brand” means to label something as belonging to you. In today’s world, however, your company Brand is less about proving what you own, and more about owning who you are. People who are experts in the arena will tell you that true branding takes time and commitment to a central idea that you want to be known for. Everything your company does has to reflect this idea until it is the instinctual, gut reaction your target audience has whenever they hear your name or see your logo.  

■ HOW CANDIDATES EVALUATE YOUR COMPANY According to one recent recruitment report, candidates cite “not knowing what it’s like to work at a company” as the #1 obstacle to accepting a job offer. The same report states that 75% of candidates will research an employer’s brand before they will even apply.1 70% of potential employees will look at reviews on social media before they make up their minds about a job. Obviously, they are not considering the appeal of your logo or the deliciousness of your product. They are gauging your reputation as well as your transparency and authenticity.2

1. Consistency.  To extend a positive brand experience into recruiting, companies must achieve a consistent message across all of their communication platforms. The reputation you want to establish with applicants may begin with a recruitment ad, but it won’t matter how genuine and honest your job posting is if your phone screeners, interviewers and hiring managers come across as impatient and superficial.

2. Online Presence. Who you say you are also won’t matter if your current employees are giving you negative reviews online. Based on current studies, employees trust the opinions of current employees three times more than they trust the statements of the company trying to hire them.

3. Actions. Non-verbal and programmatic miscues can also hurt your brand. If you’re trying to communicate to candidates that your organization is streamlined and organized, but the application process is complicated and messy, your applicants will be left with a negative impression of your company. Anything that is inconsistent with the reputation you are trying to project is going to be a red-flag to today’s prospective applicants.

■ WHY YOUR BRAND IS IMPORTANT Apart from attracting quality candidates, there are a couple of other reasons why a solid, appealing brand is important to your recruitment process: Retention and budget.

1. Retention. It pretty much goes without saying that if part of building a good employer brand is treating your current employees well, then you are going to be better at keeping turnover down.

2. Budget. Other studies show that a strong company brand is also good for lowering the cost of recruiting. One reason for this is simple: If you have a reputation for being a great place to work, quality applicants will seek you out on their own. This means you won’t have to do as much advertising as your competitors to fill similar openings. More than that, though, these studies also indicate that job seekers are often willing to take less money for the opportunity to work for a more desirable company. CNBC ran a report in 2018 that found an astounding 86% of millennials (ages 22-37) would take less money to work for an employer that is aligned with their own values. 3

■ TOP BRANDING TRENDS According to a study by Mercer Global Talent Trends, candidates are most attracted to companies that show concern for their workforce’s sense of well-being along with the following:4

• Openness to Change. The ability to change, and change at speed, is emerging as a differentiating organizational competency. • Sense of Purpose. Embedding a higher sense of purpose into the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) unlocks individual potential and spurs people to be change agents. • Flexibility. It isn’t just about working wherever/whenever; it’s also about rethinking what work is done, how it is done, and by whom. • Opportunity for Growth. Organizations are becoming smart platforms for matching skill supply with work demand while maximizing human creativity and ambition. • Embracing Technology. The ability to unlock growth in the human age will rely on how digital technologies can augment the human work experience.

Taking all of this into consideration it becomes clear that building a strong employer brand, that is marketed to a compatible potential applicant pool, will not only build you a more productive workforce, but a happier and more cost-effective one as well.