It has been a while since your company took a look at their employer brand. Unfortunately, it falls under the radar for many. They’ve become utterly sluggish in creating a new strategy for the outdated brand. The workforce that’s leaving their college internships for employment with benefits isn’t drawn to the same marketing and recruiting techniques as the generations before them. According to a study by Hudson, the organizations with the best employer brands spend an average of 70% more on ensuring the success of their employer brands compared to others.

Is it Genuine?

The employer brand is a way for future employees to get an insight into company life. So, not being genuine before they are onboarded is a problem. According to a survey by Glassdoor, 61% of employees say the employer brand doesn’t match the expectations of the job. The study concluded that employee morale, job responsibility, and even opportunities for career advancement were some target areas of misalignment after hiring. Be honest about the job before you bring on a new hire. Every position has its ups and downs, the good with the bad. If it is less than genuine, you run the risk of raising employee turnover and decreasing the value of the employer brand.

Corporate leaders know the value of a good employer brand. So why is it that so many underestimate the power of a well-developed strategy? A strong employer brand is believed by 83% of corporate HR leaders to be vital in talent acquisition. It stands to reason then, that the organizations with strong employer brands have a good understanding of what their company stands for. However, only 41% of employees know their corporate values.

It’s a Mobile World

And you’re not in it. With mobile device usage constantly on the rise, it’s understandable that attention spans have shortened. Herbert Simon recognized this in 1977 saying, “A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.” With that said, developers of the company career page have to be aware of that. Career pages have to not only adhere to the employer brand guidelines and maintain the progression of the strategy, but they also have to be accessible to the mobile jobseekers.

Mobile devices are the primary gateway to social media. According to Adobe, 71% of people use their mobile devices to access their Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc. Facebook – on the downhill slope – had a good long life, but times and the job market have changed. Healthy employer branding does not favor stagnancy. Update the company’s social accounts and update them regularly.

Reconnect the Disconnected

The biggest problem in fixing an employer brand is mending the disconnect between employees and the employers. Consider the importance of job security for example. Only 21% of employers agree that job security is an important facet of any given employer brand… compared to the 41% of employees. Compensation is another crucial aspect of a brand according to 64% of employees. Employers, again, don’t necessarily agree as 25% of them see it to be important. Getting everyone on the same page is the first step in mending an employer bland into an employer brand.

Consistency and sincerity are key in developing the employer brand. Employees know the company inside and out. You can’t afford to be anything but honest, or the company risks a hit to their turnover rate and talent acquisition. Honesty decreases the disparity in opinion between employees and their employers. As a recruiter, you have to be able to connect with your candidates. Even more so, you have to be able to connect with those who could potentially be future candidates. Begin developing a strategy to improve your employer brand, including easing the interviewing and hiring process. Don’t make them more stressful than they have to be. Use your new strategy to streamline the process from beginning to end for you and your candidates. 

Bio: Sean Pomeroy, CEO

Sean has worked in the Human Resources industry since he graduated from Radford University with a Bachelors in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology. After working in HR as a generalist for a government contracting company, he moved to the HR Technology arena and began assisting companies in the selection and implementation of HR software.

While selling other companies software solutions, Sean worked with Michael Warden to design over a dozen applications for different organizations and industries over the years. Sean now focuses on the vision for the company, business development, and continues involvement in the software design of Cyber Recruiter and Cyber Train.

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