There. It’s out in the open. No foul intentions, but sometimes the truth can sting a little. There are tons of articles out there in cyber space covering employer branding with about million statistics in every one of them. Little did you know, your branding falls under the not-so-flattering category of statistics. One of the galling pieces of datum is that 29% of jobseekers don’t believe employers reinforce well enough how they are so great to their employees.  So, 29% of employers do not have an apt brand. Why is this a problem? 

It’s a problem because…

It has a tangible influence on turnover.

And engagement. And absenteeism. Without a prevalent and positive employer brand, companies are more likely to experience higher levels of turnover. It’s a downhill slide from there. With a high turnover rate, absenteeism will rise, and employee engagement will see a decline. So, it stands to reason then that if you improve the employer brand, turnover rates will improve, then engagement, then absenteeism. In fact, according to a 2013 Gallup State of the American Workplace study, companies with especially high employee engagement rates saw 37% less absenteeism.

“Ensure your employees understand what your brand stands for so they can be your first line of word-of-mouth advertising.” – Simon Mainwaring

It’s a problem because…

Companies concern themselves with the “why?”

However, they are blind to the fact that the issue is internal. “Why aren’t we getting quality applicants?” “Why can’t we attract any STEM candidates?” The position might be great. The company could be wonderful. How will candidates know this if you don’t tell them or show them? 70% of hiring companies don’t acknowledge candidate applications. You can’t expect to build an employer brand worth mentioning if you don’t contact applicants, even if it’s through an ATS. The corporate career page isn’t the only thing that dictates the effectiveness of your employer brand. How you treat candidates is the primary factor in determining how they view you as a potential employer.  

“Brands must empower their community to be change agents in their own right. To that end, they need to take a mentoring role. This means the brand provides the tools, techniques and strategies for their [candidates] to become more effective marketers in achieving their own goals.” – Simon Mainwaring

It’s a problem because…

Employer branding gets put on the back burner.

It should be a priority. Unfortunately, it’s often a forgotten priority.  Only a surprising 11% of companies solicit feedback from candidates about their experience and therefore, about their employer brand. There are numerous articles out there directing companies to their ideal state of branding. Out of the piles upon piles of numbers and data, which ones should you pay attention to? Well, here’s a list of really important statistics to pay attention to regardless of how established your employer brand is.

• 68% of candidates say they would accept a lower salary if the employer brand was exceptional (Click to Tweet)
• 67% of candidates would accept a lower salary if the company had positive online reviews (Click to Tweet)
• 65% of candidates report they would accept a lower salary if the organization had particularly positive press (Click to Tweet)
• 58% of people know your brand through the career page (Click to Tweet)
• 40% feel company culture is the most important factor in talent acquisition (Click to Tweet)

“You have to think of your brand as a kind of myth. A myth is a compelling story that is archetypal, if you know the teachings of Carl Jung. It has to have emotional content and all the themes of a great story: mystery, magic, adventure, intrigue, conflicts, contradiction, paradox.” – Deepak Chopra 

There is hope for your somewhat lost branding plan, however. An Applicant Tracking System can help solve many of these problems. Your company’s employer branding can improve exponentially with mere interaction with candidates, even if it is automated. Those automated messages don’t have to feel that way though. The CandE Awards research shows that roughly 60% of candidates felt some kind of relationship with the employer even through clearly automated messages. Those are better odds than not communicating with the candidates at all.

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