Six ways to strengthen your employer brand
In today’s hyper-competitive hiring landscape, it’s no longer enough to offer a decent salary and a solid benefits package. Job seekers are making decisions based on what they perceive about a company’s values, culture, and reputation long before they click “Apply.”
Your employer brand, or the perception of your company, can be the deciding factor in whether top talent chooses to join your team or takes their skills elsewhere. Your employer brand is essentially the story people tell about your company as a workplace. It includes everything from your company culture and leadership style to how you treat employees, what your Glassdoor reviews say, and what people hear through word-of-mouth.
It matters because today’s job seekers are doing their homework. Candidates are researching your company online, asking around, and drawing conclusions based on what they see and hear. If they encounter mixed signals, unanswered questions, or negative reviews that aren’t acknowledged, they’ll likely move on to the next opportunity.
Your brand is everything when you are a small and growing business. If you’re struggling to attract the right candidates—or to keep them once they’re hired—it’s worth asking yourself what your current employer brand is really saying. Here are some tips to get you started:
1. Audit your reputation
Check your reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed. Ask recent hires what they heard about your company before applying. Look for patterns or red flags.
2. Address negative comments
It’s important to address the negative—and the positive—comments on review sites like Glassdoor. Respond in a non-defensive manner and deliver the message that not everyone is right for your team. Be sure to wish them all the best in the future!
3. Tell your story
Use your website, social media, and job descriptions to reflect your values, culture, and mission. Help candidates see what it’s like to work for you—and why it’s worth their time.
4. Prioritize employee retention
Your brand starts from the inside. Focus on building your culture with communication, feedback, growth opportunities, and work-life balance.
5. Be consistent
Make sure what candidates hear in your recruiting materials matches what they experience in interviews and on the job.
6. Treat everyone like a VIP
Be open, inviting, and engaging in every communication you deliver, whether it’s with an ideal candidate or not. Remember—each person you interact with is either a potential customer or employee or knows a potential customer or employee.
Final Thoughts
Your employer brand is speaking whether you’re actively managing it or not. And in a market where top talent has options, you can’t afford to not pay attention. Make a plan to actively shape your company’s story—or someone else will.
