BY Raphaela Von Rohr

Why employer branding?

The fact that we can’t not communicate has long been known in communication sciences. And this is precisely the core of employer branding. Every company operates employer branding, the question is only at which level of quality. But what does employer branding actually mean? The employer brand is the employer’s brand and the employer branding is a targeted establishment of the employer’s brand on the labour market. Many companies have not yet realised how much untapped value is hidden in it and how much influence employer brand has on their own company.

Putting employees at the centre

Probably the most important basis for successful employer branding is dealing with the employees themselves. After all, no one wants to become an ambassador for an employer brand that focuses on economic benefits, cost reduction or something other than employees. Employees can only successfully identify with the company if the company values, identification possibilities and credibility are lived out in reality. Inconsistencies would be quickly exposed by potential employees or even already by applicants when applying.

The effect of employer branding

When employees are placed at the centre, employer branding has an even more far-reaching influence on the most diverse areas of the company. C. Dietrich has divided these into five impact factors*. Employer branding helps to ensure that these five impact factors build on each other and, in the best case, that employees become positive ambassadors of the employer brand. The following is an overview of the five factors.

How to start employer branding?

The central questions in employer branding are:

• What makes us unique?
• What distinguishes us as a company?
• Why are we an attractive employer?

By answering these questions, the Employer Value Proposition can be defined. This defines offers and values that are lived by your company.

It is important not to copy clichés from other companies, but to work out your company’s own strengths and cultural values and represent them authentically. New employees will quickly notice whether the promised values and the presented corporate image are lived. If not, this may not only cost renewed HR resources for recruitment, but may even result in damage to the company’s reputation, for example through negative ratings on rating platforms such as Kununu.

The employer branding strategy must be integrated into the overall company image. If you use the uniqueness of your company for the brand promise, this cannot be detached from the corporate image. The employer branding strategy starts with the defined goals and values, the lived culture and identity of a company.

Employer branding in 4 areas

Various measures can be defined from the Employer Value Proposition, which can be incorporated into the following four areas, for example:

• Recruiting: Processes should be optimised so that they correspond to the company values. You should also try to recruit on platforms that reflect your values. Also make sure that the wording of your job advertisements corresponds to the company language.
• Candidate Experience: Treat candidates like employees and live out the same values in the recruitment process as you do within the company. Also check that the processing time and communication in the application process correspond to the internal values.
• Talent Management: It is important that employees are sufficiently motivated to develop themselves further. Care should also be taken to ensure that the range of internal and external training opportunities is appropriate and that there is transparent communication.
• Employee Wellbeing: Perhaps the most versatile area is Employee Wellbeing. Are your employees as happy as you would like them to be? You can find our thoughts on this topic in the article “Employee Wellbeing”.  

Successful employer branding

Successful employer branding can be seen in your employees. Committed and satisfied employees are the strongest brand ambassadors of any company. Is there a consistent brand message? Because if employees live the company values, they will convey these values to the outside world as voluntary brand ambassadors. These are usually stronger and more sustainable than many recruitment campaigns.

Building an employer brand is associated with persistence and conscientiousness. However, if a company cultivates employer branding successfully and sustainably, it will be able to benefit from it at various levels.

 *SOURCES:

Casanova, M. (2019). Corporate Branding und Employer Branding. Wirkungsfaktoren für das HR-Marketing. Winterthur, ZHAW.

Dietrich, C. (2014). Mitarbeiter als aktive Markenbotschafter einer „Employer Brand“: Einsatzmöglichkeiten und Erfolgspotenziale. Hamburg, Deutschland. Imprint der Diplomic.

Trost, A. (2013). Employer Branding: Arbeitgeber positionieren und präsentieren (2.Aufl.). München, Deutschland. Luchterhand Verlag

Watzlawick, P., Beavin, J. H. & Jackson, D. D. (1967). Pragmatics of Human Communication. New York W. W. Norton.