Do people really want to work for you?

Job seekers want companies that offer a holistic work experience, a unique sense of belonging. This is the root of what today is referred to as ‘employer branding’. Josianne Avellino, HR Specialist at MISCO explains, “We look at employer branding as the ability for a company to attract the best talent beyond the remuneration package. Employees today look at the wider picture, at how their place of work will make them feel better.”

In today’s economic scenario where we have a reality of quasifull employability, attracting and retaining the best talent is crucial to any organisation. This reality is even harsher in highly competitive sectors where niche skill sets are in high demand. Many organisations believe that offering higher salaries or more benefits is a guarantee to attract the best talent. Nowadays however, salaries are only just one aspect that employees consider when looking at the organisations for which they want to work.

The best employees will be the ones who want to become better, not only at what they do but also as individuals. Every company has to be in a position to attract these kinds of employees.

Just as in marketing, branding is crucial in terms of the products or services being put on the market, in HR, one looks at employer branding and evaluate how much a company is capable of attracting and retaining talent. Through employer branding, a company is promoted as the ‘employer of choice’ to the desired target group. This is an important aspect because it is only by attracting and retaining the best talent that an organisation can effectively pursue and achieve its business plans.

To do this, companies have to see that their HR structure is supported with other benefits such as ongoing training and development activities, motivational activities and the creation of a work environment that targets the employees’ wellbeing. This multidimensional benefit system in organisations is important in making companies attractive to such talent. In turn, when the right environment is created and experienced by employees, this will be communicated in the market, both within and beyond the organisation by those who experience it, thus strengthening their employer’s ‘brand’.

There are various definitions of what an employer brand could be. This definition is built around the perception which key stakeholders and, more specifically, current and potential employees have of an organisation which affects the company’s potential as an employer.

The elements which contribute to a company’s ‘brand’ as an employer include how a company operates, how it behaves and conducts itself in the market, how it treats its employees, and how the company approaches the outside world. The employer’s ‘brand’ is further strengthened when the company portrays itself as a good employer and when the company is perceived as being a great place to work at.

Differentiation and cost leadership are two paths a company takes to compete for customers. This same logic applies in the field of recruitment. A recruitment strategy which is based solely on compensation might not prove to be a long-term viable option for a company. On the other hand, studies have shown that people who are seeking jobs consider moving to an organisation with a strong employer brand, even if it means getting the same salary they are currently earning.

To achieve a strong employer brand, a company has to define its offering and make sure that this brand resonates with the people the company is trying to attract. This will mean highlighting those aspects that make the company’s culture unique, the working conditions offered such as flexibility, or why the tools through which it offers its services are special.

Employer branding is therefore about effectively communicating your organisation’s values, personality and culture to accentuate the desired perceptions. Employer branding affects all those aspects of an organisation where it is in touch with its employees at all stages of the HR cycle, including the recruitment process, training and development, the development of careers, salaries, benefits and incentives and all the stages of the employment experience, including the exit.

The importance of good employer branding is also reflected in the cost a bad reputation has. Recent studies by Harvard Business Review indicate that when a company has a bad reputation this can increase the costs of hiring a person by 10 per cent. So it is highly rec- ommended that one understands better how an organisation is perceived and create an effective employer brand.

To craft a brand that is consistent with one’s workplace culture, a company needs to understand what are the most attractive and compelling attributes of the organisation to both current and potential employees. This is done through research which allows the Company to have thorough knowledge of one’s workforce. It is also important that both your employer and external brand are closely aligned to each other. It is very crucial that a company is presented consistently and effectively. If there is a discrepancy between how a company is seen by the outside world and how it is seen from within and what it is actually like to work there, there might be a disjointed message, which not only creates confusion, but might even create an issue of disappointment for those engaged by the company.

Like any other dynamic element, an employer brand will continue to evolve over time. Its development requires constant attention and a high-level of monitoring, research and commitment.