Many industries are complaining about a significant shortage of skilled workers. The battle for the best employees on the market is fierce, as business success depends on the experts and specialists who work for the company. If you want to attract qualified specialists, you have to come up with something to draw attention to yourself. In the so-called "war of talent", it's all about presenting yourself as an attractive employer on the market and standing out from the crowd. This requires a strong employer brand with an authentic image that not only attracts skilled workers, but also retains them in the long term. Employer branding is no longer a "nice to have", but a key development factor in the future of the company.
Employer branding is about building an employer brand and answering the question: What does my company stand for? When building this brand, companies must specifically address what their USP is, particularly with regard to their identity as an employer. The following questions provide interesting aspects in this regard:
The answers to these questions provide important insights into the company's individual values as an employer.
The terms HR marketing and employer branding are often used interchangeably, although they pursue two very different goals. Many companies see employer branding merely as a means of attracting high-quality employees, but it is actually much more than that. Recruiting staff is ultimately only the result of a successful employer branding strategy, while personnel marketing is solely focused on attracting skilled workers.
| HR marketing In HR marketing, the focus is on a single aspect of employer branding: the recruitment and long-term retention of employees. The aim is to build an effective applicant management system so that the best candidates on the market are interested and become aware of the company and the workplace. | Employer branding Employer branding is concerned with the strategic orientation of the company in terms of its identity and perception as an employer - both internally and externally. It is not primarily aimed at attracting employees, but rather at strengthening the employer brand and building an authentic image. |
It is often a major challenge for medium-sized companies to make a name for themselves in the region or even nationally and to make potential employees aware of them in the first place. They focus their marketing activities mainly on customer acquisition - and don't even attract the attention of potential applicants because they are using completely different channels. The majority of SMEs remain practically anonymous without an employer branding strategy. Many specialists and managers attach great importance to joining a company that has a certain image or a good reputation. If this does not exist or is not recognizable, then there is also a lack of motivation to apply.
A second major challenge arises when companies have grown rapidly due to their success. They then lack an organically grown corporate culture and their own values with which they can convince potential employees.
Success in recruiting specialists and managers requires proactive action and consideration of how to build an attractive employer brand. Employer branding must answer the question: How can I persuade a software developer to decide to relocate to Wiedenborstel or arrange his workplace in such a way that he can stay at home with his family and still work for the company?
Employees' demands and expectations of an employer have changed. Whereas just a few years ago jobs were awarded primarily on the basis of factors such as salary, type of employment and vacation days, there has been a noticeable change in this area. Instead of focusing solely on promotion and career opportunities, skilled workers are now primarily looking for a company whose values they can identify with.
More than just the salary, they are concerned with developing intrinsic motivation to work towards a common goal. This is the only way to retain employees in the long term, as all other factors such as salaries can easily be outbid by competing companies, making it easy to poach skilled workers. Those who build up an employer brand with a good employer branding strategy have a good chance in the competition for the best talent on the market.
Employer branding is not a project that is completed after a certain period of time, but a continuous process. It involves the pursuit of both internal and external goals.
Many companies already have their own corporate identity, which has grown organically over the years. However, most companies find it difficult to formulate this clearly. Therefore, the first and fundamental goal of employer branding is either to develop an identity or to clearly document an existing corporate identity.
This aspect is often underestimated by management. Imagine an employee who comes to work every day, sits down in their office chair and carries out their tasks without any connection to the actual company. It makes no difference to them whether they are in this building or the one opposite. Such an employee easily becomes a target for headhunters and can potentially be poached without much effort. In addition, a lack of a sense of belonging often leads to a mere "work to rule" mentality. Targeted employer branding can promote a sense of belonging in order to create a supportive working environment.
Employees who don't just work for any company, but specifically for their company, are generally more motivated and committed. They don't switch off the lights at 4 p.m. on the dot, but are motivated to actively contribute to the company's success. This attitude of employees is invaluable for companies.
A strong bond with the company increases resistance to potential attempts to poach employees. Employer branding is often viewed too one-sidedly. It is not only about attracting new employees, but also about retaining them in the long term - not only through financial incentives, but above all emotionally.
One of the best situations for companies is when employees become brand ambassadors. This can happen in many different ways. Even wearing corporate clothing in their free time is an expression of pride and identification with the workplace. In this way, other professionals among friends and acquaintances also become aware of the company and gain a positive first impression.
Well-planned employer branding measures significantly influence the perception that others have of your company. If you do not actively shape this perception, you run the risk of creating a false image, for example through negative reviews. This is where authenticity is crucial. A positive corporate image is not created by developing a new slogan or producing a corporate video with dedicated actors smiling happily into the camera. A lasting effect can only be achieved if the image is built from within and lived authentically.
An important goal of employer branding is to define the unique selling points that make a company stand out as an employer.
In many industries, there is intense competition for the best specialists and managers. With a well-thought-out employer branding strategy, companies can strengthen their position in the competition for these employees and ideally attract the best talent.
Clear company guidelines and a clear internal and external orientation make it easier for new team members to integrate into the company. Employer branding serves as an orientation aid - also for managers.
Employer branding is closely linked to the tools that are also used in marketing and online communication. One strategic approach can be to make the company more present on social networks. This increases visibility, especially among a younger target group.
The dream of every recruiter is to receive both a sufficient quantity and highly qualified applications from specialists and managers. With a well thought-out employer branding strategy, companies can increase both the number and quality of applications.
An employer branding strategy cannot just be developed in an afternoon meeting between 2:00 and 4:00 pm. Almost every company inherently has special values that make it unique. It is important to give these values a name, strengthen them and develop them in a targeted manner. An employer brand is always built from the inside out. Only when employees live the corporate identity can it radiate authentically to the outside world and be perceived by potential specialists.
When it comes to employer branding, there is not just black or white - presence or absence. Most companies already have approaches that are more or less well developed. Before a targeted employer branding strategy can be developed, the current status of the company should be reviewed. This can be done by asking specific questions.
A key source of information for analyzing the current situation is the company's own employees. The question is: How do they feel about their employer? What is the mood in the company and is there a common corporate spirit that the employees share? Surveys are an excellent way of finding answers to these questions. Various tools are available on the market that can be used to conduct such surveys anonymously.
It is important to identify your own entrepreneurial strengths. What can we do better than others? Why are we likely to still be successful on the market in 10 years' time? This is the only way to create a long-term perspective for employees who want to pursue a career.
This is one of the fundamental questions in employer branding. As already mentioned, standard phrases such as "good pay" or "flexible working hours" are outdated and have little appeal. Such incentives are interchangeable and do not stand out from the crowd. Instead, the focus should be on further training opportunities, family-friendly measures and initiatives to promote work-life balance, for example. Employees want to take on responsibility, experience flat hierarchies and have the opportunity to develop their interests and talents in their position.
If an applicant rejects a job offer, it is worth taking a closer look. It makes sense to contact the applicant again in order to gain valuable insights from this rejection. What was missing and where have expectations not been met?
An analysis of the current situation always includes a comparison. What visible activities are the competitors undertaking in the area of employer branding? Good sources of information are their career pages or social media presences. These measures can be adapted to your own activities.
Before a (new) corporate culture is communicated to the outside world, it must be firmly anchored within the company. A structured employer branding process therefore never begins by presenting a new corporate mission statement to the outside world with effective advertising campaigns, but by developing measures that first have an internal impact. Only when this mission statement is firmly anchored in every employee can external measures be taken.
Possible internal employer branding measures:
An employer brand can only be perceived by potential applicants if it is brought to life in the company through these measures. Existing employees are often ambassadors for the company. They talk about their employer among friends or on social networks. The more positive the perception is at this point, the more positively the employer brand is also perceived.
Once all internal measures have been successfully implemented, the focus can now be placed on the external implementation of the employer branding strategy. The main aim of these external measures is to improve the company's image and strengthen its own position in the competition for skilled workers. External employer branding measures help new employees to integrate quickly into the company and develop their potential rapidly. It is also about increasing the visibility of the company, generating more unsolicited applications and thus reducing recruiting costs.
Possible external employer branding measures:
It is understandable that companies first look at the financial key figures for each new item on the agenda and look for an ROI. Ideally, every investment should generate a measurable return. Nevertheless, the success of employer branding must also be considered in economic terms over the long term. It is an investment in the future competitiveness of the company that cannot immediately be expressed in black figures in the second quarter. At the end of the day, a successful employer branding strategy can result in considerable cost savings, particularly in the area of recruitment.
With an increasing positive perception of the employer brand, the number of applications received without additional recruitment measures increases. The improved quality of applicants means that the HR department spends less time weeding out unsuitable candidates. This allows the HR department to spend more time on supporting suitable candidates and ensuring a smooth onboarding process.
However, employer branding is not just about positioning yourself as a beacon for potential applicants, but also about developing a sense of community within the company. Benefits such as additional services, salary, vacation days and company cars are interchangeable, while money cannot buy identification, a sense of purpose and a shared pursuit of goals. Even if a competitor advertises a higher salary, the likelihood that the employee will remain loyal to the company increases. Employee turnover is a costly issue for companies that can be significantly reduced by an effective employer branding strategy.
Do you need support in designing your employer brand? Or do you still feel unsure about the application process? In business coaching, we reflect on your situation and work with you to develop possible solutions.