Four tools to help you build your brand story authentically

During the long stretch of uncertainty caused by the pandemic, there was a notable shift in employee and candidate behaviour. Both groups started looking to companies as more than just their current or prospective place of employment but as a place where they expect to be emotionally and behaviourally connected to. 

Successful brands have been remarkably effective at authentically humanising their brands to connect with candidates and employees on a personal level. Here are some of the tools they leveraged to create real, candidate-focused communications:

Video is key

When moving to remote working, it was only natural that the use of video (Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Hangouts) would change our media consumption habits. While professional video shoots are still difficult to manage, nimble marketing and production teams have gotten creative in creating professional – and more importantly – relatable and authentic content.  

Leverage employee-generated content 

Gone are the days where we expect a brand’s social channel to be polished, curated and picture-perfect. Candidates and fellow employees expect to see authentic and inclusive content that starts an honest conversation – especially the struggles many experienced over the last year. From work-from-home set-ups to stories about manging stress and chaos – we can say goodbye to perfect angles and lighting and say hello (and like!) to real, vulnerable stories. 

Expect to see longer-form content

Over the last year, we’ve seen plenty of long-form pieces from employees of all stripes sharing their situation, experience and what their companies have been doing to help support them. Don’t be surprised to see this trend continue, especially as C-suite have been particularly active over the pandemic. In fact, studies have reported that engaged senior leaders often lead to 3.5x more company page views.   

Address feedback

Online reputation has become more important than ever. Candidates have had to rely heavily on online reviews to get a sense of a company they were interested in applying to: sites like Glassdoor and Trustpilot have all reported a spike in traffic and engagement. How well organisations have managed their redundancies or restructuring is coming to the forefront, so it’s integral that you take care of your reputation by professionally addressing all feedback on these sites – positive or negative. 

Looking for more tips to inform the way you create and communicate your employer value proposition? Download our Employer Brand Whitepaper Series for more information.