4 ways to kickstart your employer branding initiatives

As the economy regains its footing, a sense of optimism is being accompanied by a steady return to “regular” hiring activity. This is welcome news to many industries, but there are also lots of changes organisations face as they reignite their recruitment efforts. 

From changing candidate expectations to adjusting to how to recruit in the new world of work, here are four strategies organisations should keep top of mind when rethinking their approach. 

Maintain your reputation and your people

An article in the Harvard Business Review reported that a bad reputation can cost a company at least 10% more per hire, and nearly a third would reject a job offer from a company with a bad reputation – even when unemployed. Talent have also been acutely aware of how a company managed their people over the pandemic – maintaining, strengthening, and perhaps, salvaging a reputation will be key in ensuring your pipeline of talent is warm and roaring to be activated.

Mobilise employee advocates

It may be the case that your budget for employer branding initiatives isn’t what it was before the pandemic. Thankfully, some of the best EVP sentiment comes directly from your own employees. If you’ve had an active employee base giving back to the community and helping where they can during the pandemic, you may want to consider formalizing an employee ambassador programme to showcase your efforts as a community-builder and as a force of good. 

Actively engage with diverse groups

Unfortunately, most of the employees who were let go, furloughed or had to leave their jobs were women and minorities. Women shouldered a disproportionate share of the family duties, while many service-oriented jobs, which was one of the first sectors to experience devastating job loss, were occupied by minorities. There are plenty of studies that illustrate having a diverse employee group has a correlation to company profitability. Beyond that, organisations of all verticals – especially in light of recent headlines across the world – have a moral obligation to re-examine and adopt more inclusive recruitment practices; this is an opportunity to start and/or invest further. 

Promote your benefits with the biggest employee satisfaction

Overnight, we’ve moved away from the traditional office set-up with the traditional health benefits. Demonstrate how your organisation has adapted by providing an array of options and resources that your employees have and can continue to use (e.g. home office stipends, learning and development credits, workshops around personal financing and mental health wellness). These perks, which may have been less prominent in job adverts before, are now one of the priorities candidates consider when looking for their next role.

For a closer look at how you can diversify and evolve your recruitment experience, download our Employer Brand Whitepaper Series today.