Employer branding is a complex task that requires focus and prioritization. With many different efforts to balance, it can be a challenge to know what will have the greatest impact. Here are Tina's top tips to help you navigate the right path and maximize the impact of your employer branding efforts.‍

Tip 1: Ensure management commitment

In order to make a strategic investment in employer branding, management needs to understand why employer branding is an investment for the organization to achieve its business goals. In many organizations, management may need support to understand the link between business objectives and the skills required, both in the short and long term. Therefore, it is crucial to prioritize employer branding as a key element of organizational success.

Suggestion: To build management understanding, argue that employer branding is a strategic issue that directly supports business objectives and contributes to achieving the company's overall vision and performance. Talent management is a key issue, as it has a direct impact on business performance and the long-term success of the organization.

To give them an understanding, you can, for example, provide insight into the cost of recruitment mistakes and how recruitment communication is “money down the drain” if it does not reach the relevant target audience. You can also show employee engagement levels through employee surveys. This can help provide an overview of what your organization can gain from having a clear strategic plan around talent management and employer branding. 

Tip 2: Build communication on authentic insights, rooted in the employee experience

Employers often have a strong desire to highlight everything positive about the organization, but without anchoring it in the real experiences of employees, communication risks failing. Current employees don't recognize themselves, and new employees' expectations don't match reality. Authentic, well-founded communication strengthens credibility, engages internally and creates an honest image to the outside world – which provides long-term success for both the organization and the employer brand.

‍Suggestion: Here, authenticity becomes the key word in communication. Even if you highlight your strengths as an employer, it is important to show a concrete and realistic image - it creates credibility. Dare to be who you are, and you will attract those who fit in with you, which creates commitment. You should also share your ambitions as an employer and clarify the people you need to achieve your goals and create continued success.

Tip 3: Communicate from a clear foundation

What do we stand for? What do we offer? What is our tone of voice? What do we look like? What do we want to achieve? 

Tina Männik often meets employers who have ambitions, but who have not yet mapped out the answers to these questions. This results in scattered communication where different messages are communicated one after the other, leaving both candidates and employees confused.

Suggestion: Here, the organization needs to do the groundwork before starting with several different initiatives. A platform is needed that includes the following: 
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• A talent management plan based on the organization's business objectives 
• Priority target groups in the short and long term
• An employer offer, with your tone of voice and visual language
• Content to support all types of employer communication to target audiences (images, video) 
• Strategic plan for employer branding that helps to ensure skills supply 

Once this is in place, it will be easier for the organization to strategically strengthen its employer brand. 

Tip 4: Ensure your employer branding materials are activated

Creating an EVP and content linked to it is great. But if there is no strategic plan for how to communicate it internally and externally, you risk losing the potential to maximize its impact and long-term value.

Suggestion: Imagine this scenario: you have created an EVP and taken new pictures and videos of the employees. Now all the material is up on the career site. But what about more? Take it a step further by framing the employee photos to put on the walls of your office. Use videos in job ads to give an authentic insight into the company culture.Make organic and paid posts on your social media. Use it, over and over again. Activation is what makes you visible to your target audiences. 

Tip 5: Prioritize employer branding - even in challenging times

In tough times, resources are reallocated and budgets for employer branding are often reduced. Tina Männik believes that this is when the focus on employer branding becomes even more important. It's about retaining and attracting the right talent, which is crucial for a company's long-term success, even in challenging times.‍

Suggestion: When resources are scarce, it's about looking inwards and strengthening the internal culture and employee experience. Focus on clarifying and reinforcing the organization's values and purpose. Gather key people to discuss culture and leadership. By using organic social media posts and packaging working conditions and benefits in an attractive way, you can build strong internal ambassadors who convey your values, boosting engagement and attracting the right talent.

Bonus tip: Don't forget to measure the results of your efforts

To succeed with employer branding, you need to continuously evaluate and adapt your efforts based on new insights and changes in the world and the organization. Today, it is more important than ever to measure the concrete impact on recruitment and to have access to relevant data insights in real time.

By measuring both strategic and operational efforts, you can create clarity in the organization, strengthening both internal implementation, such as of an EVP, and your ability to attract the right candidates. Monitoring the impact of your initiatives and ensuring that activities support your strategy is crucial.

Examples of KPIs that can be linked to your objectives are: internal engagement over time, the number of qualified applications and how the target audience perceives you as an employer. These insights will help you adjust your efforts and achieve long-term success.

Would you like advice?

Hope Tina Männik have guided you in the right direction to succeed with employer branding and talent management. Tina and the team at Keeparo are here for you if you want to receive strategic advice based on your organization's specific situation. Get in touch with us at Keeparo.