At My HR Hub we work with our clients to build their employer brand. According to a survey conducted by Glassdoor, a strong employer brand can woo passive candidates. The survey found that 84% of participants would consider leaving their current company if another employer with an excellent reputation offered them a job.

On top of that, 69% of those surveyed said they would decline a job offer from an employer with a bad reputation – even if they were unemployed.

 Your employer brand needs to be attractive for your business to stand out and attract and retain your employees.

What is employer branding?

An employer’s brand reflects the way that it is perceived. It is shaped by the way a business acts, from the way it treats its staff to the way it conducts business.

80% of my clients are recruiting right now. That’s fab. My HR Hub can bring all the solutions, from recruitment, great benefits, health and wellbeing activities and interesting work, and we can advise on competitive salaries to help you keep up with competition. However, all this is just “bells and whistles” if you do not have a good reputation. It is like building a house on sand.

There is only so much you can dress up. We work with our clients from the “inside out” to develop and enhance their reputation. This absolutely starts from the inside. Our well known Engagement Project – a deep dive into the hearts and minds of employees – will give you the answers you need. Are you a good employer? Would they recommend you to their networks/friends? Are they proud to work for you?

If the answers to these questions are “yes”, then you have the foundation for a great employer brand. If the answers are “no” then there is work to do…

Why is your reputation so important?

Word of mouth is the most powerful recruitment source. Over any other recruitment activity, word of mouth is the best way you can bring the right employees into your company.

We rate, grade and give feedback on everything we do, from our holidays, restaurant visits, online buys and phone calls. Why wouldn’t you spend time finding out what your employees think of working for you? Only then can you really start to make a positive difference and be certain that they will be promoting you as an Employer of Choice.  Happy staff = positive bottom line.

So, does this apply to you? I have worked for large, global, well-known brands and unknown small family businesses. The model remains the same. Work on making yourself a great place to work, look after your employees and they will pay you dividends by spreading the word and being your best ambassador. It really is that important but it still puzzles me as to how many companies do not ask these questions.

A strong employer brand can increase the amount of quality candidates a company receives. It can lead to better engagement, enhanced productivity, happier teams and employees, delighted customers and a healthier bottom line.

Company culture is a vital part of employer branding. 41% of all candidates search for information about a company’s culture before they apply for a job. What will they find when they look at your website? Workplace culture then is one of the first screening tools people use. Candidates are more selective nowadays. Good candidates have a choice – what will they find out about your company and will they want to work there?

Brand advocates and ambassadors

Current employees are the best advocates and ambassadors of your employer brand. It’s easy for business leaders to pitch the benefits of their workplace, but it takes current (and former) employees to really sell it. Consider asking employees to write blog posts for the company website. This is a powerful attraction tool because people trust people more than they trust brands.

When employees share their stories, it brings their experiences to life and makes them relatable.

A strong employer brand differentiates a company from its competition. In an increasingly candidate-centric marketplace, a business needs to offer more than just a job in order to be attractive to excellent and relevant candidates.

Every interaction that a candidate has with a company shapes his or her perception of its brand. Opinions change, markets change, and businesses need to adapt and keep abreast of relevant industry trends.

Developing employer branding is a long-term investment that ensures a company will stay competitive in the future, attracting talented employees and retaining them too.

See http://www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk/mag/advice/employees-say-working/ for the original article.