How Employer Branding Can Help Your Recruiting
The face you present to the world – your brand image – is an important component of your marketing. In business, it provides a stepping-off point for differentiation, giving your customers and your broader audience something to identify with. No matter how strong your services or products may be, if you are unable to build positive association with your brand, you may never be able to gain traction in your niche.
Your brand, in a sense, is what people say about you behind your back – or at least this is how you should think about it. Taken in context, you need to control that conversation by crafting a clear message and making sure people know who you are and what you stand for.
Branding Takes Your Image to The Next Level
While most people associate branding with landing new business, your public face is important to a lot of other initiatives as well. In the area of recruiting, your brand says a great deal about what kind of employer you are and if you want to ensure you are attracting the right candidates, you need to make sure you are sending the right message.
This is what we call Employer Branding. Employer branding might be described as the action of helping your ideal recruits see you as an employer of choice in your industry.
In order to tailor your message to the right individuals—much like marketing in any industry—you need to understand your target market. Not to be confused with consumer marketing, this involves understanding what people are looking for in a job and developing a strategy as to how you can deliver it.
Conduct Internal and External Analyses
In a broad sense, you need to establish a brand image that is attractive to your target audience. If you come across as an organization that people want to do business with, then it follows that you will be a desirable company to work for as well. Top talent seeks out the best possible placements for their talents. Your task is to become that aspiration.
On an internal level, you should take a close look at your company culture, your staff, and what can be done to make your workplace more desirable. This could involve career development, or it could extend to work-life balance, diversity, or a progressive physical workspace. Employee training also provides a particular allure for some, as many top achievers are always looking to learn, expand their skills, and grow as a professional. If you offer these opportunities, you will likely attract a higher caliber of individual.
How Your Employer Branding Can Help or Harm
If your company had no employer branding whatsoever, it could easily alienate some applicants. As a newcomer who has only surface knowledge of your company, it would be easy to pick up on the more negative aspects. A company that would have you onboard without any potential for development, for instance, is a red flag for many. Nobody wants to feel like they will be stuck in a rut with no discernable future. You want to give the impression that you care about your employees and that you are a good company to work for.
Your employer branding will be a monumental help when it comes time to recruit new talent. Landing high-performers is not a simple task, especially in today’s competitive job market. Your ideal candidates need to have the right mix of skills, experience, and cultural fit if they are going to go the distance. Being their number one choice will give you an edge when it comes time to make that decision.
In closing, spending some time to develop your employer branding will take care of many of the pain points of recruiting. If you are effective in delivering a positive impression, your biggest problem will be shortlisting the hordes of candidates that will be coming your way.
If you would like to learn more about employer branding and how it can help your organization attract top Life Sciences talent, schedule a consultation with Pact and Partners today. With more than 30 years of experience in trans-Atlantic life sciences executive recruiting, we are your rock in a changing world.