When it comes to attracting talent to your company, it’s not going to be love at first sight for every job seeker out there.
Ouch. That may hurt on first hearing it, but in fact, not every candidate should be a perfect match. After all, they’re people, not automatons. They’re as different and diverse as snowflakes, and only some of them will be the right fit for your organization. And, it’s much better to determine which ones fit the bill early on, rather than later after you’ve made a costly investment in a bad hire.
- Bad hires perform poorly, negatively impact the productivity of others, fail to get along with their teammates, and can kill morale. Ultimately, they leave – voluntarily or otherwise – and may take others down with them.
- Estimates on the cost of a bad hire vary. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, they can amount to approximately 30 percent of an employee’s first-year earnings. Various other studies have marked them as high as hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on the position.
Build an authentic brand foundation.
In a nutshell, employer branding is your company’s reputation, what it offers its employees, and the value it brings. Positive branding helps to attract and retain not just any candidates, but the right candidates. In other words, quality trumps quantity.
- Like all consumers, job seekers are more discerning than ever before about which brands to choose. They don’t just want to be sold on your brand; they want to trust your brand – especially if they plan to make a long-term commitment to being part of it. In a recent report, only 24 percent of consumers said they trusted the brands they bought from. And according to 56 percent of respondents, even some so-called “purpose-led” organizations were perceived as exploiting social issues to further their marketing agendas.
- Research who you really are and what makes your organization uniquely attractive to potential hires. This is the start to forging a truly authentic employer brand. Your ultimate goal is to have a better understanding of your current high-performing employees so you can in turn attract people who will likewise thrive in your company’s culture.
- Know your unique value proposition. As you enhance your brand, focus on your company’s mission statement, values, and vision, as well as culture. It helps to identify what your current business needs are and then work backward to understand what type of talent you need to fulfill those objectives.
- Consider a brand audit. To become fully aware of your company’s image in the job market, send out surveys, conduct social media searches, uncover and analyze reviews, and take other steps to understand what people like best – or least. This will enable you to more precisely define the talent you’re looking for.
Need Help with Your Employer Brand?
Who should your employer brand be attracting? To find the answer – and perfect your branding strategy as one of the pillars of your ongoing effective recruitment marketing efforts, contact the Recruitment Marketing team at Haley Marketing today.
