It’s never a bad time to think about your company’s employment brand – the way you define and articulate your value to employees and job-seekers. But we’re at a point right now in the job marketplace where having a strong, well-defined and well-communicated identity is more important than it’s ever been. Why?
1. If you don't, someone else will.
Glassdoor and other online workplace rating sites allow current and former employees to define you quickly. Nearly half of those surveyed by Software Advice last year said they use Glassdoor reviews as a part of their job search. The site – and others like it – can be highly influential in shaping perceptions of your company, especially if there’s no other narrative about why you’re a good place to work.
Clearly defining and communicating your company’s value proposition to current and prospective employees can mitigate perceptual issues of your workplace culture caused by negative Glassdoor reviews.
2. Competition is tight.
At the current low U.S. unemployment rate, it’s a job-seeker's market – they need compelling reasons to choose you over other employers. One of the best ways to differentiate your job opportunities from competitors’ is to be seen as a better place to work and/or a “right fit” for the candidates that you want to hire – and the employees you want to keep. This is something that a strong employment brand can provide.
3. You'll stand out in a crowded landscape.
Job seekers have more access than ever to information and data on the companies and industries they’re interested in. Competitive differentiation cuts through the noise. A concise and compelling employment brand, clearly communicated, makes it easy for your employees and target talent to understand why you’re the right choice for them.
4. Communications are getting shorter.
With social media becoming a primary source of information on company culture and employment experience, it's important to make it easy for those you want to hire and retain to quickly understand your employment brand. To do this, you need a clear, succinct definition that you can distill down to its most important and compelling aspects, and easily share across multiple platforms.
5. You can see tangible results.
In today’s highly transitory job market, investments you make in developing your employment brand can quickly pay dividends. Private sector employees switched jobs at a record rate in 2017: 27% changed employers, per an ADP Research Institute survey. Deloitte estimates that finding new people to fill open positions cost employers more than $200 billion last year.
Replacing good employees is an expensive proposition, but ensuring that your workers understand why you’re a good place to work via a well-developed and clearly communicated employment brand can help reduce turnover.