What’s in a Name? The Benefits of Employer Branding

Employers that improve their branding can also increase their visibility in the eyes of potential ca...



Posted by Berkshire on April 30 2015
Berkshire
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Employers that improve their branding can also increase their visibility in the eyes of potential candidates.

In the world of consumerism and advertising, many organizations rely on their brand name. For example, Coke often beats out generic grocery store colas based on packaging and brand power alone. Consumers tend to gravitate toward names they recognize and trust, even if there is little difference in quality from the generic brands.

This same principle holds true in the job market. Job seekers want to work for recognizable organizations for several reasons, including the ability to say they work for a well-known company, or the presumption that high-profile names are therefore strong companies. For employers, there are a few ways to accommodate this condition.

“Consumers tend to gravitate toward names they recognize and trust.”

Don’t hide behind your posting
Employers that post opportunities to websites like Monster or Indeed should be willing to provide a degree of transparency. Too often, organizations don’t reveal their brand name in the listing—preferring to go through a third-party recruiting company rather than providing their brand name up front. That practice makes it more difficult for candidates to move forward in good faith.

Instead, these businesses would be better served to list their name and website right in the posting, and use recruiting software to sort through applicants. If nothing else, potential employees will feel more comfortable knowing exactly with whom they’re applying.

Leverage a brand to attract the right people
When organizations build their employer brand, their goal should be to create a set of expectations in the minds of candidates. If employers can accurately depict their culture, aspirations, and attitude through branding, they can narrow down their field of applicants to only those who align with those attributes.

As Recruiting.com points out, branding is, in large part, about communication. Nothing beats first impressions—a brand is like the elevator pitch or the first introduction. It should be carefully crafted to reflect exactly what the organization is all about.

Use branding to surpass competition

Branding can give one organization an advantage over its competition simply through presentation, according to Print Magazine. That’s why Coke outdoes those generic cola brands—the latter sodas aren’t necessarily bland, flat, and bitter, but they don’t have the selling power of Coca-Cola.

Generic cola just doesn't have the same appeal.

Generic cola just doesn’t have the same appeal.

A candidate who comes upon two equal companies offering similar positions may lean toward the one with the well-designed and thought-out branding attached to it. Those efforts don’t just add a nice visual element to the company website, they show an organization is willing to invest in itself and promote its own name.

Create a valuable asset
A great brand is also a way for a company to navigate through change and overcome hard times, Print Magazine explained. That’s because a brand has staying power—it won’t depreciate when the stock market takes a hit, nor will it change if a company undergoes internal flux.

Instead, a brand can draw candidates to the company even when the organization changes ownership or battles through financial burdens. Ultimately, a company’s brand will become so recognizable as to be inseparable from the organization itself. In some cases, the brand can even inform decision makers on how best to address any problems they may face.

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Every good employer should be aware of its brand and use it to find the best available talent. After all, it can be a small or even onetime expense that will continually benefit the company.

For more tips on how to build your employer brand and attract top talent, check out “Ease Your Recruitment Process with Strategic Recruitment.”

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