For top talent, there’s no shortage of career opportunities. To capture this level of talent, a magnetic hiring brand is a must. Without it, you’ll have a steady supply of “C” players flocking to your company, instead of the top performers you need most.
But, how can you build a brand that increases applicant quality, reduces turnover and boosts productivity?
It starts with giving your hiring brand a little attention, and equally important – measuring the results of your efforts.
Define your Target
To build a magnetic brand, you must understand the minds of your target market, which in this case are your prospective employees. Think about a few items, such as:
- What does top talent need from an employer?
- What are the top concerns of employees in the specific job positions you hire?
- What are the demands of employees in your company’s unique niche?
- What are your competitors doing?
Once you understand this, you can build a magnetic brand that is both relevant and compelling to your ideal employee. If you don’t know what is happening in your market, than you have a clear place to start building your hiring brand! Also, defining your goals offers a framework to determine if your hiring brand delivers on its promises.
Employee Involvement…from the Start
Frontline employees offer insight management can’t tap into anywhere else. To create a magnetic brand, you need information from the front lines. Assemble a hiring brand team that includes management and employees from a variety of departments. Conduct employee surveys and focus groups, at least annually, to give you the voice of your internal customer – and measure how well you’re delivering.
And more importantly, you need to take action on this feedback. If feedback can’t practically be implemented, acknowledge it, and explain why. This is also a great opportunity to position yourself for employee referrals, and shape your organization’s culture to minimize future turnover.
Landing your Place in the Spotlight
Landing a spot in your local “Best Places to Work” list skyrockets your creditability with top talent. However, many companies don’t realize that securing this spot also generates attention from news agencies, periodicals and industry trades, who may select your company for a feature. This exposure strengthens your company’s credibility to attract the talent you need most to grow your company.
Do you need assistance creating a magnetic brand? If so, CERS can help! Also, don’t forget to sign up for your blog! Subscribe to our RSS feed and we’ll deliver upcoming “Hire This, Not That” posts conveniently to your inbox!
References
Society for Human Resource Management. Employer Branding and Retention Strategies. Retrieved 12/13/12 from https://www.shrm.org/Education/hreducation/Documents/09-0204-Branding-IM-FNL.pdf
Society for Human Resource Management. Branding: How can we develop an Employment Branding Strategy? Retrieved 12/13/12 from https://www.shrm.org/TemplatesTools/hrqa/Pages/CMS_023007.aspx
