- Get your leadership team's understanding and support. Effective employer branding starts at the top. The executive team needs to communicate in words and actions that delivering a positive employment experience and building a strong employer brand reputation are critically important to the success of the business.
- Bridge the gap between HR and marketing. Employer branding requires the expertise and commitment of both HR/recruitment and marketing to succeed. The best employer brands tend to have built the strongest bridges between these functions.
- Conduct a talent needs assessment. Gather input from your organization's leaders and line managers on the type of talent your business needs to succeed, and always make sure you have this target talent in mind when building your employer brand.
- Balance the give and get of your employment deal. Your employer value proposition (EVP) is a statement that should not only communicate what you offer as an employer but also what you expect from employees in return.
- Deliver on your promises. When you're in charge of employer branding, part of your job is to ensure that your company delivers on your employer brand promises.
- Build flexibility into the framework. Consistency improves the impact of the employer brand, but there must also be enough flexibility within your brand framework to adapt to different target groups. Flexibility is especially important in global organizations where catering for diversity is of major importance.
- Get current employees onboard first. Before ramping up your external marketing efforts to promote your employer brand, make sure you win the support of your current employees first. Without employee advocacy and support, your marketing efforts are unlikely to succeed.
- Make the most of social media. Work on building a strong social media presence across a range of the most popular channels. And don't just post content; engage with prospects by responding to their comments and playing an active role in relevant communities.
- Keep an eye on your competition. Find out what other companies are doing to reach out to the same talented prospects you're trying to attract, but avoid the temptation to simply copy what they're doing. Look for more creative ways to stand out from the crowd and focus on the qualities that make you special.
- Invest in metrics. Because you have so many ways to promote your employer brand, you need to measure what's working most and least effectively, so you can optimize the reach and impact of your activities and improve over time.
