Employer branding and recruitment marketing

The company's strength is evidenced not only by its sales results, but also by its staff. It is with their hands and minds that the company can develop. That's why it's so important image building employers, i.e. something we refer to in marketing as employer branding.

Attracting talent to your organization is an increasingly difficult task. Employers from various industries complain about the shortage of qualified staff. Both when it comes to qualified technicians and, for example, programmers or specialists. Acquisition for the company valuable human resources Thus, it becomes one of the most important tasks performed by them.

It is certainly a great help in solving the problem employer brandingabout which today's entry is about. And the game is worth the effort, because according to research by Glassdoor, the chance of employing valuable employees increases by as much as 200% in companies that invest in building the image of the employer.

Employer branding – definition

Employer branding (EB) is shaping the company's image as an attractive employer. It is the use of various marketing techniques in human resource management. Its goal is, on the one hand, to acquire valuable and qualified staff, and on the other hand, an attractive offer for current employees. This is why building the image of the employer it takes place both externally and internally.

Employer branding

Faced with the lack of the proverbial hands to work, HR departments use innovative methods. Their goal is to build a strong position of the company on the employers' market. So that working for this company is associated with good earnings, with the possibility of development and prestige. For this purpose, building the image of the employer draws on methods developed by marketing, such as good marketing communication strategy with the broadly understood outside world.

What is important, employer branding it is not only aimed at potential employees. In fact, it reaches all the company's stakeholders, both the staff and customers. What is the role?

• It is a response to the challenges of the constantly changing labor market, in which employees have an increasingly stronger position, and the goal of companies is to meet their expectations.
• Strong employer brand increases the effectiveness of the recruitment process.
• It significantly affects the level of retention of key human resources.
• It increases the productivity, loyalty and commitment of employees and, consequently, leads to better financial results of the company.

However, employer branding is primarily a team game. This is the result of systematic activities, also in the field of team branding and team building, which affect brand image in organisation.

Employer branding - quotes

As emphasized by Urszula Zając-Pałdyna, author of the book "Employer branding in Polish" - "Employer branding has been drawing, drawing and will be drawing on the resources of marketing. And very well! I believe that as HR specialists we should use as much as possible the marketing knowledge and practice of people involved in marketing. So if you deal with the area of HR or employer branding, get as much as possible from your colleagues from the marketing department. Ask, ask for feedback, consult your activities. Because you know, employer branding is actually a marriage of HR and marketing! "

Employer branding is a process of creating value and a promise that your company makes to its employees. Jason Hartman made it clear that "Your brand is a promise of quality, consistency, competence and reliability." The employer's brand is a guarantee that employees match their roles in a given organization and that employees identify with the company's achievements.

Employer brand

Referring to the words of Jeff Bezos, "Mark is what others say about you when you leave the room." Brand identity is a set of attributes, i.e. distinguishing features, that give the company a unique value. The purpose of employer branding is to build the image of the company in which employees will see the best working environment and opportunities for their own development.

Employer brand awareness is constantly growing. More and more companies realize that in order to be able to achieve market success as much as loyal customers and apply business rules, they need qualified, motivated employees. Where to start to be able to run effective employer branding? Krista Neher advises - "Start with what you want (as a company) and build credibility on that basis and deliver it in an attractive way through various means of communication."

Paweł Tkaczyk, a specialist in building strong brands, notices that a well-built employer brand is a process. One of its elements is building a specific organizational culture. “Give people a taste of your organization's culture. Building a distinctive organizational or team culture has two benefits. First of all, it can be started quickly and you will see the results soon. Secondly, a distinctive culture is still a rare phenomenon, so it is relatively easy to build uniqueness with its help. "

What are the means of employer branding?

To build employer brand awareness, companies must primarily use communication and the strength of interpersonal relationships. Positive emotions that the organization is to arouse among its "observers", which include current employees, candidates for employees and clients, are not without significance. Image of the employer it is created wherever there is any mention of the company. So these are company social profiles (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter), websites and tools with opinions, a company website or a blog. The point is to build a coherent and unambiguously positive one company image in the eyes of current and future staff. For business success, it is just as important as well-thought-out marketing strategy products and services and a long-term development plan.

What is recruitment marketing?

Recruitment marketing it is about effectively attracting and convincing the potentially best candidates to participate in the recruitment process we offer. It is support for the recruitment process with the use of appropriate marketing tools. Their choice depends on the budget we have and on the openness to the use of more or less original solutions.

Recruitment marketing it is also conscious and authentic building of the proper image of the organization as a remarkable employer offering attractive working conditions. To do this, you need to closely monitor the current trends, preferences and needs of potential candidates and the activities of the competition.

The purpose of recruitment marketing is to build a genuine promise about what you can expect when joining a given organization - the atmosphere inside the structure and the conditions that will be associated with working in a specific position.

Recruitment marketing

Effective recruitment campaigns do not have to be associated with enormous costs. The most important thing is an original idea that will catch the attention of the right people. It is thanks to him that we can convey our intentions even in one simple slogan, photo or video.

When looking for an idea to attract the best candidate, we must always keep in mind the image of the ideal employee for a given position. Only knowing who exactly we are looking for will allow us to find him.

Employer brand it's not an empty slogan. Employees identify with the company they co-create. Therefore, already at the recruitment stage, we must show that we can listen, we are creative, courageous and responsible. This will allow us to acquire employees "for years", not "for summer", and they, in turn, will attract more.

Elements of recruitment marketing

The basic elements of effective recruitment marketing include:

• in-depth analysis of the needs and preferences of potential candidates - who they are, what they are looking for, what are their expectations towards the employer, where they are, how to communicate and how we can reach them,
• strategię dotarcia do konkretnych kandydatów, spójną z misją firmy i  obejmującą m.in. określenie budżetu, jaki jesteśmy w stanie przeznaczyć na pozyskanie pracownika oraz dobór odpowiednich narzędzi i kanałów, które nam w tym pomogą,
• an attractive showcase of the organization as an employer presented through a properly optimized website, interesting and engaging profiles in social media and recruitment portals, eye-catching stands at job fairs, leaflets, folders, posters, gadgets and materials in local and industry media,
• engaging recruitment advertisements that will attract the attention of potential candidates with their originality, specific promises, authentic communication and matching to the preferences of a specific target group,
• professionally conducted recruitment process carried out according to clear recruitment rules. Selection of employees requires the selection of experienced recruiters, ensuring the right conditions for the interview, the selection of the right tools to make the best decision and proper communication with candidates at every stage of the recruitment process. What does it mean? Reliable information on the course of the recruitment process and effective asking for feedback that will allow us to improve the recruitment process in the future,
• building long-term relationships with universities by organizing internship programs, internships, lectures, presentations and consultations of students with employees of various levels.

Recruitment marketing and the image of the employer

HR, PR and HR departments play an important role in planning and implementing the EB strategy online marketing. Their goal is not to build a database of as many candidates as possible, but to select talents. A company, wishing to present itself to valuable candidates as an ideal employer, must show them the benefits of joining this organization.

Recruitment marketing

Of course, the group of motivators includes attractive earnings and permanent employment based on a contract of employment. Various also occupy an important place added values. These include medical packages, co-financing of MultiSport cards, attractive office location, and aesthetic work space. In addition, there are company events, training and courses for employees, promotion opportunities, bonuses, etc.

What affects effective employer brandingthere is also the prestige of belonging to an organization. Prestige is built, for example, through a portfolio of clients, which includes well-known companies, through the activities of foundations, co-organizing industry events, etc.

Employer branding within the company

Even the best and most expensive PR activities will not replace the influence of the strongest ambassadors of the employer's brand, which are its employees. Therefore, the EB strategy is equally committed to shaping positive feelings among the current staff. Not only hard financial gratuities or packages of social benefits are important here, but also taking care of a good atmosphere in the workplace. Every employee prefers to be in a place where he or she feels good and is appreciated. Therefore, it gains great importance internal communication. Ineffective communication in the company not only does not push the company forward. It also brings losses in the form of unused potential of employees and wasted opportunities.

Recruitment Marketing vs. employer branding - differences

These two terms are not synonyms, but both are deeply related - recruitment marketing is built around the employer's brand and cannot exist without employer branding. Each marketing strategy is defined by its goals. In the case of recruiting marketing, this is building the desired image of the employerin order to attract the best candidates and the most talented specialists.

The most visible difference between the two terms is that employer branding is the process of defining the employer's brand, e.g. (candidate persona, Employee Value Proposition). Recruitment marketing, in turn, involves its promotion, e.g. by creating and sharing content. While employer branding is something more or less constant, the recruitment marketing strategy should evolve and adapt to modern standards, trends and innovations. Employer branding is a strategy based on the company's values and its mission. So it is a long-term commitment. Recruitment marketing must keep up with the latest trends and changes in the recruitment industry.

Recruitment marketing - how to influence the opinions about the employer?

Employer branding refers to the process of creating the internal and external image of the company. Employers try to show potential employees how great it is to work for them and how well they treat their employees. They approach their potential employees as if they were their customers. Recruiting marketing is the process of actually building and promoting the employer's brand.

Opinions about the employer

First of all, it is important to know how the company is perceived as an employer. This can be measured by surveying key external stakeholders and target audiences. It is also worth conducting a survey among current employees to find out their opinions on the attractiveness of the company as an employer. Based on the feedback received, indicators can be established and a strategy developed to improve the employer's brand reputation.

The current and future workforce is dominated by a millennial generation, which is expected to represent the 75% of the workforce by 2025. These are people who expect work to give them the opportunity to learn new skills and develop existing ones. Thus, companies, if they want to be considered an attractive employer, should be prepared to meet these expectations.

Building the employer's image and reference marketing

Finally, a few words about the role of opinion on the Internet. Reference sites are no longer just a product rating tool. They have become, in a way, a place where potential customers, but also potential employees, gain or lose confidence in the brand. The aforementioned Glassdoor website reports that most job applicants read at least 5 online reviews about companies before forming an opinion about it. This is why referral marketing has now become an indispensable auxiliary tool for PR and HR activities.

Employer branding

Employer branding can gain a lot from skilfully conducted communication through websites with recommendations. It is not only one-sided informing the world about the company's successes. First of all, it is a skilful dialogue with recipients, including those who are dissatisfied. If a valuable candidate for an employee has a choice of several companies offering the same, they will definitely look for an opinion about the company as an employer. It will also assess how the organization communicates with customers. And on this basis, he will make the final decision.