What is an employer brand and why is it so important?

In Poland, the term "employer brand" is relatively new. However, specialists in the field of public relations and company image strive for brands to introduce employer branding processes from the very beginning of their activity, as is the case in Western companies. Why? Because consciously building your brand just pays off.  

What will you learn from the article?

Employer brand is defined as the image of the company as seen by current and potential employees, and in the labor market in general. It is a set of values, features and benefits that the employer offers and which distinguish him from the competition. In today's crowded business world, building an employee-friendly company is not only a matter of ethics, but also a strategic move to attract the best talent.

Employer branding activities can significantly influence how the company is perceived, helping to shape a positive image of the employer. This image influences the decisions of potential candidates to take up a job, as well as the loyalty and satisfaction of current employees. In the digital era, where opinions about employers are quickly disseminated on social media and gowork platforms, companies that actively work on their employer brand win.

Work is an integral part of our lives. Ideally, when it is also our passion. According to research, people want to work in companies that care about their employees, offer professional development and give a sense of shared values. Companies that are market and innovative leaders in their industry are also very popular. Employees also look for stability and a proven employer reputation. Many of them also pay attention to the HR department and the recruitment process, which are crucial for them in the decision to choose a given job.

Practice shows that potential employees and specialists in their industries pay much more attention to the quality and trust of the brand in society than to the level of remuneration or scope of responsibilities. Who would like to work in a company that has a bad reputation and is not trusted by its surroundings? What exactly is a strong employer brand in practice and why is it so important from the employee's point of view? 

What is the difference between a consumer brand and an employer brand?

Building brand image we try to draw the right picture in the minds of potential customers and opinion leaders. In turn, when creating the employer's brand image, we must communicate our vision, mission and values in such a way that they are clear and attractive to the employees and candidates we employ.

A brand is not only a logo, but also promises that we make to the recipients of our messages that are to convince them to take specific actions. I, his image consists of both objective and subjective feelings of other people. A trustworthy brand constantly sends signals to customers that the offered product is valuable and interesting. It is important that I send similar signals regarding the company to employees and potential candidates.

Both satisfied customers and satisfied employees are the company's best showcase, and building a brand with both consumers and employees in mind takes time and the appropriate allocation of resources. Positive effects are brought primarily by thinking about current and future employees as customers whom we convince to choose our offer.

Employer branding draws inspiration from typical branding, using practices and mechanisms effective in brand-customer communication. While caring about meeting customer needs comes relatively naturally to companies, we easily forget about meeting the needs of people within the organization. We often treat already acquired employees and already acquired customers as something permanent. Meanwhile, companies must continually attract and retain their engagement.

Strong employer brand, or what?  

What proves how strong the employer's brand is? First of all, employee satisfaction. They must be the true representatives of the company they work for. A satisfied employee is the best showpiece for any brand. Employer brand creation should be based on building trust with the environment, regardless of the company's history. If the brand has been on the market for some time, the activities will be directed in a slightly different direction than in the case of the beginner brand. The former should focus on rebuilding trust among the people around you, if there have been any crises in the past. A brand that enters the market should focus its activities on gaining the highest possible credit of trust of all recipients from the very beginning. After all, their opinions will influence the decision of the future employee.  

Firms should strive to that the employee, after getting acquainted with the opinions about the brand and its image, would like to start working in the company. Just a dozen or so years ago, there was no way an employee would have such a wide range of choices.

With potential employees improving their qualifications today and taking into account their specialist knowledge, they often have the opportunity to "choose and choose" from job offers. The situation has changed dramatically - now companies must attract employees, not the other way around.  

Some employees improve their qualifications because they care about their own development. This significantly distinguishes them from other people who take part in their job search and do not care about expanding their knowledge. Employers are looking for such crew members. They are often specialists in a narrow field in which no other employee feels so well. The conclusion is simple - employers need not only employees, but most of all specialists.   

Already now, with constantly changing working conditions, including those related to the pandemic, those brands that are able to do so are adapting to the employee market. The employer's brand has to deal with changes in the market. Despite the difficult conditions in the country and in the world, the number of job offers is constantly growing. What's more, this is not just short, perfunctory information about what the company offers to a newly hired person. First of all, it is a range of advantages that can convince a potential employee to apply, often kept in a quite humorous tone. The distinguishing mark matters. This is one of the steps taken by the employer as part of employer branding.  

How to build a strong employer brand? 

Building a strong employer brand should take place in two ways – not only on the outside to create the desired image, but also on the inside. It is the relationship with current and former employees that is one of the testimonials of the brand's attitude to the internal environment.  

When it comes to presenting the employer's brand to future employees, the very thing is very important job offer. It must somehow attract candidates and be consistent with the brand image. It should contain the most important information, that is: 

• a detailed job description; 
• specific requirements for the candidate as a future employee;  
• information on remuneration or even a specific, real range of earnings; 
• benefits resulting from employment in a company, incl. training or certificates;  

• relevant information, including gratuities and distinctions, important from the employee's point of view. 

The visual side of the advertisement is also extremely important - it is the visual stimuli that attract attention in the first place. A very important factor, largely influencing the candidate's decisions, is the form of employment - employment contract, B2B contract, etc. The greater the employer's flexibility in terms of employment forms, the greater the chance that they will attract the right employees. Many candidates prefer to apply to companies that already have an established position on the market, even at the cost of lower employment. This shows that social trust in the brand is a key decision-making factor.  

One of the key ways to attract the best employees is to create an attractive recruitment strategy that will consist of various elements, such as personal marketing, social networks, recommendations from employees, as well as long-term development prospects. This challenge requires more flexibility and a reflective approach to employment goals, which will certainly allow you to attract the best talent to your company.

What tools work well when building an employer brand?  

When looking for a job, a candidate usually conducts research among employers. In this way, he wants to assess the company's credibility and its position on the market. What tools does it use for this purpose? First of all, there are these Web page and social media where the brand is active. 

Company websiteif professional and curious, it certainly offers a lot of information about the brand. It should have the necessary information about the company's operations, its successes and achievements, structure or completed projects that it can boast of. 

Good image, built on the basis of a properly constructed and updated website, it is an excellent information support for a potential candidate. It will certainly contribute to making the final decision.  

Social media seem to be one of the most important channels through which a future employee can obtain current information about the company. It is a truly powerful tool for building image, lasting relationships and trust with all recipients. However, it should be remembered that the Internet can also completely ruin and bring down a brand. One undesirable comment is enough for all previous activities to come to ruin. If a company does not monitor what is said about it, a potential employee may quickly become discouraged by reading many unfavorable comments about it. The employer's brand could suffer severely.

Everyone crisis it can be averted or even turned into success, as long as the company can take immediate action. They can be, among others professional and substantive responses to negative comments, explanations of the existing situations or informing recipients about changes in the company on an ongoing basis. Social media is the perfect tool for this. Certainly, the potential employee will appreciate such responsible behavior of the future employer.  

Employer brand inside and outside the company

If we want to create a really solid employer brand, we have to act in two ways, i.e. focus both on activities dedicated to employees and potential candidates. Acquiring new employees is as important as maintaining those who already co-create a given company.

Employees are our best ambassadors. In order for them to be loyal to the company and to other colleagues, we must not only provide their basic needs resulting from the employment contract, but also ensure their comfort, development and integration with the group. Our respect for them also shows in the way we communicate - be a sincere and authentic speaker and an attentive listener.

At the same time, build the image of your brand as a worthy and professional employer. Attractive candidates are sought after by many companies, so in order to attract their attention, you need to be smart and inventive.

Companies are realizing that high salaries are not currently the most important factor in choosing an employer. People identify with the place they co-create, which is why for today's employees, the comfort of work, atmosphere and other non-financial benefits, as well as the values of the owners, are equally important elements of the employer's values.

Image strategy the image-building activities carried out inside and outside the company interpenetrate. Satisfied employees create a positive image of the company outside. The way we treat our employees and fulfill our promises to them affects our opinion on the labor market.

Does the employer brand matter to the team?

From the point of view of a potential employee, relations within the company are extremely important, as well as opportunities for development or promotion. Real opportunities for achieving higher levels of professional development attract candidates, but the employer should present such opportunities at the beginning. A strong employer brand obliges you to something.

Work in which the employee is exposed to stress every day, related to the negative atmosphere between the employer and crew members, unfortunately does not encourage staying in the company and will quickly cause further changes in its structure. Employing an employee for longer, investing in his development and building appropriate relationships with him will make the staff a coherent and loyal organism with structured, good relations. 

Why is it worth building a strong employer brand?

There used to be an employer market. Today this trend has completely changed and we have an employee market, which means that the situation is working to the employer's disadvantage. A huge number of companies are struggling to employ specialists, and there is still a shortage of those on the market. This, in turn, is associated with higher salaries for employees with appropriate qualifications, or low-cost employment, but also the need for apprenticeships. The employer has to consider what he can offer his team and it has to be something that others do not have.

Employer branding, i.e. building an employer's brand, is an activity that definitely makes it easier to find suitable employees. Its main goal is to meet changing market trends and adapt the company to the employee's market. It is true that building a strong employer brand takes a lot of effort, but the results are definitely worth it. First of all, the company has an easier task when it comes to recruitment. Companies with a good reputation have a greater chance of finding a candidate who is a specialist in his field. In addition, employee loyalty increases. Employee rotation in the company it is not large and the team becomes more committed to performing their duties. As a result, their productivity increases, which is a direct benefit for the employer.

Building an employer brand is based largely on positive opinions of current employees. The happier the team is, the better the employer's image on the market. To achieve this, you must first understand that a good employee is the company's most valuable asset. You also need to know that it will be difficult to replace him. That's why it's worth ensuring the satisfaction of the entire team. Of course, we do not mean employees who take their tasks lightly or avoid work. A strong employer brand also means good internal communication. A company that treats its employees well and keeps its promises has a good chance that new candidates will be more willing to apply for it.

How to develop the employer's brand?

Building an employer's image without genuine employee involvement is practically impossible. Therefore, both the current team and potential candidates should be at the center of all activities undertaken. A modern employee wants to have a chance to develop, wants to expand their perspectives and become better at what they do. An employer's brand does not exist without employees, and for them, the values that the company follows and whether they are identical to the values in their lives are very important.

Every business should ask itself a few questions about whether:

• can employees really influence the shaping of the company?
• have an impact on what is happening inside the organization?
• have a sense of mission related to ongoing projects?
• want to work in the same company in five or ten years?

When building a strong brand, you must be aware that employees will be very eager to share their opinion about your organization, which is why their satisfaction is so important. Both employees and candidates will want to be able to participate in interesting and engaging projects. Any company that wants to create a strong employer brand should think about it. It is not about projects for global brands - although these are equally welcome - but rather about projects that will be a form of challenge.

Employees have their passions and it is worth supporting them, because it helps to maintain a healthy balance between work and private life. Also remember that your team spends 8 hours a day at work. A poorly equipped office or premises not suited to the type of work you do can seriously affect how you are perceived as an employer. Good conditions allow employees not only to feel that the comfort of work is important to you, but also increase efficiency. You can think of it this way: if you, as an employer, invest in a comfortable and well-equipped office, because you need it for work, your team needs exactly the same.

What value does the employer brand have for the company?

Thinking about the employer's brand, one cannot ignore the question of where the true value of the company lies. With high salaries? Perhaps in some cases this will be true, but these are individual situations. After all, it is very common to hear stories about employers who pay exceptionally well and still have to carry out the recruitment process at least a few times a year. As a result, they lose their time and money.

While the process of finding the right candidate may not be troublesome, implementing them into the company's structures and preparing them to perform the tasks entrusted to them are costs incurred by the company. After all, a new employee will not immediately be as efficient as the person you have been employing for many years.

For an employee, the value in itself is the fact that you are able to read their needs, understand them and satisfy them. Sometimes it may be the desire to pursue your passions, and other times it may be a growing family.

In each case, what matters is whether you understand and what you do with it. In this way, you are able to show your employees that they are an important element of a larger whole for you and that you consider them as people who bring real benefits to the company. Add to this the belief that you respect each individual's beliefs and values, and you can easily see where the company's true value lies.

Employer branding is like a promise of what you can offer as an employer. And, of course, we are not talking about empty promises here. Authenticity is important in building an employer brand. Remember that a company starts with creating a good team, and only then can you talk about building your position on the market. If the organization is inconsistent internally, you have virtually no chance of achieving success externally.

A company's reputation consists of many elements. Creating an employer brand is one of the roles that the company plays in the minds of employees, customers and other market participants. contact us and become a leader in this field too. An employer brand built according to a well-thought-out strategy + effective employer branding activities is the best way to create the image of a company where everyone would like to work.