Employer Brand, More Than Just A Tagline

Employer brand describes your organization’s identity as a place to work. It represents an employer’s reputation and value proposition to its employees, the same way a corporate brand describes reputation and value proposition to its customers. 

Employer branding blends your reputation as an employer from the perspective of both prospective candidates and current employees. It’s as much about employee retention as it is about talent attraction.

WHERE COMPANIES TEND TO MISS THE MARK 

Employers often miss the mark because they see employer branding as an advertising pitch. But for it to be effective and meaningful, it needs to be more than a clever tagline about a slick office and pool tables. 

We’ve all heard the claims – “our culture is like no other,” “our people make us great,” “we take care of our own.” It sounds great, but when you see the same messaging repeated by so many organizations it loses both meaning and credibility. Besides, statements like these lack the necessary context to make them relevant to candidates.

THE ADVERTO METHODOLOGY 

To create a meaningful and authentic employer brand, you need key messaging based on employee experience research and supported by relevant proof points. Along with what you offer, you must define who you are, what you stand for, and the collective behaviors that define your culture. 

The Adverto methodology breaks your employer brand into three key parts to achieve this:

Core Values: These are the fundamental beliefs of the organization that define what you stand for. Your core values act as a guide to help employees understand corporate objectives and the difference between the right and wrong way to represent your brand. 

Shared Commitments: These commitments serve as a code of conduct and a set of expected behaviors that unify the objectives of the organization and with the employee’s role. These shared commitments also act as a guide to help candidates understand what type of employees you’re looking for. 

Employee Value Proposition: This is the promise an organization makes to its employees when they join. More than salary, the employee value proposition (EVP) outlines what candidates will receive in return for their engagement and dedication to their work.

YOU WON'T GET WHAT YOU DON’T ASK FOR 

Though all three of these elements are equally important, most organizations focus on the EVP losing sight of the more cultural elements. As your shared commitments outline who you and your employees are, it’s the perfect opportunity to tell candidates exactly what type of person you’re looking for. 

Like other marketing functions, employer branding needs a target audience to focus on. You'll never be everything to everyone, and you don’t want to be. You need to define what ‘great talent’ means for your unique organization. 

For candidates to be successful in your organization, it takes more than just qualifications and job experience. You need to find people who will complement the culture and thrive in your environment, while at the same time giving those who don’t fit an opportunity to opt out of the application process.

YOUR EVP IS THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN 

Once you’ve defined who you’re looking for, you can shift your focus to what you have to offer as an employer. 

This exercise is a lot more meaningful once you’ve defined your target audience through your shared commitments. You need to think about what it is that you offer as an employer, what your employees and candidates value, and give specific examples to paint the picture. Start with general themes and get specific about what you offer and how it differs from other employers.

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER 

The only way to achieve a strong and meaningful employer brand messaging is to truly understand what you have to offer, along with the culture and employee experience at your organization. 

When you define a thoughtful and authentic offering, created to be compelling to your target audience, you will start attracting the right candidates. 

At Adverto, we’ve developed a process that ensures your employer brand is developed thoughtfully, tested thoroughly, and executed authentically to resonate with existing employees and inspire prospective candidates. 

If you’re looking to work together, feel free to contact us!