We are living in a world where the terms “B2B” and “B2C” are increasingly becoming obsolete. People today make professional decisions using almost the exact same criteria as personal ones. Some are even using the term H2H -- human to human -- to classify marketing communications.
This is particularly true in the staffing and recruiting industry.
As the process of selecting a job has become more personal, the need for stronger employer branding is amplified. Particularly when it comes to reaching an increasingly demanding talent pool of candidates who expect more, higher quality engagement from employers.
With so many talent acquisition trends, topics and technologies clamoring for your attention, you may not have given much thought to your employer branding this year.
If you’re worried that devoting time and effort to your employer brand will be a costly, time-intensive undertaking, worry not. In fact, you can take some super simple actions to lay the foundation of your employer brand in about a day! Start with these steps:
Step 1. Identify a few words that define your employer brand and resonate with candidates.
Although there are certainly some jobs that are more attractive to certain candidates than others, generally speaking, most staffing firms have access to great jobs. That’s not enough to woo (and retain) top talent.
Instead of relying on your jobs to do the work for you, focus on defining and communicating why working with your firm is amazing. Who are you? Why are you a good choice for contractors? What do you do differently than other staffing firms? How do you make candidates happier (eg. better jobs, more communication, investment in candidates as people and individuals)?
Once you have identified what it is (or what a few things are) that define your brand, write them down simply and succinctly. What does it mean to write them down simply and succinctly? Someone who knows nothing about your staffing firm should be able to walk in, and clearly understand what you’ve written.
Step 2. Apply that statement consistently, everywhere.
Now that you have a simple branding statement, it’s time to take stock of your marketing materials and communications to be sure that message is clearly and consistently conveyed across the board.
Now’s also a good time to remove any outdated branding from your website, social profiles, Glassdoor, or other sites that you may not have touched for awhile.
Candidates are beginning their talent journeys with your brand from any first contact they have with it. That could come via a job posting, Glassdoor review or social media post. It’s important that wherever that first touchpoint occurs, your branding and messaging are consistent and communicate what you want them to know.
Savvy talent today will move on if they feel a recruiter or brand doesn’t resonate with them. Ensuring yours is on point across the board will prevent desirable talent from walking away before getting to know the “real” you.
Step 3. Embrace feedback.
While you’re ensuring consistency in your employer branding across all platforms, take a few minutes to read any reviews, comments or suggestions left online. Sites like Glassdoor, Facebook, Google and Yelp are a good place to start, as candidates who are happy or (more often, unfortunately) frustrated may vent those frustrations publicly.
Be open to whatever feedback you may receive through these platforms. It can help you identify inconsistencies in your branding efforts, miscommunication and other gaps that can easily be filled.
Negative reviews are a reality in any industry, and can especially be common in the staffing industry. Try not to take them personally, but do reflect on them when it comes to improving your business.
Don’t just embrace negative feedback, ask for positive feedback. One of the biggest mistakes staffing firms make is not asking for reviews often enough (if at all). The truth is that people often need a little nudge and there are moments in the candidate journey, like right after you place someone, that are ideal for soliciting positive reviews. Word of mouth marketing is such a huge channel for your company, and a major pipeline for talent. Don’t let it fly under the radar - make sure it is public for everyone to see and read.
Step 4. Engage your employees.
Your current employees should not only help define your employer brand, but evangelize it. However, many firms miss out on the opportunity to capitalize on the tremendous impact of engaging your employees in employer branding efforts.
One of the simplest ways to engage employees and help build your employer brand is to send out social content and ask them to share.
In particular, the potential for a post to reach thousands is powerful on platforms like LinkedIn, where candidates and potential clients clamor for valuable content. Whether it’s a blog post, success story or company news, ask your employees to share messaging that nurtures your employer brand. The effect will magnify any internal employer branding efforts and speak with the authenticity on someone who evangelizes your firm from the inside.
Step 4. Engage (or re-engage) your contractors and candidates.
Receptiveness to feedback is a simple way to enhance the value of your brand, particularly when it’s negative or constructive feedback. To mitigate any public airing of grievances in the future, consider implementing a contractor care strategy to solicit and respond to feedback before candidates get upset enough to publicly post about their concerns. And track this feedback, both in quantitative NPS scoring, as well as qualitative comments and concerns.
Put simply, engaged talent is much more likely to be happy talent. Your contractor and candidate communications build trust and solidifies your brand perception while simultaneously increasing redeployment rates, reducing contractor churn and improving the overall candidate experience - all of which are great pillars to build an employer brand on.
Our platform is designed to help staffing firms better communicate with and engage candidates, clients, and employees. Click here to learn more about Sense and schedule a demo to see how it can help you grow your employer brand.
