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Remember: Your company brand remains the most important factor
Whilst the global health emergency is clearly necessitating change in a number of key areas of the recruitment process, one fundamental that will always remain the same is that your company brand is a key first step in attracting top talent. There are so many factors that come into play when a candidate is considering applying for a role, so it is crucial to ensure you effectively manage your controllables. Hiring the right people starts long before the offer stage of the recruitment process – it begins with your brand.
“There are five things that make businesses stand out to top talent: culture; development; flexibility; salary and benefits packages; and reputation.”
Julien Gibert, Senior Executive Director, Michael Page
Today’s candidates are very proactive when it comes to thoroughly assessing the opportunities available to them. Gone are the days when salary was the prime factor that an individual would consider when looking at opportunities. More than ever, the best talent is looking for a company that will not only help them achieve their career goals, but also align with their personal values and beliefs.
Scrutinise your employee value proposition (EVP)
Your employee value proposition is a great way to showcase why professionals should want to join your team. A key starting point in developing and improving your EVP is to properly identify what it is that you want it to say and do for you.
What is your culture?
Why do employees enjoy working for you?
What can you offer in terms of benefits, flexibility, training and development?
These questions are important to answer and outline in your EVP before you share it with the wider business and potential employees. Your EVP should be unique to your business and if it is a true reflection of what it is like to work in your company, it will attract the right talent.
Five ways to better promote your brand
1. Have a clearly defined mission, purpose, and set of values
Invest time into creating a brand overview which provides insight into the company values and ambitions. Showcase the company background and culture, and ensure that they are available to candidates. Where professionals are bought into your missing, purpose, and set of values, the opportunities to work for your brand are consequently more appealing to this talent.
2. Share your company journey and goals
Regardless of where your business is or how well you are doing against your targets, if you are clearly communicating how you are overcoming challenges and share your overall journey and goals, professionals will be more bought into your organisation.
3. Mirror your external comms internally
Your employee value proposition will fail if the feedback from your current employees is misaligned to the brand and culture you are selling externally. Communicate clearly that the company is engaged with employees and is actively making changes to ensure they are happy and engaged in their roles.
4. Invest in quality external contact points
The way people interact with your website, social media, job descriptions, and even your interview processes are key in setting the right tone and messaging. The best talent will explore these and use them to scope what it is like to work for your company.
5. Promote a clear value proposition
How well does your value proposition sell your products or services? It is key that your value proposition demonstrates your understanding of the customer through clear selling points. The stronger your value proposition and the better you highlight quality you offer, the more appealing your company is.
How to write a great job description
To appeal to top talent in today’s market, it is important for businesses to tell a story. Employers must move past the traditional process of simply talking about the job. It is important that you understand the need to sell your long-term strategy. A great job description can play a key role in this process.
“Many of the markets we recruit in are still incredibly skill and talent short, and therefore, your brand, advert, and job description must differentiate you from the other options candidates have available to them.”
Nicolai Mikkelsen, Executive Director, Michael Page
A well-written job description is invaluable. It is important that this is brought to life so that any potential candidate can imagine working for your company, understand the benefits of applying, and really buy into the culture and the company’s purpose.
When reading a job description, candidates want to know:
What does the organisation do?
What is the purpose and mission?
What does the business want to achieve and how?
Where is the business function or company on its journey?
How does the role fit into this journey?
How is the culture described?
Are there role models in the business
Are you currently recruiting candidates remotely? Download our free eBook "Running your recruitment process remotely: A complete guide" now to get more practical tips for both online recruitment and onboarding.
