ROADMAP FOR EMPLOYER BRANDING - OUR TIPS!

Getting started with your employer branding strategy: a useful roadmap

Finding the right candidates for a vacancy can be difficult. Nowadays, job seekers have various factors that come into play when applying for a job. Good working conditions used to be the main criteria, but nowadays the list of requirements is much longer. The core values, culture, and working environment all contribute to the reputation that your organisation has. So that is why employer branding is a must when it comes to recruiting and retaining the right employees. In this blog, we share our roadmap for a successful employer branding strategy.

STrong EMPLOYER BRANDING: the roadmap

Step 1: The organisational culture as a strong foundation

A good foundation is essential to a successful plan. For your employer branding strategy, this is also the case. Start by analysing your organisational culture, what vision are you trying to pursue? With what values are you differentiating yourself from others? What makes working at your organisation unique? Subsequently, you should ask yourself whether your employers think the same about your working culture. Make sure that the image of the organisation is a good foundation. From this foundation, you can further develop your employer branding strategy.

Step 2. Determine the positioning

After critically analysing your organisation and its culture it is time to further position it. What aspects are positive and do want to highlight? What are the wishes of a potential client? But also, how do your competitors position themselves? Make sure you make it clear to others what makes your organisational culture unique. And after that focus on what is in it for the employees. Which aspects of the culture do they find appealing? Obtain this input from your current employees. An advantage of this is that it offers transparency. Don’t sugarcoat it, nothing is more harmful than a candidate having a wrong expectation. Therefore, you must aim to portray an honest, clear, and authentic image of your organisation. After gathering all these insights and analyses you should make concrete choices.

Step 3. Map your employee journey

The employer branding roadmap continues with one of the most important elements: a well-designed employee journey. To build reputation, it must feel good for candidates at every stage of the process. At SowiesoHelder we call it 'surprise and engage'. The recruitment and application process should feel positive and even better: put a smile on your face. We ourselves often create a compelling story for clients: a powerful story that captivates and binds. Touching the potential candidates where you make the difference as an organisation. This forms, as it were, a source document for all communication.

Step 4: The right employer branding tools for each phase

Once the stages of the employee journey have been defined, it is time to address the target group with the organisation's compelling story. To do this, link the right communication tool to the phases and goals of the employer branding. Using a powerful company film, an interesting online video series, or a digital brand story you focus on the ‘touchpoints’ of the journey when you are conveying your brand story via storytelling. Deploy beautiful ‘show don’t tell’-tactics. By doing so, you enable your candidates to experience the brand through actions, past experiences, thoughts, and feelings. This will make them feel more closely connected to the story. Make it matter and surprise candidates with a beautiful brand story.

Step 5: Your employees as biggest fans

To come full circle, we also need to show the steps we took within the organisation. That is why you should make sure your employees are the biggest fans. Make them a prideful part of your organisation. During events, you should show your organisational culture and in every online meeting, you should stress what your core values are. Involved employees are key to a strong employer brand. Make them feel a part of this by letting them contribute to promotion films or social media to show your appreciation. In the end, they are the ambassadors of the organisation.

getting started wiTh an EMPLOYER BRANDING strategy

Does this employer branding guide sound like something you want to get started with? At SowiesoHelder, we work with a concrete and informed approach, Brand Accelerator©.

In these co-creation sessions, together with a creative-strategic team, we brainstorm about large issues and act as a soundboard. Together we take a targeted approach to that issue and make progress rapidly. This way, it doesn’t take months to get a result. At a rapid pace, we start the project, and within a month, we begin producing the communication tools needed. With the Brand Accelerator, we create the ‘surprise and engage’ moments that help reach your employer branding objectives, which will give your employer branding a rapid boost!

Don’t hesitate to contact us to learn more about our Brand Accelerator and employer branding guide!.