Why should you be authentic in your company branding?
Gone are the days when companies just had to market themselves to consumers. In today’s candidate-driven job market, employee branding is becoming equally important.
Creating an employer brand goes beyond hiring; it is about shaping the public perception of your organization’s work culture and sharing stories that align with your mission.
Employee branding is essential to create a memorable and consistent image of your business and its culture. It can help you create meaningful experiences for internal stakeholders and get potential and current employees excited about being associated with your organization.
A good employee brand helps your company hire the right talent and retain your best employees. Your employee brand should be built on trust and transparency and accurately convey what it’s like to work at your company.
What are the benefits of being authentic in your employee branding?
Regardless of your industry, being authentic in your employee branding can be crucial to building a solid workforce. Here are some benefits of building your brand authenticity:
Attracting the right talent
Similar to how you have a brand to attract your customers, it’s important to have an employee brand that helps you attract the right talent. Being honest about your company culture is essential to prevent a high turnover rate. While it can be tempting to throw in buzzwords like “work-life balance,” you must apply these values in daily practice.
Remember, potential employees may not take descriptions at face value and look for information on platforms like Glassdoor. If they find your description of the position does not align with others’ reviews, they may refrain from applying altogether.
On the other hand, if you’re a fast-growing company that rewards innovation and encourages leadership, you will attract diverse individuals with entrepreneurial experience.
Filtering unsuitable candidates
The goal of a successful hiring strategy is not to receive a large volume of applications; instead, the aim is to attract candidates who match the company culture.
Your employee branding can act as a smart filter rather than a magnet. If your branding is authentic, it can provide a fair reflection of the employee experience and discourage unsuitable candidates from applying. Clarifying the demands and expectations of a role can be effective at filtering individuals out of the recruitment process.
Reaching out to younger candidates
Gen Z makes up over 32% of the global population, making them an important group for recruiters to pay attention to while making hiring decisions. Authenticity is a critical component by which this group evaluates organizations.
According to Gen Z, an authentic brand:
- Has a purpose other than making a profit
- Helps solve a problem and improve the world
- Is open and honest about its operations and processes
- Keeps it real by using relatable people in its marketing campaigns
Some aspects Gen Z look for in a workplace are less rigid hierarchies, inclusive environments, and the ability to drive change. By being authentic about your work culture, you can let these younger candidates know if they’re the right fit for your organization.
Standing out from the crowd
There are millions of businesses worldwide and it can be easy for your company to get lost in the noise. Moreover, in today’s tight job market, candidates have the upper hand in choosing where to work.
As candidates are overloaded with information, it becomes essential for brands to communicate with them in a genuine way to make a connection. By building an authentic employee brand, you get a competitive edge while hiring.
How can you build an authentic brand?
Brand authenticity goes beyond just being honest. As an authentic brand, you must be true to your company values and your employees.
Here are a few steps to achieving this:
Defining your purpose
Think about why you started your business in the first place. What did you set out to do? What problem were you trying to solve?
Instead of just putting out job descriptions, try sharing your story- the journey to building your brand and the challenges you face. Understanding your purpose and sharing it with your potential employees can help them resonate with your vision.
Being consistent
Brand authenticity cannot be achieved overnight; it requires long-term commitment and consistency.
Your brand values must be clear and resonate in all the messaging you put out whether in the form of blogs, social media posts, or e-mailers. Whether it’s an employee onboarding presentation or a marketing brochure, the core messaging must stay intact.
Communicating with your audience
As a brand, it’s important to engage in conversation with your potential employees. This goes beyond simply informing them of new updates or milestones in your organization. Instead, you should develop a two-way dialogue with your candidates and employees.
Being an authentic brand doesn’t mean you need to be perfect. Instead, it means you should take ownership of any mistakes. Set up platforms where your potential, current and future employees can reach out to you to share their experiences, both negative and positive. Common feedback channels include your website, social media handles, your email address, or via telephone.
Listening to and incorporating constructive feedback can increase the general trust in your brand. Moreover, it makes your employees feel valued.
Practicing what you preach
Today’s employees want to work with brands that care about global issues. However, taking an inauthentic stand on societal problems or “goodwashing” can backfire on brands.
If companies make such announcements but don’t act in accordance with these values, they can find themselves losing their employees’ trust.
Building brand authenticity can seem challenging at first, but it’s an investment in your company’s growth. Being authentic will not only attract more customers but also help you hire suitable talent who understands your mission.
How can you build an authentic brand?
If you’re looking to expand your team, consider partnering with Solvex Solutions. We can give you high-performing HR employees who resonate with your brand values and work as an extension of your existing team.
We specialize in technology talent and professional services and have worked with some of the biggest companies in industries like fintech, media, and insurance.
Get in touch to find out more about how we can help you boost your hiring efforts.
