If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that you can’t predict the future. So rather than prophesise about what might be, let’s instead focus on what will be. What are the “knowns”? And how can we prepare for them when it comes to employer branding?

Returning to the office

In Australia, we’re fortunate enough that returning to the office is possible for us this year. But the office won’t look the same and may never be what it once was. “Hot desking” has connotations to “pandemic” and talent leaders are considering how we can make our workplaces social (and collaborative) while social distancing.

Some hires will have joined your business during the height of the pandemic. This means, in many cases, people who have been with your business for months may not have attended your office yet. This is where employer branding and talent teams need to collaborate effectively with internal communications and culture teams. Returning to an office environment after 2020 can be stressful and confusing for team members, so it’s imperative to guide them through the process, make them feel safe, and demonstrate an active effort towards re-establishing culture in the office environment.

What does all this have to do with employer branding? Retention. Confusion and uncertainty are gateways to frustration and ultimately leaving your employees feeling forgotten about. Reinforcing the “whys” of your Employee Value Proposition (EVP) through positive employee experiences will mean happier, retained people.

Remote boom continues

While many of us are returning to the office, 2020 proved that remote workforces are not only possible, but effective. Being able to perform any job from anywhere is also linked to better hygiene, health and safety – and many employees will prefer not to rush back to crowded daily commutes on public transport any time soon.

When it comes to your employer brand, this raises questions around the new reality. Does your careers page only show people clustered around a foosball table? Have you adapted your attraction and sourcing strategies to remove location barriers? What about onboarding – have you truly adapted to remote onboard or is it just a patch and repair with the hope that we’ll return to normal?

The face of work has changed forever, and what you communicate to candidates and the experiences they may have should reflect that.

Recovery from brain drain

For the businesses and industries that were hit hard last year, 2021 will mean looking to plug and fill the brain drain. You may have had to release good talent out of necessity. Many candidates transferred their skills to more stable industries. As our organisations recover, an alumni strategy could play an important role. Re-engaging with former employees not only builds goodwill, it also accelerates your path to recovery as you’ll be reinstating people who are familiar with your business and can quickly “pick up the thread.”

Consider too that there may be reluctance – not just from returning employees, but candidates who may be loath to join an industry or business impacted by Covid-19. Ensure your employer brand is updated to reflect the situation. Be transparent with candidates and, where possible, highlight what you’ve done to recover and why you’re growing now. Resilience and adaptability are in demand from candidates, so anywhere you can demonstrate this through your employer brand will help you strengthen your reputation.

“Resilience and adaptability are in demand from candidates, so anywhere you can demonstrate this through your employer brand will help you strengthen your reputation.”

Homegrown opportunities

With border restrictions and uncertainty about when global travel will be reinstated, both candidates and businesses alike will need to look locally for opportunities. This means the job market will be even more competitive than before.

When it comes to attracting top talent, your employer brand needs to shine. You might think about an awareness campaign for critical talent, particularly by targeting them in less obvious places; or campaigns with brand affinity opportunity. Creating goodwill and positive brand alignments will help keep your organisation front of mind for top candidates.

For more niche roles, continue to look at adjacent industries for transferrable skills. Ensure you have the training, induction and onboarding in place to help this talent group get up to speed as quickly as possible. It’s also important to manage expectations. Hiring managers will need to understand employees may need more support as they transition, and candidates should understand they’ll have a lot to learn.

While there are a few things we can safely bet on for 2021, we’ll certainly be facing our fair share of uncertainty. The trial-by-fire that was 2020 has taught us a lot of lessons about facing the unknown, and though there will be a lot to navigate this coming year, being aware of these “known” factors will hold us in good stead to face whatever comes our way.

Meagan is a book worm, house-plant killer and Employer Brand Leader at Bupa A&NZ. She has worked agency-side and in-house in employer branding and marketing for some of the world’s biggest brands. From the experience she gained living and working in Australia, Sweden, and the UK, Meagan is a passionate believer in the power of words and knows a thing or two about strategy and creative problem-solving.

The post Employer banding in 2021: What we know for sure appeared first on Recruitment Marketing.

Employer branding is for everyone. “But my company is too small,” I hear you say. How can my small-to-medium-sized business possibly make an impact in competition with big companies that have big-brand power?

As the proverb goes, “if you think you’re too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.”

Even small actions can make a huge difference to your ability to attract great talent, and how well you’re able to retain them once you have them.

It’s true, big companies have big budgets and resources to promote themselves. They have systems, platforms and processes to automate and activate at scale. But big companies also have inertia. They often have people with a “this is the way it’s always been done” attitude and many stakeholders to address before they can get anything off the ground.

Small businesses, on the other hand, have the ability to be nimble and flexible. They’re often more likely to have features and benefits that make them unique. Don’t underestimate this power.

Here are six nimble and flexible techniques to help your unique small business attract and retain great talent.

1. Prioritise

You’re not going to be able to do it all – at least not at first – so you’re going to need to prioritise. That’s why being nimble is an asset, because you can try things and move on quickly if they’re not working.

Start with an audit of your current situation. This will highlight your biggest challenges and help you determine what action to take first.

For example, who is your target talent demographic? Which social media channel makes the most sense to reach them? What roles do you struggle to hire for? Is retention an issue? Understanding what’s happening will give you a roadmap for your employer brand strategy.

2. Be consistent

It doesn’t matter what size your business is. Promoting a consistent message is the key to a strong employer brand. Even if you don’t have an Employee Value Proposition (EVP), a consistent message helps candidates understand what makes your business unique. Saying one thing on your website, then another in your job ad, then something different again in the interview creates confusion for candidates. It makes it difficult to understand what you’re looking for, and that means that, ultimately, the people applying for your jobs may not be the right fit for your business and, therefore, be more likely to leave.

3. Be personal

Personalisation is a major trend in employer branding, and for a good reason. People respond to people. Big brands tend to automate their processes to manage high volumes. This can lead to extremely impersonal experiences for candidates.

Add human touchpoints to your candidate journey, whether it’s the tone of voice in your job ad, your individual approach to onboarding or the way you demonstrate your culture. This can make all the difference in helping you stand out among larger corporations.

4. Highlight your culture

Your culture is one of your most powerful assets as a small business. Highlighting what makes yours unique not only sets you apart, but also shows candidates the reality of working for you.

Show it, don’t tell it – use pictures and videos to provide them with an insider’s view. Social media is a great tool to promote your message, and small businesses often have more flexibility to try new things. But remember, social media is the “chef” of your employer branding playbook – everyone thinks they can do it because they do it for themselves!

A good social strategy can be difficult to execute, so don’t assign your Instagram page to the intern without first thinking through what you want to achieve and how best to achieve it.

5. Don’t skimp on your onboarding

You’ve finally got your talent through the door – they’ve chosen you above all others. But employer branding doesn’t stop once someone has signed their contract. Onboarding is how you set your employees up for success.

Enboarder reports that 20% of people will leave a company within the first 45 days.

Make onboarding a dedicated part of your employer branding strategy and map out what you want new employees to know from day one, week one and in their first six months. This is where you can also be more unique than bigger companies.

Can you spare a few days for new-starters to do some immersive training? What about a visit to your warehouse, or getting your new developer to spend a day in sales or vice versa so you encourage a deeper understanding between customer and product?

6. Be efficient

Hiring is expensive, so being efficient with your budget and your time is key. You can’t be efficient if you don’t measure. Understanding what’s working and what’s not means you can prioritise your activities and focus on the ones that are giving you a good return. This is particularly important if you have a small team. You’re not going to be able to do everything, so understanding the activities that have the highest return will help you to make a bigger impact with less time and money spent.

No matter what size your business is, finding the talent that is the best fit for your business is challenging. Employer branding is ultimately about helping someone understand why they should choose you, and why they should keep choosing you. Being able to be flexible, nimble and unique are powerful assets that will help you to attract and retain great employees.

Meagan is a book worm, house-plant killer and Employer Brand Leader at Bupa A&NZ. She has worked agency-side and in-house in employer branding and marketing for some of the world’s biggest brands. From the experience she gained living and working in Australia, Sweden, and the UK, Meagan is a passionate believer in the power of words and knows a thing or two about strategy and creative problem-solving.

The post You’re never too small for employer branding appeared first on Recruitment Marketing.