You may believe employer branding is something only large companies and corporations have the time and resources to invest in. But small business can invest in employer branding too! Here are 6 steps small businesses can take to strengthen their employer brand.
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.