How to Build a Better Recruitment Brand

Your recruitment brand, also referred to as an “employer” brand, is the face of your company. Potential employees draw conclusions as to what your company values, how it prefers to operate, and how it treats its workforce based on your recruitment brand. Building an attractive recruitment brand is similar to looking extra snazzy on a first date; it’s that first impression that’s most crucial in enticing interest.

To create a more attractive recruitment brand, begin by exploring all areas of social media and identifying how your company is already perceived as an employer. This will give you a starting point to work off of. One of the most undoubtedly important places to start with are online review sites, as countless people are said to change their minds about accepting a position after reading negative reviews about a company. Search for any and all areas of potential improvement and work towards the necessary changes. Additionally, ensure that your image on all social media platforms is consistent and regularly updated. 

After you’ve addressed any and all publicly perceived elements of your brand, move on to what you have less influence over; what customers and employees are saying about your company to their friends and colleagues. People trust their peers far more than what they read on some website or social media platform, so word of mouth marketing is crucial in the perception of your recruitment brand. One great way to bolster your word of mouth reputation is to encourage your employees to post regularly about what aspects of your company that they are particularly fond of.

Having unique values and employee benefits is another crucial element in building a better recruitment brand. Modern day job searching involves sifting through hundreds of nearly ubiquitous job postings on several employment applications on a daily basis, so you obviously want to stand out. Throughout your job postings, define the core beliefs of your company as well as how you differ from everyone else, and also describe the benefits of working for your company compared to others. Work-life balance is a very important concept to many people when searching for jobs, so offering a unique and flexible scheduling/time-off policy is a good example of how you can attract more applicants.

It’s great to be unique, and to offer enticing benefits and or cultural perks, but be careful not to stretch the truth. Honesty is crucial when maintaining your recruitment brand. The last thing you want is employees leaving because they feel they’ve been lied to, as this will most certainly lead to poor reviews as an employer. Ensure that the description of the position is accurate and that any benefits or perks that you offer will indeed be granted to your employees. If you’re trying to fill canvassing positions, for example, don’t describe the job as “general marketing/ sales” just to inform your applicants upon arrival that they’ll be standing outside in the hot sun all day annoying people. 

Referring back to the dating analogy, make an effort to appear as “the one” rather than the typical “time waster” that everyone is used to. Figure out what makes your company unique, what you believe in, and what value you have to offer to your employees, then flaunt it.