How to Develop Your Employer Brand

Developing your employer brand is essential for all companies seeking to stand out from the crowd. From promoting your company’s values to optimizing the candidate experience, there are a number of levers you can use to boost your appeal to executives.

Here are our tips for developing your employer brand!

Definition of employer brand

An employer brand is defined as the set of perceptions and associations that individuals — employees, potential candidates, and the general public — have with regard to a company as an employer. As such, it encompasses not only the image the company conveys but also its culture, values, benefits, reputation, and even the overall experience it offers its employees.

Employer branding is also a powerful lever for HR communication, enabling the company to attract, recruit, and retain talent. It plays a major role in a company’s human resources management and recruitment strategy.

An employer’s brand is built through various communication and marketing initiatives, as well as through the establishment of attractive working conditions, employee recognition, and the provision of a work environment conducive to professional fulfillment.

The importance of employer branding

Employer brand plays a key role in a company’s attractiveness and ability to stand out in the job market. It reflects your company’s identity and what it stands for in the eyes of current employees, potential candidates, and the general public.

This is all the more important when you consider that 50% of employees say they would not want to work for a company with a poor reputation.

• For employees, it influences their commitment, productivity, and loyalty to the company.
• For job applicants, it can be a determining factor when choosing where to apply and accept a job offer.
• For the public, it can affect the company’s reputation and image.

Understanding and leveraging your employer brand is, therefore, vital to your company’s success in terms of recruitment, talent retention, and of course, your reputation.

Employer branding for recruitment

When properly executed, not only can your employer brand help your company with its customers, but it can also become a real ally in your executive or employee recruitment campaigns.

Here are some of the key issues to which your employer brand can bring you added value:

1. Creating a distinctive identity: Your employer brand is a representation of your corporate identity, values, and culture. By taking care of it, you give candidates a clear idea of what they can expect if they join your team.
2. Highlighting CSR commitments: At a time when managers and talent are increasingly looking for socially responsible companies, highlighting your CSR actions can be a major asset in attracting demanding profiles.
3. Behind-the-scenes: Through your website or social networks, showcase your organization behind the scenes. Images of your premises, collaborative spaces, team-building moments, or internal initiatives allow candidates to project themselves into a motivating and considerate working environment.
4. Promoting internal mobility: Presenting your internal mobility policies illustrates your commitment to your employees’ professional development. This demonstrates your ability to invest in their future, while consolidating their loyalty.

In short, a strong employer brand doesn’t just tell a story; it inspires, attracts, and retains talent, acting as a key differentiator in the competitive recruitment market.

Impact of employer branding on internal well-being

Employer branding has a significant impact on the well-being of employees within the company. A strong, well-defined corporate identity can not only create a sense of belonging but also foster team cohesion and employee commitment.

• Team cohesion: A clear and valued employer brand helps create a working environment in which employees feel united and supported. This fosters greater collaboration and productivity.
• Employee commitment: Employees are more inclined to invest in a company whose values and vision they share. A strong employer brand can help reduce turnover and increase job satisfaction.

A well-managed employer brand also contributes to employees’ mental health. Promoting a corporate culture focused on well-being and balance helps to reduce stress while improving the quality of life at work.

Employer branding as a talent retention tool

Retaining talent is just as important as recruiting it. Employer branding is one of the tools that can help achieve this. Retaining talent means, above all, establishing a climate of trust, recognizing employees’ skills, and offering them prospects for advancement.

Employer branding, through its ability to reflect a company’s values and culture, plays an essential role in employees’ sense of belonging. Employees who feel valued and integrated within the company are more inclined to stay.

Here are a few examples of strong employer brand policies that can help retain talent:

• Training programs: A company that invests in its employees’ professional development demonstrates its long-term commitment to them.
• Attractive compensation policy: Competitive salaries, performance bonuses, and non-wage benefits can help retain talent.
• Recognition and appreciation of efforts: A culture of recognition can reinforce employees’ sense of satisfaction and belonging to the company.

These are just a few examples, but the general idea is to create a work environment that is conducive to employees’ professional and personal fulfillment. These actions will have a positive impact on your employer brand, which, in turn, can play a role in retaining your teams.

Employer branding and EVP

Are you familiar with EVP?

EVP (“Employee Value Proposition”) can be considered the invisible force of employer branding. It’s a key human resources concept that defines all the benefits and commitments a company offers its employees.

Salary, time off, benefits, development opportunities, etc. The employee value proposition covers all the tangible and intangible benefits a company offers its employees.

It has a direct impact on the employer brand since a well-thought-out, advantageous EVP strengthens a brand’s appeal, differentiates it from the competition, and retains talent.

Conversely, if the image conveyed by the employer brand is inconsistent with the EVP, employees may be less committed over time and the company’s overall image may be impacted.

Developing an employer brand strategy

Defining corporate values and culture

Defining the company’s values and culture is a fundamental step in building a solid employer brand. This is what will give your organization its identity and guide its internal functioning.

Values can be defined as the fundamental principles that guide employee behavior.

Culture, on the other hand, determines the company’s atmosphere and traditions. It’s all about thinking through what characterizes your company, what makes it unique, and what you want it to stand for. It’s an in-depth process that requires real introspection.

It may be useful to consult your employees to understand their perception of the company and what they value in it. The company’s values and culture must then be clearly communicated to employees and potential candidates. In this way, you can attract people who share these values and who will thrive in your corporate culture.

Setting up an employer branding action plan

To set up an employer branding action plan, you first need to define clear objectives. These must be in line with the company’s needs but also with its identity and culture.

The next step is to define the various actions required to achieve these objectives. These actions can include:

• Setting up a content strategy to communicate transparently about your company.
• Optimizing your presence on social networks.
• Creating ambassador programs to promote your employer brand and enhance the value of your employees.
• Implementation of a CSR policy to reinforce the company’s positive impact and attractiveness.

It is also essential to include follow-up indicators to assess the effectiveness of these actions and adjust the action plan if necessary.

How to stand out with your employer brand

That’s all well and good, but for your employer brand to make a real difference, you need to know what makes it unique from the competition.

Our top tip: First and foremost, you need to be authentic and consistent.

And “consistency” is the keyword here: your promises must be in line with the reality experienced by your employees.

Tools you can use to promote your employer brand

A variety of tools can be used to effectively promote your employer brand. Here are just a few examples:

• Social networks are prime platforms for disseminating attractive content on corporate culture, achievements, and career opportunities. LinkedIn, in particular, is a must in the professional world.
• Recruitment sites can also be used to convey a company’s image and attract like-minded candidates.
• Blogs and corporate websites are also invaluable tools for communicating the company’s identity, values, and commitments.
• Finally, sponsoring events or participating in trade shows can help promote the employer brand by providing an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with potential talent.

Improving your employer brand internally

Involving employees in the process

Involving employees is a key factor in the success of your employer branding strategy. As your company’s first ambassadors, they play a central role in its promotion. Their commitment to the values conveyed by your organization is therefore essential.

Active employee participation can take several forms, including:

• Participation in employer brand workshops.
• Contributing to the creation of content to promote the employer brand.
• Sharing their positive experiences on social networks.

And to take things a step further, why not involve employees directly in the development of the employer brand strategy? This can help reinforce their sense of belonging and commitment to the company.

You can also set up training courses on the importance of employer branding and the role they can play in its development, as well as propose a reward system for committed employees.

Creating a stimulating work environment

To avoid creating an employer brand that presents an image that is out of touch with reality, you also need to ensure that the working environment is positive, stimulating, and caring.

Here are some ideas for mechanisms you can put in place:

• Encourage good working conditions. Flexible working hours, telecommuting, a 4-day week, or the provision of suitable equipment.
• Create relaxation areas and bright, well-appointed offices so as to create an atmosphere conducive to well-being and productivity.
• Encourage employees to achieve a real work-life balance. It’s one thing to promote this balance, but it’s quite another to take real action to improve employees’ daily lives. This means respecting employees’ free time and offering them opportunities to relax and unwind, such as sporting activities or company-organized social events.

Improving your employer brand externally

Active communication on social networks

Social networks are powerful tools for developing your employer brand. But they have to be used in the right way.

Here are a few recommendations for active communication on your corporate social networks:

• Regularly share content that reflects your corporate values and culture. This can include testimonials from your employees, highlights of company life, or information on your job offers.
• Communicate authentically and consistently. Keep your communications true to your corporate values and culture.
• Mandate a person or team of people to respond to comments and private messages. It takes time, but it’s a great way to build community engagement.
• Involve your employees by encouraging them to share and comment on company publications.
• And of course, make sure your teams use the right codes for each social network (use of hashtags, focus on written or video format, lighter or corporate tone, etc.). Knowing the specific underpinnings of each social network is important if a brand wants to increase the visibility of its publications and raise the profile of its employer brand.
• Then, set up KPIs to measure the impact of your external communications efforts. Keep an eye on this data to adapt your strategy if necessary.

Managing your corporate image on LinkedIn

Essential to building a strong employer brand, LinkedIn is now THE place to be. Whether you’re looking to reinforce your brand with potential candidates or with your clientele (if you’re in a B2B market).

Let’s not forget that LinkedIn was designed to build professional relationships and enable brands to communicate their corporate culture, values, and career opportunities.

So, for effective image management, we recommend that you:

• Take care of your company page: It’s a reflection of your brand. Its design and content should reflect your company and what you have to offer,
• Activate your employees: They are your best ambassadors. Encourage them to share your publications and talk about their experiences within the company.
• Share interesting and relevant content: articles, company news, employee testimonials. This will demonstrate your expertise and reinforce your credibility.
• And finally, respond to comments (yes, that tip again): It shows that you’re listening and that you care about your image and your stakeholders.

And don’t forget to email!

Email has been around in business for a very long time. So long, in fact, that we tend to forget about it.

And yet, it’s still the most widely used channel for internal and external communication (an average of 40 emails per day for each employee). For a large company with hundreds or thousands of employees, we’ll let you do the math!

So, make sure your teams ensure that employees write their emails in keeping with the company’s tone and values. All this, accompanied by an attractive email signature and a communication banner that respects your brand universe, and your employer brand will feel the positive impact!

Boost your employer brand with storytelling

Sharing the company story

Your company’s story is a powerful lever for strengthening your employer brand. It humanizes your organization, creates an emotional connection with your employees and candidates, and inspires a sense of belonging.

To bring it to the fore, rely on storytelling: This narrative approach effectively highlights your values and achievements by telling them in the form of captivating stories. By sharing authentic stories, you establish a strong bond with your audience while enhancing your company’s unique identity.

Here are a few tips for mastering corporate storytelling:

• Start by defining the key elements of your story: the company’s creation, its defining moments, its core values, etc.
• Then, tell the story authentically, without overdoing it.
• Vary the formats in which you tell your story. These can include videos, blog posts, social media posts, a book, etc.
• Finally, don’t forget to update it regularly to reflect your company’s evolution.

Highlight success stories and testimonials from satisfied employees

Highlighting your company’s successes and the positive testimonials of your employees is a winning approach for strengthening your employer brand. Whether through concrete case studies, inspiring stories, or video testimonials, the idea is to show that your company is a place where talent can flourish.

• Share success stories: Highlighting successful projects, awards received, or innovations developed by your teams can be a powerful attraction for new talent. It shows that your company is a place where employees can achieve meaningful things.
• Employee testimonials: Employee testimonials give a more personal and authentic view of corporate life. It’s an opportunity to showcase the career opportunities on offer, the working environment, or even the company’s values.

Every satisfied employee is living proof of the quality of your working environment. Their testimonials, when shared, humanize your brand and reinforce its appeal.

Measuring the effectiveness of your employer branding strategy

Evaluating employee satisfaction

Evaluating employee satisfaction is an important indicator of the performance of your employer brand. It is an essential element in measuring the impact of your actions and adjusting your strategy accordingly.

• Satisfaction surveys: It is advisable to conduct regular surveys to measure your employees’ level of satisfaction. These surveys can focus on various aspects, such as work-life balance, professional development opportunities, or recognition within the company.
• Exit interview feedback: When an employee leaves the company, it can be interesting to gather their feedback. This can help you improve your employer brand.
• Measuring employee engagement: The more engaged your employees are, the more likely they are to feel satisfied at work. Indicators such as the rate of participation in company activities, absenteeism rates, or the rate of recommendation of the company to friends can be used to measure this engagement.

Analyzing this data will enable you to identify the strengths of your employer brand, as well as areas for improvement.

Return on investment for your employer branding strategy

Assessing the return on investment (ROI) of your employer branding strategy is no easy task. The benefits are not always immediately visible and can be difficult to quantify. However, observing certain key performance indicators (KPIs) can help you understand the effectiveness of your actions.

• Number of applications received: An increase in the number of applications received may indicate a higher profile and greater attractiveness of your company.
• Cost per application: This is the budget allocated to a position divided by the total number of applications received. This figure gives you an idea of the average cost of attracting each candidate.
• Quality of applicants: The number of qualified applicants you receive for each position can also be a good indicator of the effectiveness of your employer brand.
• The length of vacancy periods: If you manage to fill your positions more quickly, this may indicate that your employer brand is strong.

Remember that the ROI of your employer brand is not limited to these quantitative aspects. Qualitative benefits, such as improved employee engagement or reduced turnover, are just as important.

Success stories: employer branding

To demonstrate the effectiveness of a well-thought-out employer branding strategy, here are a few success stories:

1. Google: Google’s employer brand is based on a culture of innovation and a unique experience for its employees, the “Googlers”, with inspiring offices, wellness programs, and exceptional development opportunities.
2. Salesforce: This company stands out for its commitment to diversity and inclusion, its CSR initiatives, and its programs focused on work-life balance.
3. HubSpot: Known for its transparency and flexible working environment, HubSpot attracts talent with benefits such as unlimited telecommuting and access to continuous training tools.

Smaller companies have also succeeded in developing a strong employer brand through concrete, innovative actions. For example, some have set up workplace wellness programs, continuous training initiatives, or highly appreciated employee recognition policies.

These examples show how an authentic, well-constructed employer brand, based on strong values and concrete initiatives, can attract and retain key talent.

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Would you like to go further with your employer brand? Don’t hesitate to ask our team of experts for advice and support.

With advice on executive recruitment and improving your employer brand, you’ll no longer have any reason to attract top talent to your market segment!

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