Try these creative approaches to help you attract top talent
What do great employers have in common? One luxury they usually share is not having to struggle to attract top talent, because they’ve built a strong reputation as a brilliant place to work, so people naturally want to work there. And they tend to get the right people in because they communicate their values and culture in such a way that the people they want working for them are the ones who also want to work there. After all, one person’s perception of a ‘wonderful workplace’ is not identical to another’s.
So if you’re on that journey to becoming an employer of choice, what can you do to stand out? Here are some ideas to get you started.
Tell your real story
Start talking about the great things you’re doing and use a variety of channels to communicate your positive messages - these may include social media, your website, relevant media sites and internal communications. Coffee chain Starbucks, for example, has a @StarbucksJobs Instagram and Twitter account which it uses to showcase its employer brand and interact with potential candidates. Consider also how you will amplify those messages further through various partner channels that can access your target audience in the right places, at the right time.
But don’t paint a falsely rosey picture. There’s no point saying you offer a great work/life balance when in reality staff have to work late on a regular basis - some people might be quite happy working long hours so long as they knew that’s what they were signing up for. You won’t keep top people for long if they expect one thing and consistently get another.
Identify your ambassadors
Before applying to work in your organisation, many candidates will spend time researching what it’s like to work there and will look out for what other people are saying about you. The people within your organisation who love working there are your biggest brand ambassadors and are the lowest hanging fruit when it comes to positioning you as an employer of choice. They may already be talking about why they love working there so make sure you share their stories on your social media and other marketing channels, and don’t forget to show your appreciation to them as valued assets to your business.
Find out perceptions from current and potential employees
Do you know how your current or potential talent perceive you as an employer? What would prevent or attract someone to apply for a job at your company? Gaining insights into such perceptions will help you identify and address any issues with your employer brand, and will reinforce what you’re doing well.
Employer branding agency, Wonderful Workplaces (part of PRWeek publisher Haymarket Media Group), is launching its first Employee Value Proposition Index, which seeks to identify and celebrate the best employee offering in the UK. Find out more here.
Interested in finding out more about how PRWeek Jobs can help you communicate your employer brand? Email prcamembersjobs@haymarket.com to discuss your needs and bespoke special packages.