Your brand is one of the most important aspects of your hiring strategy. This is why it is so important to consider the emotional connection your brand has with your candidates in order to let them know who you are and what your story is all about. Remember, people are attracted not just to the job itself, but rather the relationship they want to have with your company for the long-term.
As human beings we are emotionally connected to most things in life and a career no different, because it is something very personal which makes up a large part of our lives. So, when you are attracting candidates you want them to know how your company will make a difference in their lives, and how your career aligns to them personally. For these reasons, this is why your brand story is such an important ingredient to attracting ideal candidates in the recruitment process.
YOUR EMPLOYEE VALUE PROPOSITION MATTERS
Defining your employee value proposition (EVP) should be one of the first steps your company takes before they decide to advertise for any role. Your EVP is your promise to future employees on what your company will do for them if they join. Remember, hiring is a two-way street, and it is not just about you providing a job, but actually people looking for somewhere where they feel like they belong. Knowing 'why' your brand exist in the marketplace will allow you to understand how you can adapt to your target markets that you are trying to hire to.
Your EVP is a statement that reflects your values and how important your employees are to your company. Candidates are searching for something bigger than just being sold on a career, but rather they want to support the values and missions that make them feel part of something special.
UNDERSTANING YOUR 'WHY'?
To define your EVP, you must ask yourself the question ‘why’ did you start your business or ‘why’ did I or others join the company? Think of your brand as an extension to the community where people feel like they will add value to your company mission.
Once you understand your why as it relates to your brand then you need to think about how you compare to others in your industry and how you differentiate. Identify the strengths and characteristics that make you unique and build those this into your EVP. Perhaps you may have a compelling story, or how you give back to your community in a meaningful way. It doesn’t matter what it is, but it is these things that evoke an emotional connection to your candidate audience and how you should advertise your career opportunities.
It is so important to stand out and promote it on all your digital platforms in order to create awareness for the ideal recruit you are trying to hire. Remember, hiring is not a one and done project, but rather something you are constantly doing with a consistent message. Remember, one of the biggest parts of marketing is called 'recall and recognition of brand', and this in sales is what helps people make buying decisions. You need to start looking at hiring like a buying decision and it is your job to create awareness, influence and attract candidates to apply to your company over others. If you do this, then this will increase the likelihood that you will reach your target audience that appreciates or identifies with your brand and career opportunities. Never forget our core goal in the attraction phase is to get them to remember you and apply!
BE AUTHENTIC
Your EVP associated with your brand must be authentic and not boring or gimmicky to your intended audience. Transparency and authenticity are one of the most important parts of your brand image. Candidates, these days search for careers that are aligned to social, environmental, and political issues impacting the world, and therefore it is important that your brand story be sincere.
For example, being socially responsible is one the most important ways to connect with candidates in the marketplace who want to make a difference. It doesn’t matter if you are a posting a job for a clerk at a grocery store or posting for a professional role, you need to be authentic to influence their choice in the marketplace to work with you. The companies who share why they care will win almost every time. Understanding the values of your target candidates by maintaining authenticity in your brand and what you promise can build a massive loyal following.
BUILDING ONLINE PRESENCE IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF RECRUITMENT
Never forget that your brand story and your EVP can only help you build presence in the candidate marketplace. If you continuously promote these messages, you will eventually have people visiting your company website or searching you online regularly to see if you are hiring. If you have a strong online presence when you post a job then you then shouldn’t have any trouble getting a lot of applications.
We suggest you create awareness regularly by having your candidate audience feel like they are communicating with real person as an outreach to share your message. Don’t use actors, instead use real people who work with you through live streams, videos, company pictures or direct messages. Communicate your purpose by having an authentic conversation with your audience so they get a sense of what the people are like at your organization, because people gravitate to people who they connect with. Also, don’t be afraid of sharing your stance on important issues in the world and how your company expresses their support.
Brands don’t survive in a vacuum, but rather they thrive when a story is continuously told to an audience that they are trying to attract. Learn to adapt when needed while at the same time maintaining your authenticity is key to staying ahead in your attraction strategy. This might seem like a daunting task to craft the proper brand identity and purpose for attracting candidates, but once you do then you won’t be complaining about not getting enough applicants. Building your brand in the marketplace is an always thing when recruiting to ensure your brand is present and also people will know who you are and what you represent.
