“Markets are conversations.” So says the first of the 95 theses of the Cluetrain Manifesto (year 1999) which talks about the Web, companies and people .
Whether you like it or not, there's already someone out there having a conversation about your company and your brand as an employer . There is someone who is telling friends and acquaintances what the work environment is like, how flexible or dynamic it is, they are sharing anecdotes and stories and helping to create strong associations with your brand: the story is taking shape .
Employer Branding: what it is, targets and advantages
Employer Branding is based precisely on this awareness: think about your company: what elements would you like people to associate with the experience you offer people? Or even, how would you like them to describe the experience you are building?
In 1996 Simon Barrow in the Journal of Brand Management defined it as "the set of functional, economic and psychological benefits that one's job offers and which are identified with one's employer".
Simply put, employer branding is nothing more than the company's reputation as an employer , both towards current employees and potential candidates. These are perceptions , mental associations that people create thanks to information found online or from word of mouth when they think of a particular employer.
Apple? Innovative and young.
Ferrero? Solid and familiar.
Therefore, employer branding is to all intents and purposes a marketing activity which, in addition to having the objective of positioning the brand as a desirable employer, tends to improve the brand in general .
The aim is to highlight the quality of one's workplace internally and externally but not only that: the target of the discipline is made up of employees, potential employees and aspiring employees but, in turn, also consumers.
The advantage therefore is - paradoxically - not to be attractive for all candidates and current employees , but only for those who could actually bring (and continue to do so) added value and enhance their potential in the environment around them.
In short: less CV, but more in line with your values and brand.
Employer Branding between information and training
A fundamental element for an Employer Branding strategy that aims to be effective is certainly transparency and honesty , as proof of this just think how much an employee's opinion affects the value of the brand perceived by the public. For this reason, when you want to activate an EB strategy , the real difference comes from the direct involvement of employees .
Actively listening, informing and training your employees must become a daily habit to give them space to express themselves and feel an integral part of the organization.
You can organize the most interesting and engaging initiatives in the world, but if your people don't know it, it will all have been for nothing.
Same result if you design cutting-edge training courses but on skills that are of no interest to your people in any way.
For example, you could launch a call-to-action to collect testimonials, ideas and suggestions directly from people, provide less structured surveys than the official ones to identify positive aspects and those to improve , offer training courses to the people who prove to be most engaged and interested in the project, in such a way as to recognize them as Ambassadors and thus have internal "allies".
The role of employees in corporate communication
We therefore understood how much an employee's opinion affects the perceived value of the brand, in turn it is this value that makes the company attractive to new talents.
The company's story, in fact, is certainly truer when it comes from the bottom, when the employees tell firsthand company initiatives , training, team building moments, the working relationship with colleagues, events or even their successes. professional.
The satisfaction and the story of it by the employee has immense value for Employer Branding. This is why involving them in internal communication and employer branding strategies is essential.
Communicating real stories of satisfaction, experiences, work and sense of belonging will bring an enormous benefit to the company, making it perceived as a peaceful and desirable place to work .
The story of those who experience the company from the inside is the best social proof you can have.
Linkedin in communication aimed at Employer Branding
If we examine this approach on Linkedin, a social network evidently professional in nature and centered on the world of work, the engagement rate doubles when an employee becomes the spokesperson for the company message , publications from the company page and from the employee profiles therefore prove fundamental for the success of the brand on Linkedin.
All this should not be underestimated, but it should still be underlined that an Employer Branding strategy with Linkedin will only be effective if carried out through the voluntary promotion of employees by publishing spontaneous content.
But if employees are happy and satisfied with their work, with the environment, with the treatment they receive every day, it will be easier and more immediate to obtain online involvement and support through the publication of content and increase employer branding in a spontaneous and sincere way.
On the other hand, it will be essential to train people on the correct use of social media and provide guidelines on what to do and what to avoid.
For example, it might be useful to share a handbook with some simple instructions:
the mutual benefits that will be obtained;
how and in which cases to interact with the company page;
the behavior and tone of voice to be followed with other users when intervening on a post or comment regarding the company;
what behaviors to avoid;
the benefits of using it in accordance with the guidelines;
which topics should be addressed;
what company, industry or general topics should not be disclosed;
problems, disadvantages and damage to the company image resulting from incorrect use.
Why every company should focus on Employer Branding
Implementing actions and strategies aimed at increasing Employer Branding brings various opportunities and advantages . For example it can:
reduce turnover rates, employees avoid leaving a company with a good external perception;
significantly reduce costs for hiring processes: you will receive a greater number of spontaneous applications, reducing the costs of personnel selection;
exponentially increase the value of corporate reputation;
differentiate the company from the competition;
increase the quantity of applications received and improve their quality.
According to research by the Boston Consulting Group, thanks to Employer Branding, the costs of new hires can be reduced by 50% , employee turnover drops by 28%.
If you are interested in learning more about how Employer Branding can reduce turnover , download our free paper on exactly this and discover how a corporate culture linked to well-being can positively implement your perception as an employer.
Employer Branding: successful best practices
After having explored what Employer Branding is, what its advantages are and why you should implement it within your company, let's look at some successful examples.
BCG Employer Branding
In 2019 the consultancy company presented the employer branding campaign called "Welcome to the group". BCG has tried to overcome the stereotypical image of super formal strategic consultancy, approaching a younger target through a more informal and friendly style.
Lidl Italia as an employer brand
He created a website entirely dedicated to careers, along with a page called “Colleagues Speak!” which collects numerous video testimonials in which employees talk about their journey in the company, together with a section "Why work at Lidl?" which tells very well about the opportunities offered, the values and the culture of the company.
OneDay Group - when the community does employer branding
OneDay Group, one of the best-known Italian business & community builders (from which brands such as ScuolaZoo and WeRoad were born), has written a manifesto of its culture to which an entire page of their website has been dedicated . Here, in addition to finding the vision, mission and values on which the group is founded, we can meet some employees and read their testimonies.
NeN and the employee experience
Their strategy is based solely on using LinkedIn as a communication channel. Just take a quick look at their page to realize that the people who work in the company are at the center of every content.
Much space is given to the stories of company initiatives and the personal experiences of collaborators. Proof that Employer Branding is authentic? Some former employees wrote on their Linkedin headline “Ex NeN”, if this isn't Employee Advocacy!