How to improve your employer brand from within

Do you have a strong employer brand? It’s a question that any company looking to hire new talent should ask themselves. However, before you contact your marketing team to design a complex branding strategy, ensure that you are getting the basics right.

For many people, the impression of a company is formed early on in the recruitment process and once a job seeker makes contact, the experience that they have throughout the entire process should be a positive one. Here is one simple practice that you and your employees can do to improve your employer brand.

Ensure those who apply to your company have a 5 star experience

Every person that applies for a role with your company should be treated with courtesy and respect throughout the entire recruitment process. The way in which you engage with applicants from the very start of the process creates a perception of your company, and you can contribute to whether it is a positive or negative experience for them.

How can you ensure a good experience for your candidates?

• Respond promptly to all applications
• Ensure the experience for candidates attending your office for interview is a positive one; a warm welcome from the receptionist, ambient interview rooms and a well trained interviewer are key
• Ensure your interview tools are designed to be fair and transparent
• Provide feedback to candidates at all stages of the process
• Keep applicants informed of delays or changes to the process
• When unsuccessful, ensure candidates receive meaningful feedback
• Seek feedback from successful and unsuccessful candidates on the interview process to enable improvements

Harness the power of word of mouth

According to a recent McKinsey report, 70% of buying experiences are based on how the customer feels they are being treated. Make no mistake, in this candidate short market you are selling your role and your company to the best people in the marketplace. You can harness the theory of six degrees of separation (the theory that everyone is six or fewer steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person in the world), by ensuring a positive experience for anyone that applies to your company.

Every person that applies for a role with your company should be treated with courtesy and respect.

Elaine Mooney, HR Manager for Robert Walters Ireland says: “The person you interviewed this morning may not be suitable for your current role but their brother’s colleague just might be.”

Ensuring all applicants have a great experience means both successful and unsuccessful candidates are more likely to speak positively about your company and the people who they speak to may well be your next great hire.