Employer branding is the promise an organization makes to its employees. Just as a consumer brand tells the public what the brand stands for, an employer brand speaks to employees – from the newest hire to the CEO – and to potential employees, the job-seekers whose first encounter with a company may be through its employer brand.
Employer branding is becoming more important as the economy improves and the competition for talent increases. Here are some recent statistics you can take to your CEO to justify a budget or creating, improving, or refreshing your employer brand.
- In 2015, a company refreshed its employer brand every 14 months, on average. In 2015, that average dropped to 11 months. (Brandemix)
- 75% of job-seekers consider a company’s employer brand before even applying to a job (CareerArc)
- 31% of CEOs, HR pros and marketing leaders said their main employer branding objective was to “secure our long-term recruitment needs.” 22% said it was to “differentiate ourselves from our competitors.”(Universum)
- In 2014, 36% of global employers reported talent shortages, the highest percentage since 2007. (ManpowerrGroup)
- 26% of executives said that employer branding was the most important recruiting advantage for global organizations. (Korn Ferry)
- Companies with a strong employer brand can reduce cost-per-hire by 50%. (Brazen Careerist)
- A well-managed employer brand sources from 60% of the labor market, unmanaged brands only reach about 40%. (Brazen Careerist)
- 55% of employees believe it’s important for other people to want to work for their employer. (Employer Brand International)
- Since 2009, Google searches for “employee engagement” have risen while searches for “employer branding” have fallen — implying that the former can be solved by the latter. (Brandemix)
- Recruiters who represent a strong employer brand are twice as likely to receive responses from candidates they contact. (CareerArc)
- 60% of American workers chose “A reputation as a great place to work” as the most important factoring in considering a new job. (LinkedIn)
These diverse and reputable sources show that employer branding is crucial to an organization’s success. A strong employer brand increases both applications and retention, and decreases both turnover and time to hire. Launching an employer branding initiative doesn’t cost much, and the effort will quickly recoup the costs in measurable metrics and cultural intangibles.
Make a resolution to create, improve, or refresh your employer brand by contacting Brandemix. We’ll work with your budget to implement an employer brand that attracts top talent and helps your bottom line.
Jody Ordioni is President of Brandemix.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jody Ordioni is the author of “The Talent Brand.” In her role as Founder and Chief Brand Officer of Brandemix, she leads the firm in creating brand-aligned talent communications that connect employees to cultures, companies, and business goals. She engages with HR professionals and corporate teams on how to build and promote talent brands, and implement best-practice talent acquisition and engagement strategies across all media and platforms. She has been named a "recruitment thought leader to follow" and her mission is to integrate marketing, human resources, internal communications, and social media to foster a seamless brand experience through the employee lifecycle.
