Many of us recognise the benefits of building a strong employer brand to attract and retain the best people. But employer branding is constantly evolving. As 2019 comes to a close, 2020 brings new trends to explore to attract and retain the talent your organisation needs.
Employer branding has seen many changes over the years, from a strategy only adopted by big industry leaders, to one that is now adopted by many organisations of all shapes, sizes and industries around the globe. The amount of information, thought leadership and forums about employer branding has more than doubled as organisations realise their ability to shape and influence candidate perceptions for the future.
Here are a few employer branding trends to look out for in 2020.
More cooperation and collaboration
According to a recent survey conducted by Universum among 2000 HR professionals and CEOs, more cooperation is needed between employer branding stakeholders; that is, recruitment/HR, marketing and business leaders.
“CEOs, HR and other internal stakeholders responsible for employer branding must come together to take accountability for employer branding efforts. Greater co-operation is needed among internal teams to bring the best employer branding efforts for attracting and retaining the best talent.”
More internal brand ambassador initiatives
We see a growing demand for more internal brand ambassador programs focused on communication, reward and recognition, and engagement. Organisations are empowering their people through trust by allowing them to create and share their own content.
Focus on trust and empowerment is a trend we are seeing more of overall, and this trend will only continue to grow. Organisations are now more focused on employee experience, moving away from management in favour of providing people with a voice and more personalised support. Expect to see more HR employer brand training and brand ambassador programs.
A long-term, global strategy
Employer branding objectives will change in the next five years. Most organisations will shift their focus to long-term objectives and show greater interest in building a talent brand for a global audience.
“This will include research to understand what employees are sharing, thinking and feeling about their work, their employers and their efforts.”
Organisations will increase their spend on these talent branding efforts to target potential candidates across different social media platforms.
Integrating your consumer and employer brand
Do your consumer brand and employer brand exist in two separate dimensions? We are beginning to see more and more organisations integrating their consumer and employer brand. Fostering relationships between your employer branding and marketing teams and integrating your people in your storytelling might be the answer you need.
Look for ways to integrate people into every story you tell. Showing off internal people to the outside world via consumer marketing becomes a gateway for people to consider working there. Have people be ambassadors and talk about your mission and values to the world.
Circulating your EVP internally
The Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is still not pervasive at the organisational level. More than 60% of organisations across the world have an EVP, but it doesn’t seem to be well known within the organisation. In fact, in many cases, top leaders barely know that it exists.
To improve employer branding efforts, activate your EVP internally more strategically. Not only will this enhance and improve engagement, but you will also remind your people the benefits and satisfaction they gain from working with your organisation. Who knows? Your team members may then refer other great people to apply for future vacancies.
Measuring KPIs
The top three KPIs to measure the impact of employer branding include average retention, employee engagement levels, and quality of hire.
But don’t forget, you can also measure external indicators, like rankings and brand perceptions, which are also ways to measure the impact of your employer branding efforts.
The top digital channels to maximise results
Perhaps it’s no surprise that social media is still leading the way in amplifying your employer brand message to the marketplace.
“People spend most of their time on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and other popular platforms. At present, social media is the most important employer branding channel for the organisations, followed by career sites.”
In particular, YouTube and Instagram are rising fast to become the top channels for employer branding efforts.
Social media will continue to influence your organisation’s reputation as an employer. The more you spread the word, the better your chances of attracting top talent.
Using social media for employer branding is poised to grow by 70% in the next five years.
An authentic, differentiated, attractive and consistent employer brand empowers your organisation to shape candidate perceptions. Anchor your employer brand in the identity, values and culture of your organisation to secure a higher level of internal and external engagement to guarantee the high quality of your outcomes and success.
Source
5 Employer Branding Trends to Watch Out in 2020
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