Employer branding has been one of the cornerstones in the technology recruitment strategy. Across any of the industries where top talent is badly needed, a leading employer brand usually means separating an organization from its competitors and attracting, engaging, and retaining skilled professionals. G2 states that 75% of all job seekers consider an employer brand before even applying for a job, which highlights just how critical perception is in a potential candidate’s psyche.
Overview to Employer Branding in Attracting Tech Talent
An effective employer brand speaks to what tech talent aspires to and values most. It should go above and beyond a list of benefits and perks to give a vision of the culture that they too want to belong to.
According to Glassdoor research, companies with a strong employer branding strategy receive up to 50% more qualified applicants, and their turnover rates drop by 28%. In addition, these companies more normally experience a cost-per-hire that can be as much as twice without the strong brand. This proves a very strong employer brand that can attract more candidates and eventually more of the right kind: those much more likely and bound to be retained and real contributors to an organization.
Why is Brand Name Important in the Tech Industry?
- Attracts quality talent: Having a good brand name makes it easy to hire remote developers and other tech specialists. People are more likely to be applying to a company they have recognized and have subsequently learned to trust.
- Improves credibility: In the tech space, the brand image gives an impression that a good brand is more reliable and more innovative. This may make a lot of difference in competitive markets.
- Supports higher retention: Developers are likely to stay if they feel connected to a well-respected brand. This reduces turnover and associated costs of hiring new staff.
- Becomes trusted: Clients trust the companies with the right brand image because they feel that a company that exists with positive brand value would be able to deliver them appropriate tech solutions.
- Better partnerships: A strong brand offers entry into partnerships with other big companies and industry influencers, a thing that becomes significant in propelling the growth of a business.
1. Define Your Employer Brand
A good employer brand is formulated right from the start by capturing what you stand for. It is about crafting an identity that strikes relevance from both its inside and outside perspectives.
Core Values and Culture Identification
Identify effectively with your company’s core values and organizational culture. Start by dissecting those elements that drive your organization and, particularly, its people. What are the principles that guide your organization’s decision making? Can it be an innovative course of action, integrity to your team, or anything else?
These values should mean much more than mere words on a website but be exhibited in everyday actions and decisions taken by your team. Engage with employees at every level to understand what matters most to them in the workplace. Do this by surveying, conducting workshops, and informal discussions. The conclusions can really bring to life the distinctness of your company and what underpins your collective success.
Aligning Your Brand With Industry Expectations
Expectations will be high, especially coming from the rapidly growing tech industry, to push the frontiers of innovation and add speed for agility and adaptability at the workplace. Key actions to better align your employer brand with the high expectations in your industry include.
First, ensure that your company practices are in line with current technology use and industry standards. This may demand a lot of in-service training and development ventures for your team, and finding high-level tools and methods in place.
Then, share your tech-centric initiatives and accomplishments through your corporate website, social media, and other industry-focused forums. Highlight the focus on technology and innovation both in the job descriptions and employee testimonials. Demonstrate to potential talent that this is not just a company following the pack but one leading it.
Last but not least, consider who is the external view of your company. How does your firm’s brand look in the eyes of the tech community? Work with industry partners, go to tech conferences, contribute to OSS projects or forums — be visible.
2. Strategies to Make Your Employer Brand Better
Coming to employer branding, it’s all about attracting the best tech talent; perceptions are driven by that and can make a candidate apply or not.
Creating a Strong Employer Value Proposition (EVP)
Develop a strong Employer Value Proposition (EVP). An EVP communicates clearly the distinctive features and characteristics of an organization that shape its employer brand and further brand uniqueness. This relates not only to business infrastructure and workplace culture but also to associated career advancements, benefits, and work-life equilibrium.
Rather than stating what you do, this will tell potential recruits what’s in it for them when they become a part of your workforce—basically, not just what they contribute.
Embracing Digital Platforms to Showcase Your Brand
Today, arguably, your online presence has become highly significant in making a first impression. Use places like LinkedIn, your company website, and social media to share stories that feature in detail your company’s culture and values. Highlight all the quotes of employees through behind-the-scenes videos and updates on exciting projects or company success. Visibility of this kind will surely increase your brand and draw in those candidates with whom your corporate identity resonates.
Employee Advocacy and its Functions in Employer Branding
Employee advocacy amplifies authentically prepared branding efforts. Incentivize your employees to promote and share stories related to their success and their working experiences across their social networks. When employees talk positively about their workplace, it’s like a strong endorsement that attracts similar types of professionals. Make it painless for employees to be brand ambassadors. Give them content to share, like news about corporate accomplishments or community involvement.
3. Making Communication Channels Actionable
At the end of the day, proper communication strengthens the employer brand. The use of the right channels conveys your message to the rightly targeted end people.
Leveraging Employer Brand Awareness Through Social Media
One can find potential tech talents and have a direct reach to them through social platforms. Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and even Instagram should be made use of to share and post updates and job postings with starling content showing the firm’s comings and goings, firm’s values, in such a way that it suggests the sheer style and power of the corporate culture. Post employee spotlights or live Q&A sessions — such things make your brand human.
Now the Role of Content Marketing to Create Brand Awareness
Content marketing — an effective strategy to increase the visibility of the employer brand and establish thought leadership in the topic space by sharing great content. Create valuable content like blog posts, white papers, and infographics around topics pertinent to your industry. This attracts not only potential employees but also engages current staff because one could see how deep their company’s expertise is and how committed it is to keeping abreast with new world trends.
Top Employer Branding Campaigns
Below are examples of the tech companies that had succeeded in running great employer branding campaigns:
Salesforce: Salesforce’s employer branding would arguably be the best due to the application of social responsibility. Such work and forays are seen in their “1-1-1 model,” where they give 1% of their products, 1% of the equity, and 1% of the employees’ time back to the community, with emphasis on social good, which enthusiasts of such would view favorably.
HubSpot: This company excels at employer branding because they have such a comprehensive culture code which is made public. Listing down the values and operational philosophies of how they value content, they post content about their culture, benefits, growth stories of their employees, on their careers page and blog that is aimed at finding candidates who fit well within their culture.
Microsoft: Microsoft does this through its Stories platform, wherein detail, it keenly shares the unfolding different employees and innovations happening within the company. These tell not only of their edge in technology projects but also of the people behind them that help to humanize the brand to prospective talent that would want to make an impact.
Final Thoughts
Building a strong employer brand is, therefore, key to attracting tech talent in the face of a competitive job market. With clearly outlined values and well-communicated missions on desired digital platforms, you will showcase unique company culture and therefore distinguish your company from competitors.
Remember, an effective employer brand will not only attract candidates but also increase productivity and overall engagement across your entire team. Use these approaches and witness strong results for your tech recruitment in effectively driving your company’s new and sustained growth and innovation.
