Employer branding in recruitment

To attract qualified IT specialists, sometimes it is not enough to pay only a satisfactory salary - in an industry where candidates can even pick and choose between offers, something more is needed. Employer branding may be of key importance here, as it greatly influences the effectiveness of recruitment activities. What is "employer branding"?

Employer branding is simply creating the image of the employer. It includes both external activities addressed to potential candidates and internal activities addressed to current employees. It is a long-term strategy to attract, engage, and retain the company's most valuable and talented employees. This term is significant in the employee market case, where employers compete strongly for the best specialists in the industry.

Employer branding in recruitment The process of recruiting employees is one of the most visible activities that create its image. No wonder HR departments usually deal with employer branding, which has a huge, far-reaching impact on improving the effectiveness of the recruitment conducted by a given organization. The way the HR department works with potential employees contributes to the external perception of a given company. For this reason, recruiters must be aware of the importance of the quality of their work in the functioning of the entire company.

Why is employer branding so important?

There are really many ways to arouse candidates' interest, as you could already see by reading our blog. Interesting non-wage benefits, creative recruitment methods - these are great ideas, but their implementation will not be fully effective if you have a well-thought-out image building strategy.

According to research published on employer branding, as much as 69% percent of candidates would not accept a job offer from an employer with a bad reputation, even if they did not have a job at the moment. This result shows the great challenge facing people involved in building the company's image.

A company that cares and consciously manages its image has a stronger position in the labor market and receives more valuable applications. Long-term, wisely conducted employer branding activities greatly impact accelerating and reducing recruitment costs (see: infographic above).

Moreover, it should be remembered that employer branding is also based on internal activities, such as, among others, communication in the team, talent management, introducing new employees, watching over their career path, or taking care of their needs. Such activities affect employee satisfaction, which is extremely important in their attachment to the company and retaining the best specialists in it.

How to build a positive image of the company?

You will find many guides on the web that will show, from A to Z, how to create an effective employer branding strategy. However, I would like to focus on a few, in my opinion, the most important issues that should be kept in mind when building a positive image of the company in IT.

Presence in social media

It cannot be denied that nowadays, it is social media that has a decisive influence on a given brand's perception. Thanks to them, you can show your best side by publishing, for example, interesting and valuable content that attracts the attention of recipients. Importantly, through social media, companies have the opportunity to show their "human face" by publishing photos from the company's life. This is an essential element in building a brand image because any organization's most important showpiece is the people who create it.

Creative recruitment methods

The more interesting and inventive the recruitment, the more candidates and the more people learn about it. Gamification, interesting videos, eye-catching billboards? IT recruiters have repeatedly shown that their imaginations know no bounds.

A well-structured job advertisement

It is the job advertisement that is often the candidate's first contact with the company and, therefore, plays a key role in creating the employer's first impression. The advertisement is also a showcase of a particular brand, so it must be very carefully prepared, legible, and to the point. From the advertisement level, the candidate can obtain information about whether a given company is trustworthy, transparent, and employee-friendly.

Presence at industry events

Job fairs, conferences, hackathons - people from the IT industry have a lot to choose from because there are many events aimed at them. So if you want to build a positive image of the employer, your company should also appear there. Thanks to direct contact with people who already work there, it will be easier for the candidate to decide whether he would suit a given organization and whether he would be interested in the recruitment process. Moreover, such places are a great opportunity to "show off." Therefore, if your company is not yet well known on the market, participation in such events will make it more recognizable.

Professional approach to the candidate during recruitment

Candidates often accuse recruiters of a lack of a human approach. This is a huge mistake because how a given company recruits has a huge impact on its image. Check which errors the programmers do not like the most, and remember to write constructive feedback to each unsuccessful candidate.

Building the employer's image is becoming an increasingly important challenge for HR departments, as it brings huge benefits. A well-thought-out employer branding strategy will allow you to quickly acquire the best specialists on the market and achieve better business results.