Position yourself as an employer with your own employer brand

Employer branding is the strategic development of an employer brand with measures that present companies as a whole as attractive employers and set them apart from other competitors in the labour market. Employer branding is aimed at both employees and potential applicants. Due to the hoped-for marketing effect, the efficiency of personnel recruiting and the quality of applicants should be permanently increased.
 
The primary goal in establishing an employer branding is to create a credible and unmistakable image as an employer both internally and externally. In order for the employer image to be permanently and positively anchored in the minds of the target group, it must be clear and emotionally appealing.

The uniform appearance of your company

A uniform employer image requires close coordination and cooperation between the management, HR department and the marketing or PR department. All recruitment measures must be coordinated and must not contradict each other. This includes not only the content, images and language style of job advertisements, but also the preparation of career pages on the company website and company presentations at public appearances. In the following, we will show you the first steps towards employer branding.

1. analyse your strengths as an employer

In your considerations, don't just look at the "hard facts" such as career prospects or an attractive salary level. Also "soft facts" such as working atmosphere and working time models are decision criteria for applicants.

Checklist for the analysis:

• What are the strengths of the company?
• In what areas are we better than our competitors?
• How can I score with applicants?
• How is the career section on the Internet structured?
• Which job ads were placed where and with what success?
• Do we have a presence on social media?

Our tip:
Include your employees in the company analysis, because they know best about the day-to-day work in your company.

2. think about what your ideal candidate looks like

In order to narrow down the selection of applicants as much as possible, you should first find out which candidates are suitable for your company.

Checklist for desired candidates:

• Which applicants would you like to attract to your company?
• Where and how can you reach them?
• What expectations and needs do the applicants have?

Our tip:
Examine critically whether your expectations of the applicant are realistic!

3. define your employer brand

Checklist for brand building:

• Formulate the essential characteristics and values that distinguish you as an employer and that you want to publish.
• Always take into account the expectations and needs of the applicants.
• Write values that are realistic and credible.
• Formulate central messages in the form of a unique and unmistakable guiding principle.
• The claim is underpinned by a few core statements that are kept short and to the point.

Our tip:
Before you publish the brand statements to the outside world, make them known internally first.

4. your unforgettable brand presence

All personnel recruiting measures are based on the employer branding, i.e. the brand definition, the guiding principle and the core statements. They present a uniform and easily recognizable image of your company.

Individual measures:

• The career section of the website: The Internet has become the number one source of information for job seekers. Take the chance and build up an online application portal for job seekers.
• It is just as important to be present on social media. Be it Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and many more. As long as the platform is relevant for your brand, content should be actively published there.
• Active press and public relations work - especially in the region - increases awareness and strengthens the image as an employer.
• Targeted sponsoring in the region or supporting social projects and their active communication creates corporate presence and trust.
• Cooperations with universities, technical colleges and schools provide direct access to the applicants of tomorrow.
• Communicating the positive employer profile internally increases employees' identification with the company and makes them credible ambassadors for the company. Recommendation marketing such as word-of-mouth propaganda should not be underestimated and is considered one of the most effective marketing instruments of a company.