As turnover rates soar and the Great Resignation continues, organizations have been forced to look deep within to better understand how job seekers perceive their companies. Many are reevaluating their employer brand and value propositions in order to attract talent and retain existing staff. One thing that is certain is prospective employees have been significantly influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic. Those emotions, values, and beliefs must be addressed to maintain an effective employer brand. In the following, we will take a look at the fundamental ways to sustain a constructive brand for years to come.
As we have discussed in previous articles, such as Attracting and Retaining Talent with Employer Branding, employer branding strategy is a critical component for organizations, especially during the pandemic. Your brand is what both current and prospective employees think of the company as well as the management of that reputation. As seen over recent years, social media and online company review sites have become more popular and influential in job seekers’ career decisions. By positioning your company as an amazing place to work, mainly through a great culture, attracting and retaining employees alleviates many challenges during the current workplace environment. On the contrary, companies that fail to maintain an effective employer brand will face recruiting challenges as well as sales, marketing, and other operational issues.
So, how do you go about maintaining an effective employer brand during the Covid pandemic? Our team has put together some of the best methods that can help your organization excel in the near future.
Give employees the flexible work options they desire
Let’s face it. Covid has completely revamped the expectations and desires of employees. Whether it is due to health and safety reasons or other non-related factors, workers crave a flexible environment that includes virtual and hybrid arrangements. Additionally, work-related travel, although expected and common pre-pandemic, is much less desirable to many candidates during these times. As stated in a recent CNBC article, “Interest in working remotely has surged during the Covid-19 pandemic and is lingering even as the economy reopens, a new study suggests. The share of online job searches for remote positions jumped 460% in the two years between June 2019 and June 2021, according to an analysis published Monday.” By giving employees these flexible work arrangements, your employer brand will reap the rewards.
Fine-tune your social media messaging and content
Social media has always played a significant role in employer brand strategies. During, and post-Covid, it will continue to help a brand differentiate and educate customers, employees, and prospective talent. However, many organizations have yet to adjust their social media messaging and strategies to help maintain and improve their employer brand. For example, with so many new company policies, including remote and hybrid work options, the top brands are using social media to showcase these in an appealing manner. Others are using brand ambassadors, whether they are located in office or in their own home office, to convey a relatable message to those interested in working with them. Fine-tune your social media videos, photos, and other content with this in mind to get a step ahead of the competition.
Communicate and celebrate your culture
For most job seekers, especially during the Covid era, company culture is one of the most important deciding factors when it comes to their career choices. Candidates want to feel an emotional connection, want to agree with mission and values, and want to feel that the team is an all-around good fit. With that being said, it is vital to clearly communicate and celebrate all aspects of your company culture that are noteworthy. This should come organically and should be communicated via social media, marketing materials, website content, emails, newsletters, videos, and other forms of communication. Encourage your employees to share their thoughts, photos, and memories while working on a specific project, while at a team-building event, or even as part of the day-to-day operations. This all-encompassing approach will resonate with your own staff as well as future hires that are considering joining the organization.
Using the tips above, companies of all shapes and sizes will positively impact their employer brand, which is proving to be essential during COVID. With that in mind, maintaining an employer brand is a constant, long-term process, regardless of the pandemic or current workplace conditions. The most effective brands are consistently learning, adapting, and strategizing new ideas and methods to emotionally connect with their employees and potential hires. As data and research have suggested, the benefits far outweigh any challenges, costs, and effort that are involved. Employers must stay focused and continue to maintain an effective strategy to preserve and improve their reputation. Those that do will continually bring on amazing talent and have industry-leading retention rates.
