The long-term impact of employer branding on recruitment

Have you had a job that you loved? Or better yet, that you hated? How did you talk about it to your friends at the time? 

Deliveroo swept through my university campus like wildfire. The boys and I would saddle up and ride around York, delivering vindaloos and vodka to the masses. Why? Because the gear was cool, the work was easy for some plucky youngsters and the big backpack they give you doubled up as a beer cooler in the summer. That was all I needed to hear from my friend, Ferdy, before I hopped on the app and signed up to become a turquoise peddler of perishables. And you know what? I had a great time doing it too. Such a great time that I encouraged my other pals to sign up for themselves. Even now, when I emerge from my flat, like Scrooge McDuck in a floppy night hat and a handheld candle, to give a Deliveroo rider my code (79, by the way), I look back fondly on my time as their employee.

That’s the power of employer branding.

At first glance, they look like two words which don’t really belong together. “Employer” is a straight-laced, smart and clinical person. They even break brass tacks down to the brass tacks. “Branding” on the other hand drives a swish car and wears sunglasses. It leaves a room by saying ‘catch you on the flip’. To borrow some words, ‘two different entities from two different worlds, destined to never be together’, right? 

Wrong. If you’ve ever seen Rain Man then you know that this pair belong together like Gorgonzola and Granny Smiths.

Employer Branding is a company’s articulation of themselves. Their culture, their values, their ambitions. It’s how your company chooses to dress itself when attending a networking event. It’s your opportunity to say “this is who we are”. 

Because it answers the all important question from the perspective of potential talent. “What’s in it for me?” And that goes well beyond salary. We’re talking about benefits. Potential for growth. What’s the potential for internal mobility like? If I’m switching industries, will you train me? Bring me up to speed? These are the types of things that can tip the balance when it comes to picking between job offers.

Your Employer Brand also provides a valuable snapshot into what life could be like for people at your company.

It’s a bit like a dating profile. Sure, I could say that I’m 6’5”, great with kids and like to unwind at the end of a long day by kicking my shoes off and listening to Sade. That may be attractive to most potential suitors. I could generate a ton of interest in my profile from a diverse range of people. Except the issue is that only one of those descriptors is true. 

I’m 5’11” and think all children have gross, sticky fingers. What’s going to happen when I meet these people and they see that I’m not all I’m cracked up to be? They will feel let down and will likely leave, in a matter of minutes or months. I would be better off laying my cards down on the table, accepting that I will have fewer applicants, but of higher quality.

But here’s the kicker. To be yourself, you have to know yourself. Only then, as an employer, can you say “take me as I am, or watch me as I go.” That way, people know exactly what they’re signing up for. You give them the opportunity to self-select out, leaving you with applicants who want to work for you. People who can see themselves with you. 

What does that lead to? 

Happier employees, which leads to lower attrition, which leads to less money spent, which leads to more money available to spend on your people, which leads to a better employer brand, which leads to… you see where I’m going with this, right? 

And that, in essence, is why employer branding is important.

So, we’ve covered the money saving aspect of it. Now, let’s move onto the far more interesting stuff. Your employer brand allows you to craft the legacy you want to leave — an impression that is passed down from generation to generation. Don’t believe me? Take a look at Google. Their employer brand hasn’t deviated since its conception. 

They’re the tech people. Clean fonts, head in the cloud®, right on the cusp of the next great thing. Seemingly impossible to get into, and harder still to keep up with once inside. Where nerdy becomes chic. It’s a place for everyone, but absolutely not anyone. They even have a term to describe the X factor needed to work there — Googleyness. 

Now that’s an employer who knows who they are. They’ve found their story and they’re sticking to it. And it’s a reputation that now precedes them. Is it a good one? Maybe not to everyone, but certainly to a few. The right few.  

Now, I have a question for you. Do you think that they struggle with recruitment? I don’t want to speak on behalf of our digital overlords, but I would guess that they struggle less than most.

I have another one for you. When was the last time you saw an ad for a Ferrari? 

Take the time to build your employer brand. Eventually, you won’t need to be telling people about your vacancies, because you will already be the advert.