Use These Six Values To Build An Effective Employer Brand

Your recruitment process needs to speak to the values that motivate good candidates.

Monster has been working with behavioural scientist Richard Shotton, including in our recent webinar “Applying Behavioural Science to Recruitment“. Richard’s research shows candidates are most strongly motivated by extrinsic values, rather than simply intrinsic values like salary. You can read more about this in our article published in Fleximise magazine here. Having identified what is motivating candidates to apply, and employees to stay, speaking to these values is how you can create an effective ‘employer brand’.

According to research from CareerArc: 

• Employers with a strong employer brand see a 43% decrease in cost per hire.
• New hires are 40% less likely to leave after the first six months.
• Recruiters who represent a strong employer brand are twice as likely to receive responses from the candidates they contact.

A strong corporate brand does not automatically mean an effective employer brand

Corporate and Employer brands are symbiotic and feed into each other – but a strong corporate brand, based on products, image, innovation, market-value and performance does not automatically translate into a strong employer brand. The classic example being the ‘McJob’ when McDonald’s had a strong corporate brand, but there was a stigma associated with working there – something McDonalds have spent much time and effort to rectify.

You already have an employer brand  

Your employer brand is built on perceptions of vocal ex-employees experiences, compensation, conditions, culture, values and environment. Whether by design or accident – you already have an employer brand. Building on over two decades of working with employers on successful hiring campaigns, academic research, and this recent research, we have built an employer branding model around six values that are important to candidates. 

If you are writing a job advert, scripting a job video, planning a hiring process, or reviewing recruitment strategies, this 6-values model will give you a framework to build a compelling employer branding message that will engage strongly with quality candidates.

Derek Jenkins, General manager of Monster UK, advises – 

“What is critical is that companies deliver on the promises their employer brand makes, If an employer makes hires based on values and then fails to deliver, recent recruits will quickly reassess their decision, turnover can increase and overall your employer brand will be harmed.” 

		Care Showing this value now is more important now than ever – show your value of care for them, your current employees, and their customer. That could be with socially distant video interviewing, rather than a group task, and how you looked after your staff and clients during the Pandemic and going forward. In monster’s recent candidate survey, over 80% of candidates said it was “Important” or “Very Important” to them how an employer treated their current employees during the Covid-19 crisis.
		Interest Show how you deliver a stimulating, interesting work environment, innovative employment policies and procedures. Show how you use the ingenuity of your workers to create reputable products and services. How does what you do add value to society? They may know what they will be doing, can you show the bigger picture of why they will be doing it? For example, at Monster we connect employers and candidates, but the why is to impact the world by helping businesses and people grow through finding the right opportunities. In our recent research, the vast majority of candidates want to find more meaning in their work.
		Social How do you offer recruits an employment atmosphere that promotes teamwork, collegiality and is friendly and enjoyable? What is the team culture like? Is it a fully professional focus where people work on projects together? Is there an ability to work well alone, but in an atmosphere of support, family days and charity working?
		Economic Economic values are not just base pay – there is also the economic security of pay, bonuses, work discount schemes and benefits and potential for advancement. A strong employer brand will give the impression of above-average remuneration, job security and prospects. Make sure your pay is competitive, and be sure to show if there are other economic factors – free parking, subsidised canteen, train fare loans all add economic value.
		Development To what extent do you invest in growing your employees, recognise their achievements and provide the opportunity for career-enhancing experiences? Is training available that offers a qualification?  Are there clear opportunities to grow, paths to promotion? Here a testimony can be very powerful – a current department manager talking about their personal experience progressing their career through the company.
		Application “Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft” – Will Smith Candidates have invested their most valuable possession –  time, in education and on the job, to become great at what they do. They need to see the outlet for that.  Show how they will have the ability to use their skills and knowledge to influence the company. Both in the role and through opportunities to train, mentor and coach others.

 

How, and when, should you communicate your employer brand?

Attracting ‘better fit’ candidates 

Use these six values as a guideline when designing your employment marketing. You will build up a rounded, engaging, compelling message to prospective employees about what it means to work for you. Attracting candidates using these models will help you find candidates who are a better fit. While you will have core values, you should also consider your audience – the target market for different roles may put different importance on each value. An apprentice may see values of development and growth as most important, while a candidate for a middle management role could strongly value application and care. 

Use Video – To effectively, quickly, express your culture, values and meaning. 

Video, already a growing trend, has cemented it’s place during the crisis. People who were camera shy at the start of 2020 have become zoom experts, hosting quizzes with families and virtual pubs, weddings and game nights with friends. Now, candidates and recruiters both are preparing for the new reality of video recruitment. 

Video Interviewing is the obvious, social distancing leap – see more here, But to reach the right candidates in the first place, video must be brought in earlier in the process – to the job advert. Videos can include a corporate presentation about the company, a specific video for the department or role, or a combination of the two. 

Use your employer brand to pull in candidates today

Having an effective employer brand gives your company a better seat at the table when it comes to recruiting. But you still need to know how to find the right candidates. With Monster, you can get instant access to qualified employees who will add value to your brand and bottom line. Connect with us today to find out how to advertise your next job for free.