Recruiting the right talent for your company is one of the most crucial parts of a growing business. However, it’s also one of the most challenging to perform. Across all industries, 72.8% of employers admit that they are having a difficult time filling vacancies in their respective companies. While there will always be plenty of willing and able candidates in the job market, it’s not so easy to find the perfect ones that mesh well with your company culture and perform the job right.
If you’re a startup, the challenge of attracting premium talents become an even more intimidating task. There is plenty of fish in the sea for job seekers nowadays, and there will be those who prefer established companies over newer ones. Here lies your task of beefing up your recruitment efforts to ensure you don’t get left behind and still catch the best.
Without further ado, it’s time to learn how to improve employer branding to boost hiring wins:
1. Tell your company story
Everyone loves a good story—but first, you need to be consistent with the message that you want to tell. Your brand’s story doesn’t just consist of how the company started; it also includes your vision, what you hope to contribute to the society, and what your current employees are saying about your brand. Don’t just tell something that’s not in sync with who your company is to bait candidates. Aim to be authentic and let your brand speak for itself!
2. Highlight unique benefits
Since you’re selling the idea of working for your company, it won’t hurt to mention company benefits and everything else that might set you apart from other companies. Do you have free lunches in the office every day? Do you sponsor fitness memberships for your employees? Do you have regular team building programs that your team attends? Don’t hesitate to highlight these perks!
3. Emphasize company culture
The interview process truly goes both ways. You’re not just assessing whether or not a potential hire is a good fit for your company—they’re also trying to picture if they can see themselves working with the people already present in the office ecosystem. Help paint a clear picture of them.
Is this the type of company where everyone’s more laid back and flexible, or somewhat more corporate and process-oriented? Is it a mixture of both? If so, how do you say so?
As one of the booming economies in Asia, the Philippines is slowly becoming a startup hub. If you’re entering this new market with an interesting company culture, then you might need the help of a recruitment agency in the Philippines. There’s no right or wrong answer here, so it helps to be honest. This also prevents the incidence of a bad hire due to culture misfit somewhere down along the line.
4. Demonstrate employee inclusivity
It’s always a good sign when companies talk about collaboration and involving everyone on the team. This is especially more felt in a startup culture, where the members can have a considerable weight or influence over business decisions. This would be a good thing to highlight to your candidates during the interview, especially if they are craving for career growth and projects that they could spearhead. A collaborative company is a place people want to work in.
5. Make your brand tangible
Go the extra mile. Instead of just letting your candidates hear this information from you, why not make an effort to give them a printed brand book which recaps the highlights about your company? On another not too literal sense, your social media accounts and online presence should match the information you’re presenting to your potential hires. Show, and don’t just tell—you’ll be surprised at how this simple advice can help you stand out from other workplaces.
6. Create an incredible candidate experience
Your HR department or recruitment firm is one of the first real touchpoints your applicant will have with your brand. Before then, everything they’ve seen on social media is an assumption. Make sure you act professionally and give them an experience, unlike other companies out there. Any candidate would much appreciate a prompt response, friendly and helpful contact person, and timely updates. Don’t just leave them hanging in the air if they don’t pass a particular round—you never know when they could reapply or contact you again in the future.
7. Let your employees speak for you
The best judge of what it’s like to work in your company will be none other than your current employees. It’s encouraging for aspiring applicants to see team members who are enjoying the same benefits promised to them during an interview standpoint. Communicating this to aspiring applicants is inviting since they will be able to identify or visualize themselves working for your team quickly. You can promote videos or posters of them on social media with their thoughts about the company, and have them share their thoughts about the perks of working for your company, for instance.
The Takeaway
Hiring talent will always be challenging for many businesses, but making changes to your employer profile and having consistent branding can fix these issues and give you an easier time in devising a recruitment strategy. Remember to put your best foot forward while still keeping your integrity intact. The more authentic and personable your brand is, the more people will be inclined to apply and seek out what you have to offer themselves.
