The Power of Employer Branding

Employer branding: it probably rings a bell… 

Nowadays, this concept is increasingly present in the labour market. It can be part of the scope of an HR function, a marketing function, or even a job in its own right.

What does employer branding actually mean?

It is the unique and attractive image a company creates and promotes in the labour market and among its employees. This puts forward the company's reputation, values, and culture, but also its ambitions, projects, and, above all, what the company offers its staff.

What are the key stakes of employer branding?

The first and most apparent stake is to attract talent. Here, the aim is to make employees want to join the company. However, companies must be careful not to reflect a false image and to keep up with market trends. Indeed, the risk of overselling one's company can be radical and lead to a significant turnaround and a backlash. Therefore, the consequences of promoting a bad image are difficult to change. Market trends must be considered to offer relevant perks that will attract the right target population.

Another stake regards employees already present in the company. Indeed, employer branding can build loyalty and thus improve engagement. A strong and positive image makes employees proud and gives them the motivation to fulfil their tasks. It makes their work more meaningful. There is nothing like looking in the same direction together.

We can also raise the point of competition in the market. All companies want to have a good reputation, both internally and externally. We are thinking here of potential customers, investors or stakeholders. A good reputation means standing out from the competition and thus making a difference.

So how do we go about getting good employer branding?

All ideas are good once we are aware of the issues involved (it's essential to keep them in mind).

At Strand, we place a high value on letting our consultants speak for themselves. Who better to explain the day-to-day reality of our company than our current employees? So we let them talk!

We also try to be as up-to-date as possible with new ways of working. So on the one hand we innovate in the ways we are present on social networks for example, with new video formats (quite short and appealing). On the other hand, we pay special attention to what our employees consider to be the most important thing for them in the professional context. Therefore, it is more sensible to highlight the projects we carry out internally on the market to appeal to our consultants and to hopefully attract the same kind of profiles.

What do you think? Do you have any tips or experiences to share?