A generation ago, you’d report for work every day and then claim your gold watch upon retirement. For the most part, you were grateful to have a good, reliable job. With the demise of cradle-to-grave employment, however, employers have had to ramp it up and create a culture where employees actually want to work. Naturally, this approach extends beyond current employees to potential future employees, as becoming an “employer of choice” takes on heightened importance. Believe it or not, your workplace culture can actually make or break your recruiting strategy. Particularly, as social media channels come to play a larger role in the recruiting process, organizations are increasingly crafting employer brands, a big part of which is corporate culture, to attract and retain the most desirable candidates.
Here are a few tips to ensure that you effectively incorporate corporate culture into your recruiting process:
- Start Early – Don’t wait until you are embarking on a recruiting initiative to come up with an employer brand. This is something you should have in place already. If you don’t, the time is now (actually, it’s yesterday, but that’s beside the point) to partner with your human resources team to build a brand that effectively portrays exactly what your company has to offer both current and future employees. Convey the opportunities, the culture, and the vision of the organization. Working with your marketing folks, come up with some catchy slogans that bring that brand to life.
- Be Everywhere – Now that you have a snazzy employer brand, incorporate your slogan or statement into all employee communications. Blanket the workplace and don’t forget the intranet and Careers section of your corporate website, as well as all your social media presences. Pay particular attention to your LinkedIn page, but don’t forget Facebook, Twitter, and other sites as well. Have banners and posters printed that can be positioned not only in the workplace, but at career fairs, staffing firms, and college placement offices. Build your company’s reputation as a place people want to work.
- Reevaluate Regularly – You may think your brand statement/slogan is the proverbial ‘cat’s meow’, but that may not be the case with those you are seeking to attract. Whenever possible, ask current and potential employees what they think of the corporate branding initiative. Pose specific questions about how the company is perceived by the workforce, job candidates, college students, etc. Ask people to be honest about what they perceive to be the company’s strengths and weaknesses as an employer. Then be willing to revisit your brand initiative and tweak or overhaul it accordingly.
- Incorporate Employee Input – Not long ago, an employer was in complete charge of communicating their brand to the world. These days, customers and employees have the power to change the way the company is viewed, thanks to the prevalence of social media. To bolster your employer brand and communicate your corporate culture to potential future employees, ask current employees to go on record about what a great place it is to work. Post video testimonials and include employee quotes on applicable media. Chances are your employees will be excited to play a role in determining the future success of the organization. After all, your success is their success, too!
Need help with your recruiting initiatives? Contact High Profile Staffing today.