If you’re hiring in 2024, you know that it’s tough – probably tougher than it’s ever been. Top talent is hard to come by. It’s not necessarily in short supply, but skilled professionals are more and more comfortable demanding that workplaces align with their career goals and their values.
In other words, they’re treating companies the way they treat brands. And companies – at least, the forward-thinking ones – are adapting. HiBob excels at branding itself in a way that attracts top talent.
To help us understand how they do it, we sat down with Tom Douglas, the Global Employer Brand and Sourcing Manager at HiBob. HiBob hardly needs an introduction as a rapidly growing HR tech company with offices spanning the globe, from New York to Tel Aviv.
With a background in psychology and a track record of helping Hibob scale to over 1,000 employees globally, Tom brings a wealth of insights and practical strategies to the table – insights we were eager to hear. Keep reading for the highlights of our chat, and Tom’s expert tips on employer branding.
First things first: why is employer branding important?
Employer branding is all about how you’re perceived as an employer – by your current and potential employees. It’s similar to consumer branding, which seeks to influence how customers perceive and interact with your product or service. An employer branding strategy is the same thing, but for your organization. The point is to shape the way talent views your company and engages with it.
That goes deeper than salaries. Many job seekers consider company culture, values, and mission. They also want to know what kind of work environment they will be entering, and whether it will allow them the work life balance they want.
Finally, a strong employer brand also helps you retain top talent. When employees feel connected to, and invested in, your company’s culture and values, they’re more likely to stay for the long haul.
Step 1: create an employer branding strategy in 4 key steps
Now that we’ve established the why, let’s consider the how.
Get real – authenticity matters
Your employer brand should be a reflection of your company’s actual identity, right now, not an idealized future.
At Hibob, Tom and his team achieved this by collaboratively choosing 7 core values through company-wide surveys and workshops. They listened to the lived experiences of their people, rather than dictating values from the top down.
Figure out who’s listening, and tailor your message accordingly
How many different types of roles are you hiring for? That’s how many audiences you have – and you need to talk to each one differently. For example, a software engineer will have different priorities to a SDR when it comes to evaluating your employer brand.
To address this, Tom and his team work closely with hiring managers to understand the motivators of each role they’re recruiting for. After all, these are the people who “feel firsthand the pain of not having people in a seat, or not being able to attract the right talent”. Together, they develop targeted content that speaks directly to those key points.
Remember to zoom out from time to time, too
That said, Tom cautions against getting too granular with your messaging. While role-specific content has its place, he estimates that around half of Hibob’s employer brand content focuses on more general themes like overall company culture and the day-to-day employee experience.
“Humans work here” – keep your focus on people, always
Employer branding is about making a human connection. One of the most powerful ways to do this is by showcasing your current employees and letting them tell their stories in their own words.
Hibob encourages employees to participate in testimonials, social media takeovers, and other content creation, while being careful not to force or script these interactions.
Step 2: activate your employer brand for maximum impact
Expand your touchpoints
Once you have employee-centric content, you need to get it into the right channels. Your messaging should feature on your careers page and in job descriptions. You also want to infuse it into every stage of the candidate journey. For example, HiBob sends a newsletter to candidates before their first interview.
Get current employees to advocate
Help current employees to share their experiences – their personal networks can boost your reach and credibility with potential candidates.
Hibob ‘s recruiting uses employee-generated content to share with candidates, and actively celebrates team members who go above and beyond.
Use the right tech to scale up
To promote your employer brand, you will need the right tools. Tom favors Oktopost, a social media management platform.
“Oktopost has been a game-changer for distributing content, tracking engagement, and measuring the ROI of our social media channels,” Tom shares. “It’s allowed us to amplify our employer brand while still maintaining a lean team.”
A study by SEMrush found that websites with higher-quality, human-written content performed significantly better in terms of organic traffic and search rankings compared to those heavily reliant on AI-generated content.
Integrate with broader HR strategies
Your broader HR strategies should promote your employer brand. For example, Hibob uses their core values not just in their external messaging, but also as a framework for internal programs around everything from onboarding to performance management.
Step 3: making improvements on the go
Based on his experience at Hibob, Tom recommends the following five-step process for companies looking to take their employer branding to the next level:
- Nail down your Employee Value Proposition (EVP). What unique value do you offer as an employer?
- Next, conduct an employer brand audit. What are people saying about you online and offline? Where are there gaps between perception and reality?
- Based on your EVP and audit insights, develop a content strategy that brings your employer brand to life.
- Identify and empower employee advocates who can authentically share their experiences and help spread your employer’s brand message.
- Track key metrics around your employer brand (e.g., application rates, offer acceptance rates, employee referrals) and gather feedback from candidates and employees.
At Hibob, Tom and his team conduct surveys at each stage of the hiring process to gather input on the candidate’s experience. They also regularly seek feedback from current employees.
The Future of Employer Branding
The world of work is evolving. So the practice of employer branding is, too. Looking ahead, Tom sees several key trends shaping the future of the field:
Remote work
With the massive shift towards remote and hybrid work models, companies need to rethink how they convey their culture and connect with talent in a virtual environment.
DEI (Diversity Equity and Inclusion)
Candidates are increasingly looking for employers who not only talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion but actively prioritize and embed these values into their culture.
Power of purpose
Lastly, Tom believes that in the future, the companies with the strongest employer brands will be those that can clearly articulate and demonstrate their larger purpose and impact on the world.
Employer branding and your business: it’s time to move forward
Building your employer brand is a complex undertaking, but the potential payoff – in terms of talent attraction, retention, and business performance – is immense.
By focusing on authenticity, tailoring your message, activating employees as advocates, leveraging technology for scale, and continuously measuring and optimizing, you can develop an employer brand that sets you apart in a crowded market and helps you build the high-performing team you need to succeed.
Remember, employer branding is not a one-and-done exercise – it’s an ongoing commitment that requires consistent attention and investment. But for companies willing to put in the work, the rewards can be truly transformational.
