What makes an employer a preferred employer? What makes it attractive on the employer market? These and similar questions are currently on the minds of many companies. In view of growing personnel problems, they are looking for tangible solutions. This was also the case for one of our customers. The medium-sized craft business was having increasing difficulties in finding new employees and was facing more and more bottlenecks. That’s why the traditional family business decided to work with us to develop and implement an employer branding concept. The goal: to make the company more visible, more attractive; in short: to make it a preferred employer, an “Employer of Choice”.
Leaving nothing to chance: step by step to a strong employer brand
First of all, we look at where our client stands: How does the company present itself internally and externally? Which social media channels are used and how? How is the recruiting process set up – including job descriptions and portals. With this transparency and the established objectives, THE MAK`ED TEAM develops suitable measures in an individual employer branding concept, which the company can implement to strengthen its own brand and thus position itself convincingly in the competition. No question: Building a successful employer brand is a long and permanent process. But with the right steps, the first visible successes can already be achieved. Since a brand can only ever be as good as the product or service it offers, authenticity, flexibility and the courage to change are important. An employer that is preferred on the labor market is at the cutting edge with its corporate culture, workplace design and benefits for its employees. Especially among millenials and post-millenials, “soft” factors such as professional self-fulfillment, flexible work models or work-life balance play an important role when choosing a job. And this offer is communicated and implemented with an employer branding concept geared to the target group. That’s why a strategically well-positioned employer brand should now be part of a company’s basic equipment.
The employee persona: communicating in a target group-oriented way
To increase our client’s visibility, position it as an attractive employer and improve the quality and quantity of incoming applications, we developed an Employee Persona. For this purpose, the personnel that the company needs for each position in the medium and long term are identified and grouped into Employee Personas in line with the corporate culture. What is important to the employee persona? For example, do they value promising career paths or a good work-life balance? The elaborated profile is the basis for recruiting. With a focus on the developed employee persona, the benefits can be reconsidered, redefined and communicated to the outside world in a way that is appropriate for the target group. This improves the company’s visibility among the target group, and not only do more applications arrive at the company, but above all more applications that fit the job profile well.
The corporate culture, i.e. everything that takes place between the people in a company, also has a major influence on employer attractiveness. Appreciation, openness and equality are just a few values that form an important basis for many potential applicants. A neutral view from the outside helps to identify existing weaknesses or gaps and to further develop a positive culture in the company in a proactive and targeted manner. An employee experience is also developed in this context.
The tailor-made employer branding concept
The measures were implemented step by step and continuously in the various areas of the company at our client’s and the results, such as the quantity and quality of incoming job applications, were evaluated. Has the number of applicants increased? Or how well do the incoming applications match the employee persona? The effects of the measures on employee retention are also evaluated on an ongoing basis. For example, has the willingness to perform been increased? Or has absenteeism decreased? It is well known that employee loyalty increases with the attractiveness of the employer brand. In short: Employer branding, in addition to good and healthy leadership, is a must in medium-sized companies.
As SME experts and implementation consultants, we support medium-sized companies in developing their strategy. An employer branding concept with an individually developed catalogue of measures including short- and long-term recommendations for action supports companies in sustainably improving recruiting and employee retention. In the aforementioned project, for example, a career section was implemented on the website, employer branding topics were integrated into social media activities, and visible feedback and evaluation options were placed for job applicants. The results show: A well thought-out employer branding strategy pays off even after a short time. And in the long term, it is a decisive factor for success.
