Regardless of industry and size, there is something all companies have in common – they need a great team capable of delivering a cutting -edge product or service, a growing customer base and a strong brand. It looks simple but all three components are not easy to achieve.

However, there is something that can address them all at once – your brand story.

To be loyal to your brand, people need to be emotionally bound to it and relate to what it stands for. There are fantastic examples of brands that have sent the right message and boosted brand awareness and lead generation by as much as 16 times proving how powerful storytelling can be. There is a lot one can learn from MARRIOTT’S #ATTHEMOXY, WARBY PARKER EYEWEAR, ZENDESK ALTERNATIVE, MOUTHFOODS and NIKE EQUALITY CAMPAIGN.

The CEO of Transformify, Lilia Stoyanov, said ‘’ We’ve told the stories of many brands as it is clear that the most talented and qualified candidates demand much more than a paycheck to join a company. They want to understand what the company stands for, it’s values and culture, why it is a great opportunity to join the team and work on this or that project and much more. Employer Branding is extremely powerful if done right and attracts not only top talent but also potential clients and partners. ‘’

Over the years, Transformify helped many clients with employer branding strategy development and execution. The tips below can be useful to any company regardless of its size or the industry it operates in.

Develop Employer Branding Strategy

We ask our clients ‘’ What goals do you want to achieve?’’ as the employer branding strategy needs to be developed around those goals and priorities. Sometimes, the messages that have been spread before are not coherent with the new goals and priorities. Shifting from an old vision to a new one is risky and requires careful planning and lots of A/B testing to avoid potential misunderstandings and confusion that can damage the brand.

Some of the most common goals are listed below although each company has its own unique needs and priorities.

Attract Rare Talents

Some companies heavily depend on innovation to remain competitive. Sourcing candidates who have already developed the skills and advanced their careers is a top priority.

The first step is to clearly describe the profile of the candidate. What skills are essential to do the job as of Day 1? What information do these people search for? What inspires them? Is there anything all top performers have in common? Once the profile is clear, the content that is created is to be optimized around the keywords these candidates are likely to use when searching for information online as they are unlikely to be looking for a job. Sharing information about the latest innovative projects that have been completed by the team, interviews with team members and corporate culture insights are very likely to attract the attention of people possessing rare skill sets and engage them with the brand.

Promote Corporate Culture

Companies like Google, Apple, etc. have amazing products, but they have also managed to establish their employer brand and are seen as a great place to work. More often than not, people associate the brand of the company with its unique corporate culture and futuristic offices. This image attracts the most qualified candidates to apply and ensures that the brightest students are recruited even before graduation.

To achieve similar results, some companies share information about their policies embracing remote working, paying their employees to volunteer and support causes in favor of humanity and much more. To achieve great results, it is advisable to start with the big picture. How do you want your brand to be seen? What company values do you want to communicate? What is unique about your company culture?

Tap Into a Diverse Talent Pool

Innovation and vibrant corporate culture require diversity of thought. It is impossible to achieve if all team members have the same background, life experiences or have graduated from the same schools. Most companies face challenges when it comes to diversifying their workforce. There may be a variety of reasons varying from hiring from referrals to advertising on the same job boards to using language that may discourage certain candidates. To tap into a diverse talent pool, the employer branding strategy needs to be around spreading the message that all candidates are treated equally and there are policies in place ensuring that they will feel included and a valued part of the team once on board.

Promoting Family-Friendly Corporate Culture

It’s a common perception that the brightest minds belong to young people who have graduated 2-3 years ago, enjoy parties, free beer, fancy office and trips abroad paid by the company. As a result, most companies write their job descriptions outlining that the company offers the perks mentioned above. However, those young bright people grow up and eventually start a family. At that point in time, it is subsidized childcare, dental care, medical insurance and flexible working arrangements that matter the most. Even though that offering such benefits is not an exception, it is still rare to see them in a job description. Developing an employer branding strategy around family-friendly company culture will attract and retain highly skilled and experienced employees who have already achieved a lot and advanced their careers.

Employer Branding Attracting Both Top Talent and Potential Clients

Although employer branding is rarely associated with lead generation, the right content strategy will attract both qualified candidates and potential clients. We experimented with such strategies in the past sharing content about successful projects, interviews with top managers and team leads, client testimonials and more. It’s a sophisticated strategy but the results are completely worth the effort. It's targeted content that attracts the attention of potential clients, but it needs to be complemented by links to white papers, case studies, landing pages and more. Understanding what interests your employees and clients have in common is the first step. Identifying what keywords they use when searching for information is incremental for creating good content that will result in many qualified candidates applying for your jobs and tons of potential clients asking for more information.

Underestimated in the past, employer branding can deliver fantastic, long -term results if done right.