5 Ways Your Small Business Can Improve Its Employer Brand
Brand awareness is not just about increasing sales, but also entails attracting top talent.
Companies want to invest in their brand. But raising brand awareness is not just for the purpose of generating leads and increasing sales, it now must also entail attracting top talent to join the ranks of your company. You want to have the best talent? Then you need to craft your brand in such a way that is like a magnet for professionals.
When I was looking for a new job, I started to see many new openings for an Employee Marketer. Their sole responsibility was to build the employer brand. I even applied for a job as a Talent Acquisition Manager, and employer brand was their #1 objective. All that to say...this is IMPORTANT!
As a small business owner, it's important that you start laying the foundation of an employer brand now. Every foundation has a cornerstone. The cornerstone of building an employer brand is to treat your employees so well that they'd never want to leave. You wouldn't think that you'd need to say that in 2022, but you do. It's much harder to treat your employees poorly and build an employer brand.
Now that we've addressed the cornerstone, and you start laying that foundation by treating employees well, offering a competitive benefits package, and pouring into your business to create a positive company work culture, here are 5 ways to build upon that foundation and create an employer brand.
1. Get Rid of Stock Photos
Be genuine and authentic. People want to see what things look like behind the scenes. Ditch your stock photos, spend a few hundred dollars to hire a professional photographer to come in and take professional photos that highlight your brand.
2. Video Employee Testimonials
Do you have a rock star employee who is passionate about the vision of your business? Have them share a testimonial! Again, employees will be eager to do testimonials when they are treated well. You will have a very difficult time getting these videos created if everyone hates working for you.
3. Flash Your Benefits
People should be able to view your basic benefits package on the website, in the job posting, and on social media. When hiring for a position, make sure you are constantly highlighting the benefits. Don't forget the small ones! Brag about your 401(k), but also let them know that they can get up to $150 reimbursed if they attend a gym throughout the year.
4. Highlight Employee Events
Having an employee lunch or potluck? Having your company Christmas party? Take photos and use them as content to boost your brand.
5. Encourage Personal Brands
While the other suggestions are pretty obvious, this one may not seem so at first. A personal brand is a public persona someone has on social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.). They promote their ideas, thoughts, and in a sense, themselves. This may seem to run counter to your vision, as you want them to promote your company. However, someone on LinkedIn who has 10,000 followers and also shares your posts from your company page is bringing you A LOT of exposure. At the end of the day, employees who build personal brands bring your company more traffic and they also help advance the careers of your employees, which is never a bad thing.