When the Israeli high-tech market is experiencing an extraordinary boom period, and competition for every talent is fierce, apart from the high salary, pampering benefits, “10bis”, prestigious catering, and fun days, companies may not forget that the most important aspect to attract emploeyss is employer branding.
In fact, according to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 80% of human resources managers around the world agree that it is easier for a company with great employer branding to recruit employees.
Sometimes many high-tech companies may think that investing in indulgences and benefits for employees is enough to attract employees, but the facts show otherwise, as negative employer branding is a more significant parameter than anything else.
Almost every candidate takes into account the image of the workplace before considering whether to take the job. It is necessary to understand in a world where the demand for talents exceeds the supply, the demands of the talents from the workplace rise.
Potential candidates examine the workplace, the apprehension it conveys, the treatment they receive during each step during the recruitment process, hear opinions about the workplace from existing or past employees, and gather every possible piece of information on the way to a decision.
While many startups which have much fewer capabilities to provide employees the benefits and high pay salaries are thinking about how to attract employees, employer branding may be the answer for them.
Employer branding is something that you need to manage and design yourself. You can not leave it to luck and fate, you can not be indifferent and say to yourself that the attitude you give to employees is wonderful and the values you represent are excellent and all the employees enjoy coming to work. In the end, even if you are right, your image may be different among some employees, and they may adversely affect potential candidates.
How can you design and manage your employer branding?
Determine the values and beliefs of your company that sets it apart from the rest – the first thing that shapes an employer branding, is the company’s story, the values it represents, and its aspirations and goals along with its vision for its employees. Every company has its own story, it needs to be told correctly and convincingly, and value-wise. Ultimately, this is a very important aspect to get candidates to identify with your story. Your story should include successes but also failures, courage, risk-taking and devotion, and determination.
Examine how your company is perceived in the eyes of potential candidates and outsiders – this can be checked through reviews written on various job-finding sites, social networks, and through employees of the company. This will let you know what you are doing right and what is not, and what are the points where you need to improve your image.
Give the stage to existing employees to tell about the job – put the employees in the front and give them the opportunity to tell about their experience in the company. Of course, you will find the most communicative employees with a positive opinion about the workplace, who can authentically tell about the company and the values it represents. It is recommended to do this through videos. They are perceived as more credible than written reviews and create a stronger impression. Ask employees to post their opinions on social media and in groups of job seekers and those related to the high-tech field. In today’s era, it’s sometimes enough to post one photo on social media during the workday or on a fun day as part of it, to create a strong impression on potential candidates.
Promoting the company’s activities in the media – your employer’s branding is eventually also built by the way it represents in the media. When the demand for talent in the high-tech market is so high, a company that has no foothold in the media finds itself at a disadvantage compared to the rest. When a potential candidate examines whether to work for a company, the candidate also checks whether your company is well-known and popular. This is a measure for the candidate to decide whether the company is good enough. Promoting your company in the media, in such a competitive era is no longer a luxury and becomes a critical tier, that can make the difference between success and failure.