Employer Branding Tactics and Best Practices

Creating Brand Ambassadors: Turning Employees into Advocates

Your employees are your most authentic and powerful voices when it comes to employer branding. Transforming them into brand ambassadors can significantly amplify your message and reach. Here’s how to cultivate a team of enthusiastic brand advocates:

1. Empower Through Education

Before employees can effectively represent your brand, they need to understand it deeply:

• Brand Training Sessions: Conduct regular workshops that delve into your company’s mission, values, and employer brand pillars. Make these sessions interactive and engaging, not just dry presentations.

• Storytelling Workshops: Teach employees how to craft compelling stories about their experiences at your company. This could include workshops on social media best practices, writing tips, and public speaking skills.

Example: Zappos is renowned for its brand ambassador program. They provide extensive training to all employees about the company’s culture and values, ensuring that every team member can authentically represent the Zappos brand in their interactions with customers and potential candidates.

2. Create an Employee Advocacy Program

Structure your brand ambassador efforts for maximum impact:

• Formal Ambassador Roles: Designate specific employees as official brand ambassadors. These individuals could receive additional training and be given special responsibilities like representing the company at career fairs or writing blog posts.

• Incentive Programs: Consider offering rewards for employees who actively promote your employer brand. This could be through a points system, with rewards for actions like sharing company content on social media or referring qualified candidates.

• Content Creation Support: Provide resources and support for employees who want to create content about their work experiences. This could include access to video equipment, editing software, or even professional photography for LinkedIn profiles.

Example: Dell’s Social Media and Communities University program trains employees on how to use social media effectively to share their work experiences and company culture. They provide clear guidelines and even gamify the experience, offering points and recognition for active participation.

3. Showcase Employee Stories

Put your employees front and center in your employer branding efforts:

• Employee Spotlights: Regularly feature stories about individual employees on your company blog, social media channels, and careers page. Highlight their career journeys, personal passions, and how they embody your company values.

• Day-in-the-Life Content: Create videos or blog posts that give potential candidates an authentic look at what it’s like to work in different roles at your company.

• Employee-Takeovers: Allow employees to “take over” your company’s social media accounts for a day, sharing their unique perspectives and experiences.

Example: Airbnb’s Instagram account frequently features photos and stories from their employees around the world, showcasing the diversity of their team and the unique experiences their work enables. This not only humanizes the brand but also gives potential candidates a genuine glimpse into life at Airbnb.

Optimizing Careers Websites and Job Postings: Your Digital Storefront

Your careers website and job postings are often the first touchpoints candidates have with your employer brand. Optimizing these digital assets is crucial for making a strong first impression:

1. Create an Engaging Careers Website

Your careers site should be more than just a list of open positions:

• Compelling Visuals: Use high-quality photos and videos that showcase your workplace culture, office environment, and employees in action.

• Interactive Elements: Incorporate elements like culture fit quizzes, virtual office tours, or chatbots that can answer common questions about working at your company.

• Clear Employer Value Proposition (EVP): Prominently display your EVP, highlighting what makes your company unique as an employer.

• Diverse Representation: Ensure your careers site reflects the diversity you want to see in your workforce. This includes diversity in terms of race, gender, age, and job roles represented.

Example: Hubspot’s careers site is a masterclass in employer branding. It features engaging videos, employee stories, and clear information about their culture and benefits. They even have a “Culture Code” slide deck that has been viewed millions of times, serving as a powerful employer branding tool.

2. Craft Compelling Job Postings

Transform your job postings from dry lists of requirements into exciting opportunities:

• Storytelling Approach: Begin each job posting with a brief story about the impact this role will have on the company, customers, or even the world.

• Clear Growth Opportunities: Highlight potential career paths and development opportunities associated with the role.

• Culture and Values: Incorporate elements of your company culture and values into the job description. This helps candidates assess culture fit from the outset.

• Inclusive Language: Use gender-neutral language and avoid industry jargon that might alienate potential candidates.

Example: Atlassian’s job postings stand out for their conversational tone and clear articulation of the company’s values. They often start with an attention-grabbing question or statement and include a section on “What you’ll bring” rather than a traditional list of requirements, encouraging a diverse range of candidates to apply.

Leveraging Content Marketing for Employer Branding: Telling Your Story

Content marketing is a powerful tool for showcasing your employer brand and engaging potential candidates:

1. Develop a Multi-Channel Content Strategy

Create a diverse range of content types and distribute them across various channels:

• Blog Posts: Regular articles about company culture, employee experiences, industry trends, and career advice.

• Videos: Short-form videos for social media, longer documentary-style pieces about your company’s mission, or employee testimonials.

• Podcasts: Launch a company podcast discussing industry trends, career development, or featuring interviews with employees.

• Infographics: Visual representations of your company’s growth, impact, or employee satisfaction data.

Example: Johnson & Johnson’s content marketing strategy for employer branding is exemplary. Their careers blog features a mix of employee stories, career advice, and insights into their various business units. They also have a popular YouTube channel with videos showcasing their culture and impact.

2. Focus on Employee-Generated Content

Encourage and facilitate content creation by your employees:

• Employee Blogs: Create a platform where employees can share their experiences, insights, and expertise.

• Social Media Campaigns: Launch hashtag campaigns encouraging employees to share their work experiences on social media.

• Video Testimonials: Create short, authentic video testimonials featuring employees from various departments and levels.

Example: Salesforce encourages its employees to share their experiences on the Salesforce blog and social media channels. They often feature employee-written articles about career growth, work-life balance, and the impact of their work.

3. Showcase Your Impact

Create content that highlights the broader impact of your company and its employees:

• Case Studies: Share stories of how your company’s products or services are making a difference in the world.

• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives: Highlight your company’s volunteer programs, sustainability efforts, or charitable partnerships.

• Industry Thought Leadership: Position your company and employees as thought leaders through whitepapers, webinars, or conference presentations.

Example: Patagonia’s content marketing efforts often focus on environmental activism, aligning with their brand values and appealing to candidates who share these priorities. Their “The Cleanest Line” blog features stories about environmental issues, outdoor adventures, and the company’s sustainability efforts.

Managing Employer Reviews and Ratings: Nurturing Your Online Reputation

In the digital age, online reviews and ratings can significantly impact your employer brand. Here’s how to effectively manage this aspect of your online presence:

1. Actively Monitor Review Platforms

Stay on top of what’s being said about your company as an employer:

• Set Up Alerts: Use tools like Google Alerts or specialized employer branding software to get notified when new reviews are posted.

• Regular Audits: Conduct monthly or quarterly audits of major review sites like Glassdoor, Indeed, and LinkedIn to track trends in your ratings and reviews.

Example: T-Mobile has a dedicated team that monitors and responds to reviews on Glassdoor and other platforms, demonstrating their commitment to employee feedback and continuous improvement.

2. Respond to Reviews Professionally

Engage with reviews in a way that showcases your company’s values:

• Respond to All Reviews: Make it a policy to respond to all reviews, both positive and negative. This shows that you value employee feedback.

• Personalize Responses: Avoid generic, copy-paste responses. Address specific points raised in each review.

• Be Thankful and Constructive: Thank reviewers for their feedback and, if addressing negative reviews, focus on how you’re working to improve.

Example: Airbnb is known for its thoughtful responses to Glassdoor reviews. Their responses often come from HR leaders or even C-suite executives, showing a high-level commitment to employee feedback.

3. Use Feedback for Improvement

Turn reviews into actionable insights:

• Identify Trends: Look for recurring themes in reviews, both positive and negative.

• Create Action Plans: Develop concrete plans to address common concerns raised in reviews.

• Close the Loop: When you make changes based on feedback, communicate this back to employees and in your responses to reviews.

Example: HubSpot takes employee feedback seriously and has made significant changes based on Glassdoor reviews, including improving their parental leave policy and increasing transparency around career progression.

4. Encourage (But Don’t Manipulate) Reviews

Actively seeking reviews can help provide a more balanced picture:

• Exit Interviews: Encourage departing employees to leave honest reviews as part of the exit process.

• Anniversary Prompts: Remind employees to share their experiences on review sites at key milestones like work anniversaries.

• Transparency is Key: Always emphasize that you’re looking for honest feedback, not just positive reviews.

Example: Salesforce encourages employees to leave reviews on Glassdoor as part of their “FeedbackForce” initiative, which emphasizes the importance of open and honest communication.

By implementing these tactics and best practices, you can significantly enhance your employer brand, attracting top talent and fostering a positive reputation in the job market. Remember, employer branding is an ongoing process that requires consistent effort, authenticity, and a willingness to listen and adapt to feedback. When done right, it can be a powerful tool for building a workforce that’s not just skilled, but also deeply aligned with your company’s mission and values.

Further Reading and Sources

1. Mosley, R. (2014). Employer Brand Management: Practical Lessons from the World’s Leading Employers. Wiley.
2. Gultekin, E. (2011). What’s the Value of Your Employment Brand? LinkedIn Talent Blog.
3. Glassdoor. (2019). Mission & Culture Survey 2019. Retrieved from Glassdoor website.
4. LinkedIn. (2020). Global Talent Trends 2020. Retrieved from LinkedIn Talent Solutions.
5. Society for Human Resource Management. (2017). Using Social Media for Talent Acquisition—Recruitment and Screening. Retrieved from SHRM website.