Marketing is all about presenting your company to the world in the best possible light and, while we tend to associate marketing with advertising, it’s actually so much more than that. Granted, we use marketing to attract customers to our business but it's also an important tool for attracting talent.
These days, candidates will actively seek out employers who have a great reputation within their industry and so marketing your business as a good place to work will help to streamline your hiring processes - while nabbing the cream of the crop when it comes to candidates.
Trust and reliability are much more than buzzwords for the forward-thinking business - they’re the cornerstone of your operation. Professional marketing lends your company credibility with both potential clients and industry professionals and is a dynamic and effective way of staying ahead of the competition long-term.
The hiring process is
a two-way street which means that while you’re assessing candidates for suitability they’re checking you out too - and this is where trust comes in. If you promise candidates the world during the hiring process but fail to deliver once they have boots on the ground, this leads to a lack of trust and an unhappy workplace. An example of this might be telling a candidate during the interview stage that you run a chilled and flexible workplace - but the reality is that they find themselves in back-to-back meetings all day every day. This can quickly lead to disappointment which, in turn, can lead to absenteeism ... and even high staff turnover.
If, on the other hand, you keep your promises, you’ve got yourself happy campers who don’t call in sick or spend their days browsing LinkedIn; because they actually enjoy coming to work.
When employees feel appreciated and respected, they stick around. This isn’t - and shouldn’t be - rocket science. There does, however, need to be structure, and this can be achieved by using a non-invasive tool to
track employee attendance and spot warning signs such as sick days being taken either side of the weekend.
When you have contented employees, those tricky performance reviews also become less of a chore. Why? Employees who feel supported at work are less likely to be on the defensive during these important meetings, and will therefore be more open to feedback and suggestions as they genuinely want to grow with the business. Motivated and respected employees are also great brand ambassadors as they will be regularly telling friends and associates about what a great place to work your company is.
Employer Branding Reduces Recruitment Costs
Most businesses spend a significant amount of cash on recruitment - often unnecessarily. If you’re forking out a fortune to try to convince candidates to work for you then, quite frankly, you’re doing it wrong.
Build It And They Will Come
Focusing on your brand image as an employer is the way forward when it comes to attracting great quality talent organically. By making your brand employee-centric through your website and through your social media presence, you’ll find that great candidates are coming to you rather than the other way round. Needless to say, this means that you’re spending less time, money and energy on recruitment platforms, job boards and head-hunting services - all of which can, to be honest, come across as a bit desperate. This will free up time and cash to funnel into onboarding, team-building and even staff benefits which are also great ways of preventing staff turnover.
Put simply, when you start off with a reputation for being a fabulous place to work, there’s no need to spend a fortune on recruitment. Candidates will already be aware of your company and what it does which speeds up the entire process including interviews and follow-ups. You’ll also reduce the need for rehiring as your employees will stay longer - which is simply good economic sense. Get your branding right and the top industry talent will come to you rather than the other way round.
Company Image Attracts Top Talent
Picture the scene - you’re running a SaaS company that is starting to scale big time. You’ve gained some traction and your product is getting the thumbs up from customers - what you need now is a strong team of problem-loving engineers, first-class designers who understand user behavior, and marvelous marketers who will pull it all together to make your brand image shine.
Don’t Let Your Dream Team Become A Nightmare
Your brand image is, essentially, the display window for your business - and lots of potential employees will be window shopping at any given time. So, what are they going to see ? If your brand image is modern, dynamic and forward-thinking, those dream candidates are already half-way through the door. If, however, your website and your socials are lackluster and out of date, this is a first impression that will send those potential employees off to your competitors. When candidates already have a feel for your company ethos and aesthetic, this lends more energy to the interview process as you’re both on the same page. This now becomes a conversation between professionals with less awkwardness and more dynamic questions.
Your brand image is so much more than a snazzy logo - it's the way that customers and potential hires alike view your company. Because of this, your brand image should always be priority number one (for more details, take a look at this
guide to SaaS marketing). When your brand is recognized, it becomes credible - meaning that half the work is already done for you. That’s because you’re no longer selling yourself to the candidate because they already want to work for you.
Getting Social Builds Trust
It’s a simple fact that happy employees are your company’s most effective recruiting tool. In the modern world, you’re no longer in complete control when it comes to selling yourself as an employer. Sites like
Glassdoor mean that potential candidates can get a snapshot of what it's really like to work for you in just a couple of clicks.
This new type of transparency means that making sure that your work culture is a great one is your best shot at attracting the kind of talent that your business deserves. Employee testimonials carry a considerable amount of weight with potential hires and so making sure that your current and former employees only have good things to say about you is much more powerful than a recruitment pitch or a blurb on your website
.
There’s no denying that we live in a digital world - and your potential employees are just as likely to look you up on Facebook and LinkedIn as they are to check out your careers page - so be sure to pay close attention to your
entire digital presence to make sure that your business has great reviews from everybody who has ever worked for you. Social media allows people to make connections in a way that was once virtually impossible - and people on these sites talk. The trick is to make sure that all that talk puts your business in a positive light whether that’s Friday drinks, a flexible culture or a behind-the-scenes peek at what goes on in your workplace. All of this allows people to visualize themselves in your workplace which is really half the battle.
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All of this means that “great place to work” is your objective if you want your business to thrive. By focusing on your branding - including your messaging, values and image - you’re building a brand that doesn’t just sell stuff - it actively attracts top professionals who, in turn, will take your company to even greater heights. Marketing to your customers is, of course, important - but so is marketing to your potential employees and, when done right, the two things should work hand in hand.
