Company Branding Affects the Ability to Attract Talent

When you think of branding, there’s a good chance you immediately assume it’s not your issue, unless you’re in marketing. But a company’s brand extends far outside the reach of marketing, and often is built by the words and actions of employees. Some have said your brand reputation is everything you say, and everything you do.

When approaching hiring, recruiters have quite the job to do in ensuring that candidates come face-to-face with a compelling and desirable brand story through online presence, recruiting interactions, and last, the interviews and conversations themselves. While marketing and PR have hopefully done their part, it ultimately may fall on the recruiters to see it through – as they’re the face of the company that the Potential experiences firsthand and will associate with those brand values.

Recruiting expert Chris Bell notes, “the candidate experience starts well before an application is submitted or the recruiter interview takes place. Brand image, company history, corporate citizenship, and a company’s reputation represent some data points that help in telling a company’s story and attracting talent. However, a recruiter must bring it all together.”

So, are potential hires actually paying attention?

Yes! In 2013, we learned that 3 in 4 candidates seeking jobs would accept less than their desired salary if it meant working for a favorable brand, so it’s important for employers to take advantage of the company profile within 1stGig and the corresponding career profile to sell the company’s brand. Employers, did you complete your profile when you originally registered? If not, now is a good time to go back and make sure that the profile reflects your company’s culture and insight into what it’s really like to work there. Make sure you’re clearly displaying your brand assets and making a compelling case for why a Potential should consider your company as a prospective employer.. And be sure to include your preferred method for them to contact you: email address, phone number, referral code on a formal application, etc.