Employer Branding on a Shoestring

Employer branding is a complex subject. More than 40 percent of companies indicated that employer branding is a “must have” in their talent acquisition strategies. But for many, it’s a non-sequitur because the assumption is that to build a great brand, you need a lot of money. In fact, 71 percent of employees say obtaining an adequate budget is their no. 1 challenge in managing an employer brand.

While money and an incredible agency help with brand building, there are far more inexpensive fundamentals that create the cornerstone of an incredible employer brand. And while they aren’t easy to ingrain in your organization, they can be implemented on a shoestring.

1. Brand belongs to the people. Just a few short years ago, this statement could be hedged; today there is no question. Even large brands can temporarily be brought down by one disgruntled individual. Employer brand is no different. In today’s world, sites like Glassdoor and Indeed are the place where savvy candidates go to find out what it’s really like to work at your company. While this makes brand more difficult to control, it also gives those with smaller marketing budgets a fighting chance. In one Midwestern city, the county’s largest employer, a multi-location health system, has difficulty finding skilled talent, while the smaller e-commerce mid-sized company can pick and choose, although their advertising budget is a fraction of the health system.

2. Deliver on your promise. Most people put this at the bottom of the list. With little budget, you only get a few chances to really shine. Don’t destroy any accumulated trust by promising one thing and delivering another. For example, there is a national bank that frequently appears on the “Top Companies for Working Mothers” list, but every working mother I know that has been employed by this organization thinks it’s a joke. Chances are there are other opportunities to brand that company that don’t involve something that rings false for employees. It’s wise to ensure that your brand messaging aligns with what you actually have to offer as opposed to something that an ad in a magazine can buy.

3. Branding opportunities are everywhere. While a lot of employer branding focuses on slick advertisements, there are much better and cheaper ways to advertise how great it is to work with you. T-shirts on Casual Fridays with a quick link to open jobs, video testimonials from your star players, a column in your local newspaper or blog or coupons to a food truck near your competitor are all great ways to get the word out. Match your branding channel to your audience—fitness giants can use their own machines and TVs to advertise; B2B agencies can use space in their email campaigns; printing companies can create typography contests on dribble.com —whatever channel you choose, focus on your ultimate audience.

4. Social is your friend. Social media isn’t free, because you have to use internal time and resources to do it right. But it IS darn close, so get smart on emerging trends. Tweeting an endless stream of jobs is NOT employer branding, but tweeting interesting facts about your industry or company might be. Creating a Facebook page devoted to your jobs will only bring the most ardent of jobseekers to your door, but attaching a careers tab to your Facebook consumer or client facing page  makes much more sense. Using social is all about your goals. Do you want to position your organization as a thought leader, a community builder, an innovator? Decide which personality fits your current organization and use that to attract people. A great example of this is the NPR Twitter Chat and Google Hangout. By creating a chat for jobseekers, NPR was able to reach technical talent  on a tiny budget.

5. Get flexible. Flexibility is easier than ever for companies  to embrace, and often times, strengthening the employer brand and recruitment marketing campaigns (for next to nothing) is the way to do it. Have a work-from-home position or a flex arrangement? Does your org espouse a casual dress environment or have a great new parent policy? Flexibility is valuable to all generations and not just in terms of hours. Have a ROWE work environment or a project-based movement policy? Do you give educational credit or offer classes at your workplace? Flexibility can even extend to the verbiage in your job ads.

6. Don’t discount the people already there. Keeping the people you have on board is one of the most overlooked parts of an employer brand. Retention is used as the #1 qualifying metric in 38 percent of companies on “Top Employer” lists. But that’s not the only reason to ensure that your people stick around. Your employees are your number one best ambassadors for your company. If they enjoy working there, they will provide referrals, testimonials for the career site and even participate in social brand building exercises.

Finally, follow Susan Lamotte and Brett Michington’s advice: 

If all else fails…

If you are unable to convince your executives to invest in employer branding, consider the human element. In early 2012, AdAge  found only three mentions online for the search terms “I love Dow Chemical.”  How many people love your brand? That alone can demonstrate how far back in the pack you are. Genuine feelings about a brand matter—don’t forget the power that human love (or hate) can bestow on your brand success.