Why not Give this Employer Branding Scheme a Try?

 When you hear the words “contest” and “giveaways” I assume most people don’t immediately envision Corporate America. And why would they? Even if a contest or giveaway is associated with some sort of business, most of these schemes are found in specific settings, like retail, for example.

But, contests and giveaways can be a beneficial marketing and employer branding tool for any business. Here’s a great (and recent) example:

Alina Vincent and Christine Whitmarsh, proprietors of two Reno woman-owned businesses, have teamed up to give back to the Biggest Little City, where they both live and work. They will award one job seeker, whether unemployed or under-employed, a professional headshot and new (or revamped) LinkedIn profile to help the individual make a stronger career first impression.

The contest is being held online through the Reno Career Restart Facebook fan page at: Facebook.com/RenoCareerRestart. Starting now and through 11/19, those interested in taking part should email a snapshot of their face (cell phone “selfie”) and a 300 words or less explanation about what winning this contest would mean for their job search to: RenoCareerRestart@yahoo.com. Voting is open to the public and begins 11/20 on the Reno Career Restart Facebook page. Each “like” of a contestant’s entry constitutes one vote. Votes will be tallied and the winner announced on 12/4.

These two women are not only helping out two job seekers, but both of their businesses as well.

When you read the above paragraphs about their contest, what did they make you think? How nice of them to try to help job seekers…I want to know a little more about these two women….let me Google their companies.

Even if you didn’t have this initial thought process, a lot of people will. They’re painting a compassionate, caring and giving image through this contest, which will attract people and lead them to want to know more.

That, my friends, is employer branding and marketing 101.

Creating an image (especially an attractive one) of your company is the basis of building your brand, and finding effective tools to market this image only helps sustain it. And this is where contests and giveaways can step in.

Do you want to attract talent to your company? Or promote your organization? Then give the people what they want at such a crucial time in this economy—jobs…or at least help securing them.

Jobs are in high demand right now, so it’s a great time to use these types of employer branding and marketing schemes to offer job seekers assistance while promoting your business. Like Vincent and Whitmarsh, you can create a contest offering job seekers some type of appealing job search assistance, having them “compete” on your career website and/or social media accounts. And as you reward job seekers with the information they need most, you also reward your company by promoting your image.

So, what exactly can you give away? Below I’ve outlined just three appealing “prizes” to offer for any employer branding contest scheme:

Resume Review

One prize can be having an HR professional at your company review the winner’s resume. Job seekers are constantly seeking resume tips and advice; why not offer them insights from an actual HR worker? The reviewer can offer feedback and point out errors for the job seeker. He or she could even give the contest winner a few tips on what to do and what not to do when it comes to sending off his/her resume.

As a job seeker who has read countless “8 Tips to a Perfect Resume” articles, believe me, this would be a very beneficial reward.

Lunch with Management

Another prize could be offering the winner lunch with someone of “importance” from your company. I doubt the CEO will be available (if he/she is, that’s even better), but any type of VP, SVP, CIO, CMO, etc. will work wonders.

Job seekers’ goals are to get in touch with the people who “matter” when it comes to hiring for a business. Any person looking for work would appreciate the opportunity to connect with a higher up at an organization, even if it is just to talk, pick his/her brain, and swap business cards.

Guaranteed Consideration

Every job seeker dreads the resume black hole. It’s irritating and frustrating to spend hours editing your resume and cover letter, proofread it countless times, and send it off only to never hear back from a company. Sometimes, job seekers don’t even receive confirmation that their resumes were actually received, let alone being reviewed.

Why not offer the winner(s) a guaranteed review for the available position? (This contest, obviously, would have to be position-specific). Not only that, but your company could also guarantee the job seeker that he/she will receive a follow up after the review. Again, it’s frustrating to never know whether or not a hiring manager received your resume, but it’s even more annoying for job seekers if they receive confirmation, yet never get a call back. Following up with the job seeker either way is not only beneficial for this prize, but will simply show him/her your business understands the value of common courtesy, which can leave a great impression.