Three Companies that “Get” Employer Branding

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Man Thinking Outside the Box To make it quick: employer branding ultimately comes down to your employees’ job satisfaction. So to do it right, you have to treat your employees right.

Here are three companies that have a compelling web footprint, which is important to recruit top talent. Learn what these companies are doing for their brand and how you can do the same.

1. Google

Who doesn’t want to work at Google – especially after watching The Internship? Google makes all their employee perks (nap pods, free meals and the Google-colored bicycles ) known over the web. And Google Career’s tagline alone, “Do cool things that matter,” could convince anybody to work there.

In addition to the Hollywood blockbuster – a very matchless form of employer branding – Google has another thing going for them: news coverage.

How does Google do it?

Google is THE place to work – evident by all the “Best Companies to Work For” awards the company has received. The “work hard, play hard” environment is highlighted by the news and known by the public. CBS News has covered the perks; The New York Times  has covered the fun environment. And now Hollywood has done it.

Take a look at the Life at Google G+ account and you’ll notice the more than 1.1 million followers. Google updates the Internet with unique events for employees, like Family Health+Technology Day, and the fun environment (just take a look at Halloween Googleween ).

How can you do it?

First, create a company that people want to work for. Then, post it on the web! If you have a lot to offer employees, it’s not hard to show it off.

2. Starbucks

This year, the coffee company was listed on Ethisphere Institute’s World’s Most Ethical Companies for the seventh year and made it onto Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work for. If these rankings don’t convince you to apply, check out the “Why We Love Seattle ” page on Starbucks’ career site. You might think the extremely rainy city would turn you away from the company, but it’s pretty convincing that you should move there – and work for Starbucks.

But ultimately, Starbucks builds its brand through its employees.

How does Starbucks do it?

Just like people recommend great movies and restaurants, they can do the same with careers. Starbucks has put this idea into its employer branding – just take a look at their YouTube and Twitter accounts.

Employees express their love for the company through the Starbucks Jobs ’ Twitter account with #sbuxjobschat. They will tweet why they’re proud to partner with the company. The company itself tweets the most exciting news in the Starbucks world – most recently, the first store on a train.

With thousands of views on YouTube, Starbucks’ videos have an impact on recruiting. Videos include “Behind the scenes” of many job titles, “How to” buy a Starbucks franchise, and even “Giving Back ” videos that show that Starbucks is doing more than providing customers with coffee.

How can you do it?

Get your employees to spread the word through social media, with a strong focus on YouTube. Video is 5.33 times more effective than text. Don’t use your own testimony, but those who have a career with your company to express their satisfaction.

3. Verizon

Verizon lets the media and its employees speak on behalf of the company. A small employer brand campaign is on the career home page: “I work for a company that….”. Verizon employees explain that their careers provide more than Verizon Internet, cell phone and other services – they provide “powerful answers.”

How does Verizon do it?

In addition to explaining what they do for the company, such as help “coast-to-coast families to see face to face”, employees explain, via video, the impact a career at Verizon has made on their own and others’ lives.

And most importantly, Verizon strongly highlights its focus on diversity and inclusion. The company has been highlighted on the news for being top ranked for LGBT+ competency and third as military-friendly employers.

How can you do it?

This one is simple – do what’s right. Help employees grow in their careers and be a business that accepts and expects diversity. The awards and news coverage will come along with it.

By Alexis Caffrey