There’s no doubt the job market is getting more competitive. What worked well in the past isn’t enough anymore, and nobody realises it more fully than HR Specialists.
If you’re one of them, you know what I’m talking about — the problem with acquiring new talents.
We react to these changes primarily by investing in employer branding activities. Why? Because building a strong employer brand on the Internet is a perfect remedy for problems related to candidate attraction.
As long as you know how to do it, that is.
You’ve probably seen the most acknowledged EB campaigns and would love to make something as creative and spectacular.
But then reality kicks in, and you realise your budget and time are too limited to prepare your magnum opus.
I can relate as an HR/EB Specialist who has been working for small companies. Employer branding is only a part of my responsibilities, and I can’t focus solely on it. To use my time wisely, I’ve developed certain practices to effectively show an employer brand online.
As it turns out, you don’t need a big budget or a huge team to start with EB. Even small steps make a difference!
1. Strategy first
Do you know this feeling when you start a new project? All the excitement and novelty make you want to immediately put your ideas into action.
Hold your horses and make a plan first. Taking things slowly pays off in the longer run.
Consider why you (and your company!) want to engage in EB activities online on social media.
What’s your goal? Do you want to fill open roles for junior candidates? Or maybe you want to raise brand awareness?
Set a few objectives and choose relevant metrics to keep an eye on what’s working and what’s not.
Think about your target audience. Who do you want to reach?
Knowing that helps you choose the proper channels for your company’s presence.
While TikTok is an excellent source for gen Z candidates looking for their first job, there might be better places to search for experienced managers.
2. Give your company a face
Whether it is your company website or a LinkedIn page, stock photos aren’t your best choice. They come as too polished, bland, and, most importantly — fake.
Instead, show photos of actual employees: during work at the office, at company events, or with company gadgets. You can also include the photos of recruiters and/or hiring managers in a post about a new job opening.
3. Don’t focus on job offers only
Speaking of job openings, let’s make one thing clear — your company's social media profiles shouldn’t be full of open roles and ‘We’re hiring!’ posts.
Posting about ongoing recruitment processes can be helpful, but it’s not enough to make your employer brand stronger or more attractive.
No one enjoys a LinkedIn or Facebook page that looks like a job board, so make sure to diversify your content.
4. Stay authentic
Authenticity is the key to every successful employer brand. Social media communication should align with your company’s EVP (employee value proposition).
I’m lucky to have worked at places where EVP was already established, but if it’s not your case — I strongly encourage you to do it first.
Many methods can be helpful; the most popular ones include focus interviews and surveys.
If your colleagues come to the office in oversized hoodies and sweatpants, there’s no need to make them wear a shirt for a photoshoot. If the company doesn’t do anything to support diversity and inclusion in the workplace, don’t make a post stating they do. Stay up-to-date with what your competitors are doing, but don’t hop on every single trend.
After all, you don’t need to attract the whole world — just a few candidates that fully match your company culture.
5. Let the employees speak
This advice is slightly related to EVP. How can you know what makes your company unique and what makes people stay if you don’t talk to them?
And how can you convince anyone that your company is a great place to work if you don’t give them any proof?
Make sure to include employees’ testimonials in your social media strategy. By telling the real stories of real people, you’ll make your employer brand more relatable to the target audience.
Maybe there’s a senior employee who’s been working at the company since they were an intern? Or maybe there are parents who spend more time with their kids thanks to remote work and/or flexible working hours?
Such points tell a potential candidate much more than statistics and bulleted lists of the company benefits.
6. Try different formats
What’s exciting about social media is that you can experiment with various types of content. Photos, graphics, videos, reels, blog posts… It’s impossible to get bored.
Whenever I come up with a new content idea, I think about versatile ways to present it.
For example, to promote our Evojam webinar “Make IT big at a small software company,” I created a few types of graphics [1, 2, 3] and made a few reels [1, 2].
Different formats also work well when reusing old content.
Yes, you read that right — reusing old content is absolutely fine and even necessary. You’ll be able to post more frequently, reach new audiences, and boost your message.
And let’s face it, you don’t have time to create new content from scratch every time.
7. It’s a team sport
Daria Siwka gave me many tips and inspirations at her workshop on strategic employer branding, one of which was that you can’t do EB alone.
And it’s not only about engaging the employees. It’s also about you receiving enough support and time to conduct EB activities.
I’m sorry to break it to you, but if the board doesn’t see the value of EB (even after you presented reliable data to prove how crucial it is), it is challenging to start with it and convince the employees to be brand advocates.
In this case, my advice is to keep trying, keep bringing this topic up, and not get discouraged.
Staying on the topic of the board and top executives, they strongly impact the work culture.
Internal EB comes before external EB. The employees won’t be keen on becoming the face of your employer brand if they feel unsafe and underappreciated at work or suffer from burnout.
It doesn’t sound like engaging social media content, does it?
But let’s leave these pessimistic scenarios behind.
Without any doubt, the support of executives is helpful, especially at the beginning when you’re still learning and experimenting. If your organisation has a marketing team, it’s even better, as their support can be a real game-changer.
Marketers know how to promote and sell services or products to customers, so why not learn from them? You want to promote your employer brand to potential candidates through employer branding activities on social media.
Great things can happen when mixing marketers’ knowledge and experience with your understanding of the job market and EVP!
That's why at Evojam, the People & Culture team works closely with the Head of Marketing.
8. Keep an open mind
Social media is a highly dynamic environment.
New trends are born daily, and platforms compete by constantly introducing updates and adding new features. Something that works now might not work in a year.
Follow social media experts — for example, Dagmara Pakulska — who share the latest news from this field to stay in the loop. Be open to inspiration and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Also, don’t be afraid of experimenting. Some posts will flop, and that’s unavoidable, especially if you’re new to the game.
Don’t beat yourself up over mistakes; remember that you don’t become a pro overnight.
As you understand by now, starting with employer branding activities online isn’t so scary and intimidating. You don’t need much money or time to prepare exciting and authentic content.
So, put yourself out there, and, who knows, maybe after a while, you’ll become a fan of EB just like me!
