Employer branding remains a hot topic for many organisations. According to recent research by Acerta, roughly half of Belgian companies struggle to find suitable talent, whilst four in ten find it difficult to retain them.
In uncertain times, this challenge becomes even more pressing, as businesses depend more than ever on motivated employees with the right skills to achieve their growth ambitions. This explains why 38.6% of employers fear losing their most valuable team members.
At Pavlov, brand strategy experts, questions about employer branding strategies are far from uncommon. Regardless of company size or sector, the need for both highly skilled and less specialised staff is immense, and vacancies are rarely filled quickly. Companies have plenty of clients and projects, but not the right people to work it out - let alone to facilitate growth.
Roughly a quarter of the questions we receive are linked to the need for suitable staff.
What's equally striking is that organisations often view employer branding as a tactical fix rather than a strategic mindset. Faced with an acute shortage of suitable employees to realise their ambitions, there's a tendency towards quick action and clever initiatives to attract people to the organisation.
In many cases, there's a strong temptation to reduce employer branding to a campaign - a single marketing effort or attempt to put themselves on the map as a potential employer. Often, employer branding is merely seen as an extension of marketing or HR functions, with the primary aim of keeping employees motivated and enthusiastic.
Strong brands, however, understand that employer branding isn't about one-off campaigns or interchangeable initiatives. They know why their employees chose them as an employer and continue to choose to contribute their talents. They don't just talk about being the 'warm family' they aspire to be, they show a coherent sense of team spirit founded on values and humanity.
Successful employer branding isn't window dressing. It's a well-founded culture that gives people the feeling they're making a valuable contribution to something greater than themselves.
Around 88% of respondents consider brand culture a crucial motivator when considering a job. In many cases, this weighs more heavily than remuneration. An IBM study found that 67% won't apply to organisations without a purpose-driven brand, one that aspires to more than simply making money. Meanwhile, the most recent edition of the Gallup State of the Global Workplace report states that barely 21% of employees feel engaged and committed within the organisation they work for, resulting in negative outcomes such as job-hopping and quiet quitting.
The role of the brand as a decisive factor cannot be underestimated here. Just as brands add value for customers and other external stakeholders, they also serve as a recognisable beacon for future and current employees. A strong brand is clear about what it stands for. It makes promises to the market, but also to those who are part of it. It embodies a set of values that define what makes the organisation different from others and what people can expect when they engage with it - whether as a consumer or as an employee.
Employer branding that works over the long term and transcends recruitment campaigns is based on a clear strategy. By creating a clear picture of the ideal employee and genuinely understanding that target audience - just as you would do for customers - organisations can develop a clear employer value proposition (EVP). An EVP defines what makes an organisation unique, what choices have been made, and how it makes a difference in people's lives. This isn't about what company car employees are offered or when the Christmas party takes place. It's about values that connect and give talent the feeling they're part of something greater than themselves.
An EVP creates a sense of belonging with clear objectives and behaviours, rooted in a shared culture that attracts like-minded people and becomes a reason to keep contributing to a collective mission.
If your organisation is struggling to attract suitable employees, now is the time to actively ask yourself how your brand makes a difference for people. What values underpin your brand culture, and how are they translated into the smallest details in the workplace? What role do internal ambassadors play in giving concrete shape to that story and safeguarding it in the daily race towards growth? To what extent can your organisation's leadership articulate what it genuinely has to offer, beyond career progression opportunities or benefits packages?
The more clearly a brand can answer these and other cultural (and essentially emotional) questions, the more efficient employer branding efforts will be. This, in turn, leads to less staff turnover. Vacancies are filled more quickly with loyal and talented employees who believe in the brand story and actively contribute to it.
