Employer branding is an important area for many HR functions, but the lack of knowledge and time means that it is often deprioritized. A survey conducted by a magazine shows that two-fifths of the respondents think that the work with employer branding is “superficial” and “fuzzy”. At the same time, the labor market today is more flexible than ever. Actively working with employer branding is thus an increasingly important strategy to reach out to talent.

First, the concepts:

Employer Brand: Your employer brand and therefore part of your brand

Employer Value Proposition (EVP): Your overall offer, e.g. X and Y, which make you an attractive employer

Employer Branding: How you communicate your employer brand

Recruitment Marketing: How you market your employer brand digitally

The breadth of the HR role is complex

Being HR is not easy. Firstly, you are responsible for recruitment, onboarding, management support, employment law issues, the annual salary audit, and much more. In addition, you are also expected to take initiatives and run activities that strengthen the organization’s positioning in the labor market. Varied and fun work – but also difficult because there are several areas of responsibility with different focuses. A common mistake is to see employer branding as a project with a clear start and end. You need to work continuously, which takes time and requires a methodical way of working where you collaborate with both colleagues and external partners. To get started, you need to start at the right end: from within. The most important thing in successful employer branding is therefore that it comes from the heart of the organization – from you who work there every day. It must exude passion, be genuine, and come across as authentic. Thereafter, it will be much easier to communicate outwards in an inspiring way that attracts good candidates! So being HR is not only about wearing many hats – but it’s also about being the organization’s ambassador in everything you do.

We list our best tips on how to get started:

1. Examine your employer’s brand

As an employer, it’s important to be aware of how you’re perceived in the market. Do your employees, managers, and prospective candidates feel that your brand is reflected accurately? What is good about your employer brand, and what does it stand for? It’s important to get feedback from different sources in order to get a well-rounded idea of how you’re perceived. In-depth interviews and surveys can help to reveal your USPs in different categories, such as values and vision, organization and leadership development opportunities, diversity and equality, and written and unwritten rules. With this feedback, you can work on improving your employer’s brand so that it more accurately reflects what your company has to offer. By taking the time to examine your employer’s brand, you can make sure that you’re attracting the best talent out there.

2. Formulate your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

 A strong Employer Value Proposition is the foundation of a successful employer brand. It’s what sets your organization apart from the competition and articulates what it’s like to work with you. Based on data collected from employees, managers, and intended candidates, you can formulate a “promise” – your EVP. This promise should be the core of your employer’s brand and defines your strategic direction. It’s important to remember that your EVP is not just about attracting top talent – it’s also about retention. Keep your EVP at the forefront of everything you do as an organization, from recruiting to onboarding to performance reviews, and you’ll see tangible results in the form of an engaged, high-performing workforce.

3. Develop an employer branding strategy

When you have formulated and packaged your EVP, you set up an employer branding strategy for how, when, and where you will achieve your goals. Ask your target audiences again to understand:

Where are our candidates? Is it on LinkedIn, on AMS, or on social media?

What type of content are candidates attracted to? Is it animated employee videos, blogs, or something else?

Which metrics should we focus on to strengthen our employer brand? An example of a goal is to increase traffic and the number of new contacts to a certain target group by X% during a quarter.

4. Recruitment marketing efforts

Candidates don’t fall in on their own. You need to market yourself to the intended target groups through recruitment marketing campaigns. You have formulated an EVP and found out what the candidates are and what they are attracted to. Now it’s time to:

– Choose your target groups and start with those you have the greatest need to recruit

– Nail down the budget, set goals, and choose channels

– Create content relevant to the target group

– Publish, follow up and draw conclusions for the next campaign

Working with employer branding is an investment that pays off. By methodically pushing through several activities that strengthen your employer’s brand, you can attract and engage both cool and warm candidates. It takes time and is an ongoing process but it’s worth it.