Employer Branding Strategy

With 36 percent of global employers reporting talent shortages, and the HR world teeming with talk of a "war for talent," employer branding has become more important than ever for talent acquisition and retention.

The term 'employer brand' was first used in the 1990s and has since gained widespread recognition by the global talent management community. The term refers to the firm's brand as an employer and has traditionally been outward-facing and advertising-driven.

Not anymore. The rise of social media and employer review sites has made companies a lot more transparent (even though the primary contributors are grumpy former employees) and caused people to lose trust in recruitment advertising. Employer branding is increasingly seen as a function of the whole organization and as a long-term strategic objective that falls under the responsibility of high-ranking leadership. So just how should an organization go about creating its employer brand? Here are some fundamental best practices.

Be clear about what the company stands for
The company's vision, mission and corporate values should be clearly defined and resonate through overall brand strategy and communications on every platform.

A great example of this is Twitter. The company is very clear on what it stands for, and its product and operations are obviously aligned. Its mission is:

"To give everyone the power to create and share ideas and information instantly, without barriers."

Which is supported by its values of:

• Grow our business in a way that makes us proud

• Communicate fearlessly to build trust

• Recognize that passion and personality matter

• Defend and respect the user's voice

• Reach every person on the planet

• Seek diverse perspectives

• Simplify

Know the answers to the following three questions

1. Why would someone want to work for you?
2. What is the perception employees and candidates have about your employer brand?
3. What percentage of your employees would recommend your company as a great place to work?

Although they might seem rudimentary, these three questions are the basis for any successful employer branding campaign.

Who's in charge? Or is it a team effort?
In recent years we have seen employer branding move away from an HR responsibility and many leaders now placing the primary responsibility with the CEO or marketing, as the Harvard Business Review highlighted. However, where the personnel responsible for the employer brand come from, is not a debate we should be having. The people responsible should be clearly defined and the real focus should be on how the firm develops and executes value building employer branding strategy.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can regain control of your employer brand, and spread real stories about your employer brand, head over to LifeGuides.

This article originally appeared on LifeGuides.