In our previous post, we set the foundation for the importance of social media and HR.  In this post, we’re going to delve into the use of social media to build your employer brand.

Ask yourself:

  1. Do you feel that your employer brand is clearly defined?
  2. Do you know why you are different than your competition, as an employer?
  3. Do you think your employer brand is clearly communicated to potential recruits so that they know what sets you apart?

You are probably familiar with the concept of branding from a sales and marketing perspective. Defining your unique selling proposition, determining what sets you apart from your competition so that you can attract quality customers or clients. Many companies spend thousands to hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars developing their marketing brand.

What many companies forget to do, or maybe don’t even think about doing, is developing their employer brand. Putting the same effort into determining the type of employer you want to be to attract employees, whose ultimate job it is, to deliver on the marketing brand.

Determining what sets you apart as an employer, why someone would want to work with you rather than the competition, developing your message on why you’re a great place to work, this is the essence of employer branding. And, this is what will allow you to attract the staff you will need to enable your company to succeed.

Once you get your employer brand established, you then need to communicate it out to the job market. Does your website include:

  • information about career opportunities?
  • information about what it’s like to work at your company?
  • social media links?

How does your online presence compare to your competitors? If you don’t have a career section on your website or describe a positive employer brand, you are likely “average” or “below average”. You’ve not done anything to attract potential candidates and it’s very likely they will bypass your company when considering employment.

Social media allows you to espouse your employer brand. And to control the message about what you’re like as an employer. Repeat: To control the message. This is important, because if you don’t control the message, someone else may – a disgruntled employee or customer who posts a comment on a social media site – and by that point, the damage is done, and the negative comment is out in cyberspace forever.

In our next post on social media & HR, we’ll look at using social media to find candidates and build employee pride.

 

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