Employer branding is not a project, but an attitude


Health and wellness packages, company kindergartens, etc.: Companies are increasingly offering their employees voluntary benefits. How potential candidates view these "goodies" and whether it is worthwhile for employers to jump on the bandwagon remains a question mark for companies. The investments are high and the return on investment is often not sufficiently measured.

Employer branding as an attitude

The core of employer branding is an attitude, reflected by the applicants, which is much more important than cool commercials and career pages full of marketing phrases.
Companies have a clear vision, a strategy, and economic goals, which they need their employees to fulfil. The relationship between employer and employee is therefore based on the exchange of work performance for remuneration, although mutual expectations are constantly changing with increasing social complexity.
To give an example: Instead of a "9 to 5 job," companies expect a result-oriented approach, while employees expect more flexibility in the form of free time allocation or home office. The art of good employer branding is to recognize and address mutual expectations.

There are already numerous companies that have understood this and approach the development of the employer brand holistically.
Others instead rush into individual measures and lose sight of the real goal of employer branding. Employer branding is an attitude - it is about identifying and understanding the motivations and challenges of your own or potential employees and proactively meeting them. It is a very important part of human resources work and at the same time a back-breaking job.

A worthwhile investment

Especially in volatile times, these efforts can pay off. Minimizing the risk of changing jobs and maintaining an equal working relationship are crucial for many in these times.
If businesses succeed in creating a sustainable win-win situation for the company and its employees, they will find it easier to attract and retain talent over the long term because they will gain credibility. Provided that that which is communicated to the outside world corresponds with lived practice.

Like consumers, applicants therefore thoroughly inform themselves before they decide to change jobs. In the age of Google reviews, kununu/Glass door testimonials and social media postings, information is just a few clicks away. The search is on for "real voices" about that which is going well and what is not.
Information about the culture, daily interaction, real career opportunities and further training are highly valued. Applicants use this information to form a first impression and - in line with their circumstances - to make a personal "profit and loss statement".

Strategically build the employer brand

Therefore, start building your employer branding strategy from the inside. By conducting professional employee surveys, you can get to know your employees and understand what they value about your organization. The suggestions for improvement will also quickly become clear to you. It is important that you administer them periodically, for example quarterly, and compare the results over time. Then you can derive the required measures from this and appraise whether they really work. Thus, you set cornerstones in building the employer brand. Employer branding is nothing other than a win-win and sustainable evolution within the framework of corporate strategy and sustainable development. It is not a project, but a process. It is an attitude.

HILL International as employer

By the way: It is also very important to us at HILL International that employees feel comfortable and that they are able to develop themselves in the long term. Those interested, possibly future colleagues, may already get an idea right of what it means to work at HILL International. Just get in contact with one of our offices!

MMag. Małgorzata Ostrowska-Reither, Guest author
Guest author

To understand your customers, you have to listen.