Employer Branding
At a time when competition for the best talent is fierce, strategic and vibrant employer branding makes all the difference. It is an investment in the future that will ensure the company’s long-term success and sustainably strengthen its employer brand.
EMPLOYER BRANDING.
Conveying identity, values, and uniqueness authentically and convincingly.
Employer branding in B2B communication
In today’s business world, employer branding plays a critical role in positioning a company as an attractive employer in B2B and industrial communications. Employer branding is far more than just a buzzword – it’s a strategic approach to attracting talent, fostering long-term employee retention, and supporting business growth. Employer branding, brand positioning, and overall corporate strategy are directly related. As a brand consultancy and B2B agency, we consider these three aspects as they interact with one another.
Employer branding is closely linked to corporate strategy and brand positioning.
What is employer branding?
Employer branding encompasses all activities aimed at shaping and improving a company’s image as an employer both nationally and internationally. Strong employer branding highlights the B2B company as a desirable employer brand that appeals to skilled workers, experts, and young talent. It is these employees who make the difference with their know-how and passion while contributing to the company’s success in international markets.
Brand positioning is a key factor for successful employer branding. It defines how the company wants to be perceived by employees, customers, and the public. For us in brand consulting, clear and consistent brand positioning is the basis for designing employer branding. It is about communicating the identity, values, and uniqueness of the industrial and technology company as an employer in an authentic and convincing way.
Employer branding also has a significant impact on the company’s strategy, because it is not only important to attract qualified applicants, but also to retain them in the long term. This is where employee retention comes into play. Employees who identify with their employer and are proud of their affiliation are more motivated and committed. They remain loyal to the company and make their contribution to the sustainable success of the company.
How can successful employer branding be achieved in industrial communication?
Authenticity
A strong employer brand is based on authenticity. The corporate culture, values, and working conditions must be communicated honestly and transparently. Employee voices and testimonials can play a valuable role in conveying the corporate culture in a lively and credible way. It is more credible when, for a technology company, employees talk about their work and experiences in videos. Potential applicants gain a realistic impression of the working atmosphere and career opportunities. This leads directly to the next point.
Employees as brand ambassadors
Employees are a company’s best brand ambassadors. Their dedication and enthusiasm have an external impact while positively influencing the perception of the B2B company as an employer. Internal communication activities and employee engagement programs promote this important role. What can this look like? The company could introduce an internal employee brand ambassador program in which dedicated employees receive training to represent the company at events and career fairs. More generally, employees who professionally represent the B2B brand externally are also valuable brand ambassadors internally.
Communicate to your target audience
In order to address talents and professionals at all international locations in the best possible way, communication targeted at specific groups is crucial. Different professionals in different countries and from different cultures have different needs and expectations. A custom tailored approach shows that the B2B company takes potential employees seriously.
Innovative employer branding
Creativity and innovation are needed to stand out from the competition. Employer branding offers the opportunity to present oneself as an attractive employer with extraordinary promotions and events. For us as a B2B branding agency with a team strong in 3D visualization, an interactive virtual tour through the company headquarters is a very innovative way for applicants to explore the working environment and ask employees questions.
Integration of digitalization and social media
Digitalization plays a central role in modern B2B and industrial communication. Companies need to use social media platforms to strengthen their employer brand and target skilled workers.
What effect does strong employer branding have?
Successful employer branding has a direct influence on employee satisfaction, employee retention, and ultimately on the success of the company. It helps ensure that the B2B company is perceived by highly skilled talent as an attractive employer, attracting the best minds.
EMPLOYER BRANDING AS A PROCESS
The job of the employer brand is to interpret the corporate brand for the labor markets and to communicate the brand position accordingly both internally and externally.
Three phases characterize the development of the employer brand at our branding agency:
- The analysis phase provides a status quo from secondary sources and primary surveys within the company. At its core, it deals with aspects such as culture, identity, values, and brand experience.
- In the strategy phase, the key elements of brand positioning for the employer brand are derived. The employer value proposition is formulated and possibly varied for different business units, countries or regions, or sub-brands. Building on this, communication strategies consisting of themes and messages for internal and external target groups can be defined and corresponding creative ideas developed.
- The implementation phase is where things are put into practice. In concrete terms, this means that the positioning of the employer brand must be introduced to managers and employees and integrated internally into HR processes and externally into recruiting. Ongoing management and monitoring are also essential to holistic brand management.
Strengthening corporate success and employer brand through employer branding
When the focus is on technical products and services, as in B2B and industrial communications, employer branding becomes a key differentiator in the battle for good talent. Employer branding gives companies a human identity, enabling them to address skilled workers in a more targeted and emotional way. This, in turn, enables potential employees to identify with the company’s values and goals.
Employer branding thus becomes a valuable investment in the future to ensure the long-term success of the company and to sustainably strengthen the employer brand. As a brand consulting and branding agency with a strong B2B and industry focus, we know what it’s all about.
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