It can happen to even the most qualified candidates: The interview starts, and your high hopes are dashed by the candidate’s poor choice in dress code, or maybe you discover he or she has done little to no basic research about the company and its offerings.
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Sound familiar?
If only there were a way to influence candidate behavior at every stage of the funnel. But there is. That’s where employer branding comes in. As we’ve seen among WayUp’s 5 million users, companies that have strong employer branding can positively influence candidate behavior throughout the candidate funnel, leading to more—and better-qualified—hires.
When executed strategically, employer branding is so much more than a top-of-funnel tactic. At every point of the candidate experience, employer branding should play a role in influencing candidate behavior.
This can be accomplished through storytelling, peer validation, and coaching. We’ve seen this work time and again with our own employer branding team. They help companies define their employer branding strategy by driving awareness, promoting their brands, attracting top talent, and guiding candidate behavior along every stage of the recruitment process.
Attracting and Engaging Top Talent
Similar to corporate branding methodologies, companies use employer branding to communicate who they are, company values, and culture. The key to creating meaningful content that resonates with your target audience and attracts top talent comes down to one thing: authenticity. Showing candidates what it’s like to work at your company will help them connect with your brand and give them the ability to determine if your company is the kind of place they would want to work.
But content can’t get to its intended audience in a vacuum—which brings us to distribution. Employers must ensure that they are distributing content effectively to reach their ideal candidate pool. Depending on your target audience, you may find certain channels work better than others.
At WayUp, we know just how critical it is to deliver the right message, to the right person, at the right time. We have the ability to identify users who have expressed interest in specific companies or roles. With that data in hand, we can message them directly with articles, videos, and other digital content they’re more likely to engage with.
Turning Engagements into Applicants
Once you’ve driven the right traffic to your job opportunities, the challenge is converting those impressions into qualified applicants. The best way to do that? Don’t forget that your job descriptions are content too. We see this mistake time and again, with employers using outdated, confusing, and meandering job descriptions.
Instead of relying on outdated job descriptions, conduct an audit of your job listings to make sure they reinforce your employer brand and values. Think about tone, too. When you’re trying to connect with Gen Z and Millennial audiences, you need to keep in mind how they want to engage with prospective employers.
Having consistent messaging throughout the application process is imperative to driving success. At WayUp, the clients we’ve worked with to create branded content and revise job descriptions see their qualified applicant pool increase by an average of 20%.
Grooming Applicants to Become Hires
Now that you have qualified candidates who’ve submitted their résumés to your job listings, your job is done, right? Not so fast. This is where the rubber meets the road. Candidates now have the opportunity to work with you as they progress forward in the hiring process, putting your company values at center stage.
For example, if two of your values are transparency and clear communication, the perfect way to reinforce that message after an applicant has submitted his or her résumé is to send an e-mail that outlines next steps and sets clear expectations for the rest of the interview process.
Don’t be afraid to coach your candidates. You can send materials about the company, the specific role, interviewing tips, dress code information, and—of course—any projects they must complete throughout the process.
This communication not only reinforces the company values but also gets the candidate excited and keeps him or her engaged. More important, it will influence candidate behavior in the interview process. The right candidates will be receptive and responsive to your guidance throughout the process.
For example, WayUp always recommends sending your early-career candidates a message linking to an article that shows how to ace a phone interview. Rule number one? Always answer the phone by saying “Hello,” followed by your name.
Given the intense competition for quality candidates, it’s more important than ever for companies to remain engaged, consistent, and supportive of their candidates. The most effective way to do that is to have a strong employer brand with meaningful content to support each phase of the hiring process. Remember, the more consistent and educational your employer brand is, the more likely your qualified candidates will turn into hires.
 Melissa Weir is the head of B2B Marketing at WayUp, where she works to drive partnerships with employers to help them reach, recruit, and engage students and recent graduates. She has nearly a decade of experience supporting and leading marketing teams for Intel, Huddle, and The New York Times. |