Four strategies to build your employer brand

Last updated: November 30, 2018

Four strategies to build your employer brand

A study by Glassdoor.com showed that 69% of candidates are more likely to apply for a job if the employer is actively managing its employer brand. It’s an important reminder that there’s considerable value in doing what you can to make sure your district stands out.

The following four strategies can help you build a strong employer brand that will make your district attractive to job seekers:

1. Build your employer brand online by implementing a content strategy.

Imagine your ideal candidate for a position in terms of their education and professional background, experience, skills and competencies, and lifestyle preferences.

Next, create online content that speaks to the motivations, interests and goals of your ideal candidate. This could include employee testimonials, blog posts or videos that give prospective employees a more personal view of what it’s like to work in your district.

For example, if your ideal candidate is a newly minted educator living in a rural community in Brandon, Manitoba, who is seeking a full-time job in a smaller community with warmer weather, you could write a blog about a similar lifestyle that can be experienced in your community.

Finally, distribute that content online – on your district and school websites, Facebook pages and Twitter pages.

For more ideas on how to implement a content strategy, read Social Talent’s “5 ways content marketing can dramatically boost your employment brand.”

2. Differentiate your brand by doing something different and outside of the box.

You know your district is unique. Why not celebrate that by doing something out of the ordinary as part of your recruitment strategy? Here are some ideas to get you started:

Respond to candidates with a personalized note. You could do this after an initial meeting at a career fair, after an interview or after they’ve accepted the job. It doesn’t take long and it can make a big difference in how you are perceived as an employer.
Create an employee referral system. For example, let current employees know that you’re looking to hire and offer a small incentive for each referral that turns into a job offer.
Take the blah and blandness out of the career opportunities page on your website. Instead of using this page to simply direct prospects to the Make a Future website and the job postings in your district, why not use this valuable online real estate to share what makes your district a unique and welcoming place to work?

3. Make a senior person in your district the brand ambassador.

Who in your district embodies your brand? It could be a communications professional or a senior leader – someone who is excited to let others know what makes your district unique. Make them the voice of your organization and make sure they have the resources and time to sell the virtues of working in your district.

4. Use data to fine-tune your strategy and identify what’s working and what’s not.

Employee satisfaction surveys are a good place to start collecting data about your employer brand, and survey results can help you identify areas where you can strengthen your workplace culture.

There are other types of data you might want to analyze as well, including the number of applications per job posting, the likelihood that someone offered a position accepts the position, retention rates for new employees, or even the number of views and shares your blog posts receives on Facebook. If you already track this data, you’ll have benchmarks in place to celebrate progress and identify areas for improvement. Read more about using metrics to keep your recruitment plan on track for ideas.

Employer branding resources

Want to learn more about employer branding? Try these online resources: