Tips for Building a Strong
Employer Brand and
Attracting Top Talent

Discover effective strategies for building a strong employer brand and attracting top talent. Enhance your values and stand out in the job market.

Build a Strong Employer Brand and Attract Top Talent

If you struggle to find and hire the most suitable job candidates, you’re not alone.

Four out of five employers report difficulty acquiring the talent they need. Why? One reason is the fierce battle for skilled employees in the labor market. According to ZipRecruiter’s 2023 survey, talent competition is among the top three recruitment challenges in 40% of U.S. organizations.

As businesses compete to hire and retain the best, a robust employer brand can help you stand out. It can make talented professionals see your job offer as the most compelling proposition. However, developing a great employer brand can be challenging, especially if you don’t know where to begin.

Learn how to build a strong employer brand that attracts highly skilled candidates.

Understanding Employer Branding

What Is Employer Branding?

Employer branding is your organization’s reputation among current workers. It’s also how you market yourself as an employer to job seekers. Employer branding is a combination of many things, including:

  • Company values
  • Workplace culture
  • Mission statement
  • Vision
  • Anything that differentiates you from other employees

Why It Matters for Attracting Talent

What is the power of employer branding in attracting and retaining top talent?

Job seekers often research a company’s reviews and ratings before applying for a position. Building a strong employer brand that shows your company is a great place to work can attract more applicants.

However, employer branding does more than just appeal to job seekers. It also helps to maintain a good reputation among your workers. For this reason, it can help you improve employee engagement and boost retention through a supportive, healthy work environment.

Strategies for Building a Stronger Employer Brand

Wondering how to develop your employer brand? Here are some of the best ways to achieve that:

Focus on Career Development Opportunities

A lack of professional development opportunities was among the top reasons most people quit their jobs in 2021. This shows that employees and job seekers want career progression.

To meet this expectation, offer professional development paths that enable employees to upskill and climb the career ladder. The result? You reduce employee turnover and can use career growth opportunities as an incentive to attract top talent.

Establish Online Presence

Showcase your company’s culture on social media platforms and your website. Use these channels to tell the world about your values, work environment, and employee experiences. When potential hires research you online, they’ll understand what working for your organization is like.

Encourage a Healthy Work-Life Balance

For 93% of people, balancing personal life and work is just as important as pay in a job. You can help employees achieve work-life balance by:

  • Offering employee benefits that support workers with child and elder care responsibilities
  • Allowing flexible working schedules
  • Providing remote or hybrid work setups in applicable roles
  • Implementing wellness programs like gym memberships and yoga classes to support employee wellbeing

Have an Inclusive Culture

Create a working environment where everyone is welcome and has a fair chance of thriving in their role. With an inclusive culture, each individual feels valued and respected in the workplace, regardless of their differences. A commitment to diversity can be the key to appealing to skilled job seekers and retaining them for many years after hiring.

Listen to Your Employees

You can use internal surveys to get employee feedback and suggestions about the workplace. What benefits do they prefer? Are they having a positive experience working for your company? You also want to ask their thoughts before introducing or amending workplace policies.

When you listen to employees, you give them what they actually need instead of what you think they need. This helps you build a strong employer brand.

Include Rewards Programs in Your Business

Looking to build a strong employer brand? Promoting career development, creating an inclusive structure, and helping employees achieve work-life balance are just some of the things you can do. Perhaps an even more effective employer branding strategy is to reward your employees.

While peer recognition, time off, and gifts are wonderful ways of appreciating dedicated workers, a prepaid Rewards Card from U.S. Bank can be a more powerful recognition gesture. Find out how using our Rewards Card fosters employee loyalty and reduces turnover.