Employer Branding
At a time when competition for the best talent is becoming increasingly intense, strategically thought-out and vibrant employer branding makes all the difference. It is an investment in the future that ensures the long-term success of the company and sustainably strengthens the brand as an employer.
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. It’s 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 all directly related here. As a brand consultancy and B2B agency, we see these three aspects interacting.
Employer branding is closely linked to corporate strategy and brand positioning.
What is employer branding?
It 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 and contribute 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, a 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 here 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 commitment and enthusiasm have an external impact and positively influence the perception of the B2B company as an employer. Internal communication measures and employee engagement programs promote this important role. What can this look like? The company introduces an internal employee brand ambassador program where engaged 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.
Target group specific communication
In order to address talents and professionals at all international locations in the best possible way, target group-specific communication is crucial. Different professionals in different countries and from different cultures have different needs and expectations. An individually 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 actions and events. For us as a B2B branding agency with a strong team 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 digitization 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 to ensure that the B2B company is perceived as an attractive employer by highly qualified talents and attracts the best minds.
EMPLOYER BRANDING AS A PROCESS
The task of the employer brand is to interpret the corporate brand for the labor markets and to communicate the brand positioning accordingly both internally and externally.
Three phases characterize the development of the employer brand in the 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 the brand positioning for the employer brand are derived from this. The employer value proposition is formulated and possibly varied for different business units, different 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 is also essential here in terms of holistic brand management.
Strengthening corporate success and employer brand with employer branding
When, as in B2B and industrial communications, the focus is on technical products and services, employer branding becomes a key differentiator in the battle for good talent.
differentiating factor. Employer branding gives companies a human identity. This enables them to address skilled workers in a more targeted and emotional way. This 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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