Why your employer brand is important in the battle for talent

Employees have become consumers. Workers know that the power is in their hands. They are placing much higher expectations and scrutiny on companies – not just in terms of salaries but also how they treat their employees. 

77% of employers globally have reported difficulties in filling roles, the highest level in 17 years. As a result, skilled workers are in high demand, particularly in key sectors like health, professional services, and hospitality.

The way companies handle redundancies, the career coaching and skills training opportunities they offer, all contribute to their ‘employer brand’. Now, thanks to social media and websites that gather unvarnished feedback from employees, this is something prospective joiners are increasingly aware of.

So how can companies stand out from the crowd?

The battle for talent

In the past, an employee might have started at a company and expected to stay there for 20 years. Those days are long gone.

The younger generation of workers is looking at where they ultimately want to end up in their careers, and how many companies or roles they need to pass through to get there. They’re asking not just what they can do for the company, but what the company can do for them.

According to a recent LHH survey, 60% of Millennials and 58% of Gen Z believe they have more power and options to choose where to work, knowing that companies are struggling to retain and find talent.

In this environment, companies’ employer brands are more important than ever. You might be able to offer competitive wages but establishing yourself as a compassionate employer with a focus on your staff’s career development is a lot harder to do. Prospective employees, particularly younger talent, will hold you accountable for it.

And, with so much information available online, they have plenty of opportunity to do so.

It could mean reading through social media posts from former employees, reviews on sites like Glassdoor, or even media coverage of high-profile company redundancies.

When candidates check these sources, they might find high or low star ratings, glowing endorsements, or hair-raising complaints. The support you provide for your employees might just make the difference.

Handling layoffs the compassionate way

Prospective employees will judge companies not based on their words, but on their actions. Establishing empathetic outplacement services for laid-off employees is just the sort of practical step companies can take.

From an employee’s perspective, an outplacement service shows compassion from an employer during an unsettling time. Then it’s up to us as service providers to help employees evaluate their aspirations, realise their talent, and take their next steps forward.

We can help them find roles they never knew existed, seize new opportunities more aligned with their individual passions and discover hidden talents. Our coaches and branding team can provide all types of training courses along with CV support. And, if they want to try something more entrepreneurial, we can support them with that too.

Senior leaders can access our Executive C-suite Career Service ICEO for 1-to-1 career advice tailored to their specific needs. This might even be a “portfolio” career where they take on a combination of options as their next best opportunity.

Providing career transition support is the right thing to do and employees who’ve been laid off recognise that. 70% say their LHH experience positively impacted their employer perception, with many of them going on to become positive ambassadors for their previous employers.

But this will only happen if employees engage with the programme in the first place.

If an employer truly wants to build a positive brand, it’s in their interest to make sure as many people engage in the outplacement programme and take advantage of separation benefits as much as possible. The faster the transitioning employee can look forward and into a better career space, the better the outcome on the previous employer’s brand.

And with senior leaders, providing tailor-made support as they move on with their careers or into retirement is vital to help avoid major headaches for the perception of your business.

Look in before you look out

Your employer brand isn’t just important to candidates looking in but also employees who might be looking out at greener pastures. And, with half of HR directors reporting that their recruitment processes are unfit for purpose, retaining talented colleagues is a top priority.

Our research shows that 66% of employees say that they are not satisfied with career prospects at their company. Career management and coaching are great ways to keep your employees feeling engaged and supported in their roles.

By offering the right career development resources – such as coaching, mentoring, and training – over the long term, colleagues can upskill and stay employable for their entire working lives. Not only does this increase job satisfaction, but it also provides your company with a highly skilled workforce, ready to adapt to the evolving demands of your industry.

What if an employee’s role is no longer required? Well, they might be a perfect fit somewhere else in the company. It makes more sense to invest the time working out where else they can fit in the business rather than releasing them.

This involves sitting down with employees to find out their aspirations, identify their transferable skills and any positions available internally that might work well for them. Maybe there is an opportunity to upskill or reskill that talent for the future?

As an external party, providers like LHH can help with this process. We’re uniquely well-placed to offer impartial advice to both employees and the HR team in charge of their redeployment.

First and foremost, that means fewer employees getting laid off. But it can also save companies significant costs. It allows them to avoid an expensive, time-consuming hiring process and make the most of the talent already at their disposal. In the current climate, this is more valuable than ever.

Today’s candidates have high expectations of companies. They’re looking beyond the positive buzz of a job posting and judging employers by their actions. As a result, companies must think more creatively about how to improve their employer brands.

Career transition and mobility services send a clear, authentic message to employees past, present and future: we look after our people, our most important asset.