The road to an attractive employer brand

A thorough start-up

To start with, you need to ask yourself the most basic question - where are you today and where do you want to be? Depending on what your challenges are today - for example, difficulty in recruiting the right staff, difficulty in retaining certain types of staff or just a difficulty in reaching out - the answers will be different. At the start, you need an overall objective for the work and a definition of the type of employer you want to be. Later in the process, you can set more specific, measurable goals.

During the start-up, you also need to define your target groups, what your competence needs look like at present and in the long term, and make an inventory of what material is available today, such as employee surveys, exit interviews, strategies and business plans.

Analyze the current situation

To get a clear picture of what needs to be done to get you where you want to go, you need a picture of the current situation from both an internal and an external perspective.

Internally, you need to know how the workplace actually looks and works. This means letting challenges and problems come to the surface. Ask your employees questions. Adapt the data collection and scope according to what you need to find out that you don't already know (what you can't find out from the surveys already done). Also make sure to adapt the method to your conditions so that your organization can cope with the task. Collect data using, for example, surveys, focus groups, interviews and workshops.

Externally , you need to find out how the brand is perceived in general, how your competitors attract employees and what potential employees think of you. You can do the latter by interviewing potential employees, such as students, and using external surveys. You should also take a snapshot of the industry and the labor market in general so that you know which market you are in and what it looks like.

Collected data should then be analyzed. How can your internal and external image be defined? How are you perceived as an employer? What are your conditions and challenges? What foundations can you build an EVP on? You need to find the common denominators between how the company wants to profile itself, what existing employees value and what potential employees want. Take into account competitors and other external factors.

Formulate the EVP

It is a good idea to assume that the entire company should have an EVP as its core and that it applies to everyone - local and competence-specific variations may then occur. There is no golden ratio for an EVP, but it should serve as a basis for clarifying what the company stands for and offers as an employer.

An EVP can be expressed as a set of promises and statements. They can be about career development, personal development, conditions, benefits and the overall contribution of the company. An EVP should contain both soft and hard values. Remember not to be too vague in how you express yourself - it is important that you are able to concretize your promises and offers.

Finding the right concept

Based on the EVP and company goals, you need to develop an overall communication concept for your employer branding. The concept should work both internally and externally. It is about developing a supporting story about you as an employer and an expression that is in line with your organization's tonality and visual identity.

Activate from the inside out

Start by setting an activation strategy. It should include, for example, needs and challenges, objectives, target groups, priorities, channels and how you will manage the follow-up.

Focus on the internal before going external. If no major internal efforts are required - other than communication - you can work in parallel on the internal and the external. However, if you see a need to change certain processes internally, it is good if that work is started before you start communicating externally.

Internally, you obviously need to build on the insights you have gained during the process. Maybe you need to review your onboarding or develop or emphasize clearer career paths? No matter what your needs are, the internal efforts are the ones that will give you the most - starting from within builds a true and credible employer brand that both existing and potential employees appreciate.

- Culture and pride building actions

- Film initiatives highlighting employees

- Internal meetings, formal and informal

- Reviewing how your internal communication works

- Developing onboarding

- Make career paths clear and visible

- Ensure skills development for critical roles or areas

- Develop and promote the internal career site

- Produce guides for managers and for recruitment

Externally , it's about letting the EVP shine through in all existing communication and reaching the right audience at the right time. With tailored, brand-building campaigns, you can reach your target audience through the right channel. Think about the arenas in which you will be visible. Your external career site also needs to fully reflect your EVP.

Get in touch to discuss how you can take your employer brand to the next level.

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