Recruitment: Stand Out By Your Employer Brand

More specifically, the employer brand is the image that a company projects naturally or through their actions to raise their profile.

A carefully crafted employer brand can go a long way toward lowering a company’s turnover rate.

Did Somebody Say “Employer Brand”?

Google is renowned for how it cares for its employees, from ultra-modern workspaces and all-you-can-eat snacks to activities of all kinds. The result is that it enjoys an exceptional employer brand—anyone would love to work there.

It’s easy to think that a company needs significant financial resources in order to have a good employer brand. But nothing could be further from the truth.

In my hometown, there’s a business that has no trouble recruiting new employees. The owners are known for how well they treat their employees, especially students.

They are flexible and understanding, and value the education of their employees, granting them all the leave they require for their academic success. They also offer good schedules and even encourage their employees to do personal work when there are no customers on the floor. Plus, their salary is above minimum wage.

It’s no wonder young people in the city know where to turn as soon when they need a job. The result? The company has a very low turnover rate and is never short of workers.

They have no need to invest huge sums to attract employees.

How to Improve Your Employer Brand

Put Your Corporate Culture on Display

Your employer brand is shaped by your corporate culture, which is reflected in the values, beliefs and attitudes shared by your organization.

A good corporate culture will make your employees happier and even turn them into your best ambassadors. They will speak about your organization in glowing terms and are sure to make your recruitment much easier.

At Agendrix, word of mouth was a key factor in the hiring of several employees.

The job market is so competitive—especially in the development world—that some of our employees would probably never have seen our job postings if it wasn’t for someone close to them.

Our most recent recruit applied for a job because a former coworker (now employed by Agendrix) told him about the opening. He didn’t know Agendrix, but our corporate culture piqued his curiosity and he decided to take a chance.

Never underestimate the power of word of mouth.

Employee recruitment and retention is certainly more difficult in some industries than in others. There’s no denying it.

This is why many companies have decided to invest in their corporate culture. And with great success. For example, Benny&Co received 13,000 resumés in one year after investing in their employer brand. Among other things, they set up a scholarship program to attract students.

Offer Flexibility

The labour market has changed considerably in recent years. Beyond a basic job to pay the bills, people are looking for a pleasant work environment where they don’t feel bogged down by complicated processes.

Gone is the time when it was a miracle just to be able to make an appointment during work hours. People want to feel that they have the freedom to make choices and that their employers trust them.

If you don’t offer your employees flexibility, they will find it somewhere else.

For example, at Agendrix, employees really have control over their schedules.

A worker can take time off, regardless of the reason, when we judge that it doesn’t interfere with the normal activities of our department.

We’ve even renamed our sick leave “wellness leave”!

This way they no longer have to take these days only in case of a cold or stomach flu, for example. They can decide to use one of their days to take care of their child, move, or even extend a long weekend.

No one should have to provide a doctor’s note to justify a brief absence from work.

It is also possible to offer more flexibility to your employees even if your employee schedule is hard to manage. For example, allow your employee to exchange shifts and change their availability as often as necessary.

Improve Your Employees’ Working Conditions

Many employers believe that the main criterion for choosing a job is the salary. As a result, some small businesses feel that they are unable to compete and attract good candidates. What if I told you they’re wrong?

The truth is that employees are primarily looking for good working conditions. Many workers are even willing to accept a lower salary for better conditions, such as flexible hours, an understanding employer, extra weeks of leave, paid team activities, etc.

Since the summer of 2020, Agendrix has implemented a summer schedule. This is the real McCoy—not a condensed schedule, but a lighter one. Employees have 5 additional days off during the summer, to be used however they like.

Why do we offer this perk? We know that having well-rested employees ultimately leads to greater performance. And who wouldn’t like to have more summer holidays?

Be Creative

It is possible to offer accommodating schedules in any workplace. Take advantage of the summer to give your students more hours while your full-time employees recharge their batteries, for example.

If you offer a stimulating work environment, people will naturally want to work for you. We all spend so much time at work that it’s normal to look for a positive experience.

💡 Offer working conditions that you would have liked to have yourself.

Focus on Fun

Making more room for fun in your workplace leads to happier, more closely knit, and more relaxed employees. While team activities may not have as direct an impact as an advertising investment, they do pay dividends.

Team-building activities really do work—it isn’t just a myth!

A company alone is not much without employees who dedicate themselves to it day in, day out. This is why it is essential to invest in their enjoyment (or at least their well-being) at work.

At Agendrix, when choosing our team activities, we try to ask ourselves: What experiences would our employees like to have, but that they wouldn’t necessarily engage in on their own? Among other things, we have offered our employees an indoor surfing activity and a flyboarding experience.

In a nutshell

Here are our best tips for building a strong employer brand:

• Define your values and mission;
• Identify your targeted audience according to your labour needs (young students, skilled workers, young professionals, etc.);
• Be authentic—you don’t have to look young and hip if it isn’t “you”;
• Give your employees flexibility;
• Invest in working conditions; and

Make sure you’re offering an enjoyable work environment.