We’re in the most challenging recruiting environment I’ve ever seen. In what’s being called the Great Resignation, 33 million people voluntarily left their jobs last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s 1/5 of the total US workforce! There are few companies that aren’t being impacted by this turnover.
The situation is critical for tech companies, which are finding it increasingly difficult to fill open positions in a highly competitive recruiting environment.
We’re hearing from more clients than ever before who are trying to recruit great people and looking for a way to stand out. In fact, more of our conversations right now are about building a strong brand for recruiting than about building a brand to support business development.
If you’re in that situation too, you’ll want to get to work on your own employer brand. Here are the components of building that brand – the five stories prospective employees are looking to hear.
#1 You’ll find an exciting growth opportunity here
A rapidly growing business is a dynamic and exciting place to work. Employees work on interesting projects, have greater opportunities for promotion, and can look forward to possible participation in an exit.
The first part of the company story reflects the mission of your business – what you do, whom you serve, what your innovation is, what kind of results you deliver.
The second part shares the traction you have achieved – growth to date, milestones achieved, investors, respected clients, user volume.
This story is critical – and it should be the foundation of your LinkedIn presence. This is also the story prospects, partners, investors, and the media want to hear.
For employees, make sure the vision is clear. They have the opportunity to take an exciting journey with a mission-driven business. They will be challenged, work with the latest technology, add useful skills, make powerful connections, and gain accomplishments that enhance their resume and open doors for the future.
#2 You can see our company culture in everything we do
You have built your culture intentionally; designed to attract and support the type of high-caliber employees you want.
Make that culture visible. Show prospective employees what it is like to work for your business.
When you showcase your culture, you attract the type of people who want to work in that environment. And – even more importantly – you allow people who are not a fit to go away without wasting your time.
#3 You’ll work with a leadership team that has demonstrated vision and credibility
The CEO sets the tone for the entire company. Let people see who you are as a leader – be transparent about your management philosophy, how you think, what matters to you.
If you are scaling hiring in sales, the leadership brand of your Chief Revenue Officer or VP of Sales matters, too. If you are hiring engineers, consider the brand of your Chief Technology Officer or the leaders of the tech team.
Just like with your culture, an authentic leadership brand serves you. It attracts the people who want to work for someone like you – and are therefore more likely to stick around – and it helps you avoid spending time on people who want something different.
#4 You will be safe and valued here
The benefits of having a diverse team are well understood and appreciated, and attracting diverse candidates is high on the priority list of most employers.
To attract top candidates, you need to show that you believe in diversity, have a diverse team or are working to improve diversity, and have programs in place to ensure equity and inclusion.
#5 You can join our efforts to have a positive impact in the world
More than ever before, people want to work for a business that takes a stand on social issues. You’re never going to be aligned with everyone on everything, but you should have at least one cause that matters to you as a company. That story should be easy to find.
How to tell these stories?
You can tell these stories in many ways on LinkedIn. On your profile:
- Your header graphic can have a photo of your team.
- Your About section can include your founding story, your traction, and your culture. You can also talk about diversity here. One client was able to significantly improve the diversity of his team simply by stating that he believed in supporting women in STEM.
- Your Featured section can include a video where employees talk about what they like about working for your company. It can highlight awards you have won as a Best Place to Work, a podcast where you talk about your culture, or photos from a company volunteer activity.
You can also tell stories in the way you engage with people:
- Like and comment on posts made by your team.
- Welcome new employees, compliment those who win promotions or awards, perhaps give kudos for a job well done.
- Make a point of sharing posts that are aligned with your leadership philosophy, perhaps talking about work-life balance or Stoicism – whatever is authentic for you.
- Follow diverse thought leaders and like or comment on their posts.
When you are strategic about building a strong employer brand, you allow people to educate themselves about you and your business before they apply for a job or interview. The people who are a good fit will get excited about the opportunity. When you talk to them, you’ll spend less time selling them and more time engaged in a rich conversation about the job.
To make sure you are covering all your bases, get our new LinkedIn Employer Brand Checklist, and get started optimizing your LinkedIn presence for recruiting.
Need help getting started?
At ProResource, we work with executives who want to use social media to make faster progress on their goals. We would love to build a strong employer brand for you. Let’s talk about what you want to accomplish and see how we can help.