A Great Place to Work: Strategic Employer Branding

Everyone wants to be associated with a company that has a great reputation. According to Glassdoor, the vast majority, 84%, of job seekers report that a company’s reputation is important in applying for a job. It’s no wonder that companies with positive employer brands enjoy twice as many applicants as those with negative brands. In the current competitive market where companies are vying for top talent, it makes good business sense for companies to be as attractive as possible.

Since employer branding plays such a large part in the recruiting process, organizations need to create a compelling employer value proposition (EVP) to present to prospects. Start by defining the EVP for your organization. What are the unique benefits that employees receive in return for the skills and experience they bring to your company? The EVP reflects the company’s culture, mission and vision while addressing what motivates employees to work there.

Looking inward

Socially conscious employees tend to be very discerning about the organizations they want to be a part of. They want to work for companies with shared values. To attract this group, organizations will need to demonstrate that they are making a positive contribution to the world in some capacity. Companies need to provide meaningful volunteering initiatives for employees.

Career-minded professionals want to work with managers who are supportive and willing to help promote them. When taking an entry level position, employees want to see the next step up the career ladder and have a clear idea of how to get there.

Coming to work every day should be a positive experience for your employees. A positive corporate culture is at the heart of the employer brand. Employees who enjoy working for your firm are more than happy to tell others about their experience. Word-of-mouth endorsements by satisfied employees are worth their weight in gold. Those who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to stay.

Where to start

An internal investigation of current employee attitudes is a good place to learn about how your company is perceived. Start with employee surveys, interviews and feedback sessions to get a handle on how your employees view your brand. You want to make sure the internal culture is in step with the external brand the company wants to project to the world. A recent Gallup poll showed that highly engaged teams were some 21% more profitable. Your employees want to feel proud of the company they work for. They are part of the brand’s image.

Companies need to consider their customers as potential ambassadors for spreading the good word about them as well. Customers want to be treated well by the company before they part with their hard-earned money to make a purchase. Again, customer satisfaction is key to projecting a great corporate image.

A well-planned and executed employer brand strategy is an all-important ingredient in attracting the best and the brightest to your organization. By positioning your organization as one that offers the right corporate culture in addition to the right benefits, you will attract the right people.

© YC Partners 2025