February 20th, 2018
Every year, employer branding is changing due to a mix of technology and growing expectations of talents.
The newest report from Hipo.ro reveals that the hiring volume will increase in upcoming years, as 76% of companies declared that their needs for recruitment are constantly rising. We are now experiencing a candidate driven market. That means you no longer pick talent, talent picks you. The future of an effective strategy lies in approaching your candidates, the way you are attracting your customers.
How will it affect the future of the recruitment process? Check out the most important trends that will alter the employer branding line of business in 2018, according to our experts.
1. Talent Attraction & Employer Branding as a main topic in the Board Rooms
There’s been a lot of talk about HR being a strategic partner in business development. In 2018 we have an ongoing talent shortage across the country endangering the execution of business strategies, settling for good this argument. In some sectors, it is easier to attract clients than it is to recruit the teams delivering the products/services. The companies which will master the art of talent attraction and retention in the shortest of time will gain an important competitive advantage. A strong employer brand is a keystone to this process. As innovation and technology impacts the entire economy, time to market becomes crucial. Some companies will be able to attract the right talent in time to adjust, while the rest will risk losing their competitive edge.
2. Adjusting the recruitment process to the mobile revolution
The trend of using mobile devices to research employers and apply for jobs is growing. In 2017, over 65% of the career related traffic was coming from mobile devices only. Keeping pace with this smartphone revolution will be an important challenge for employer branding efforts in the upcoming year. Statistics show that 89% of job seekers think mobile devices play a critical role in the job hunting process. In a recent research we analyzed major IT&C employers and found out that 40% of them don’t have a mobile friendly career website. That means, many organizations lack important adjustments and keep missing out on candidates. So, better make sure:
- The content and formatting of your job postings are mobile friendly;
- Your career website is optimized for mobile devices;
- Your application forms are fully compatible with smartphones;
- The application process is streamlined for a friendly candidate journey – one click application is ideal;
3. Authenticity and Personalization with the help of your current employees
In the digital age, it can be difficult to stand out from the crowd. Most companies have the same look and feel when it comes to the recruitment process. What might set you apart from competition are your current employees. They can become the secret weapon in your employer branding strategy, as they can share their employee experience and humanize your company. Listen to what they have to say about your organization, by putting together focus groups, surveys, interviews and learn what they value about your company. You can even go further and turn them into brand ambassadors by empowering them to tell their stories. Personalization is crucial in building a modern candidate journey. You can engage them with tailored programs built around the employee experience, like the one from Nokia, or catch their attention with video testimonials like Endava
The latest Most Desired Employers Survey reveals that candidates’ most trustworthy sources are the direct interactions and informal discussions with your employees. So, speaking of upcoming trends, we shouldn’t forget the referral programs at your company, which are known to be the top source of quality hires. Now you can even choose to automate this process, which take us to next trend of 2018.
4. Technology will change the way we do employer branding
Big data and automation drive effectiveness and speed up the communication flow , becoming a necessity in every recruitment process.
Adopting software that uses Artificial Intelligence technology will speed up the workflow by targeting, selecting and evaluating candidates. It will help you with getting to know your target audience and keep them engaged through a customized candidate journey.
We can expect, that in upcoming years VR and AI will continue to alter the way employer brands are communicated. Companies will start to take the candidate experience to the next level, just like British Army did. They used VR in their recruitment campaign to present the roadshow to their candidates. In the end, they received 66% more recruitment applications than usual.
5. Content marketing that creates a community around your company
Creating appealing and engaging content is not an easy task, but it’s essential for your employer brand. Once you hit that sweet spot between what your audience expects and what the company represents – you are all set to go! Remember, content marketing is much more than social media, it can take the form of an eBook, video, e-learning platform or even a live event. One rule – the more your target audience can learn from it, the better it gets. Instead of selling the job, try to invest in building relationships first. It takes time and effort, but it pays off in engagement, trust and a strong sense of community around your employer brand. Let the magic happen and you will start to receive applications not only from active candidates, but also from passive talents who simply feel empowered by your organization. A recent project we developed together with DB Global Technology is a good example of empowering a community: IT Community Relocation Guide
6. Omni-channels – integrating the candidate experience
Omni-channel campaigns are key to employer branding success as candidates engage with companies in a variety of ways – including events, websites, career pages, job portals, social media not to mention the whole recruitment process. The challenge for you is to create a synergy between these tools and make the candidate the center of the experience. When your employer brand is consistent across multiple channels, you eliminate candidate confusion—moving candidates more swiftly down the talent pipeline.
Events can be a great way to engage your audience and if you combine them with instant follow-up (through e-mail, SMS, or other digital channels) the results will become far better.
An employer branding strategy that levels up to 2018’s methods should provide a seamless and effective candidate journey.
On a market where companies need to fight for talent, candidate experience is important like never before.
Now everything is about people and for people. So, in 2018 you need to take your talent for a technologically optimized journey, be consistent and engaging in a personal way. This is the recipe for not falling behind in the upcoming year, in an increasingly competitive landscape.
