In today’s competitive job market, having a strong employer brand is just as important as a strong product brand. But what is an employer brand? And how can your company create one that attracts, engages, and retains great employees? At audacia, we believe that a strong employer brand is more than just a catchy slogan or a set of branded materials. It’s about building trust, showing value, and creating a culture that people want to be part of.
In this post, we’ll explore what it takes to build a successful employer brand, using key concepts from the commercial branding world. By understanding these stages and seeing how a company like Weetabix made it work, you’ll find practical steps for shaping a brand that makes people excited to work for your company.
What is an Employer Brand?
Simply put, an employer brand is the reputation and image your company has as a place to work. It’s the impression people get about what it’s like to be part of your organization. Think of it as the answer to questions like, “Why should someone join, stay, and deliver their best work here?”
Your employer brand is what will help you stand out to job candidates, especially when there are other companies competing for the same talent. But it’s more than just fancy marketing. It’s about showing that you value your people and offering them a reason to be part of your company’s journey.
The Challenge: Most Brands Aren’t Memorable
One of the biggest challenges for companies is creating a brand that sticks with people. Often, people don’t feel a strong connection to brands. In fact, most people don’t feel loyal to any one brand at all. In the context of recruitment, this means that most job seekers won’t immediately feel connected to your company just because they see a branded video or read a success story.
So how can your brand actually capture attention and create lasting interest? It’s about more than showing polished stories or promotional materials. You need to build trust and provide real value. Before candidates can become fully interested in your brand, they need to feel that your company genuinely cares about their growth and well-being.
Breaking Down Employer Branding: Lessons from the Supermarket
At audacia, we like to think about employer branding in stages, much like the journey a consumer goes through before making a purchase. The process of building an employer brand can be compared to stages in a supermarket brand’s life cycle, and each stage serves a unique purpose in building relationships with potential candidates.
Let’s break these down:
1. Category Management: Building Trust Early
Think of “Category Management” as the stage where you provide value without expecting anything in return. In a commercial sense, this is the stage where companies share valuable, unbiased information that isn’t purely focused on selling a product. This creates trust and builds authority with potential customers.
In employer branding, this means providing resources and insights that potential candidates will find useful, even if they’re not actively looking for a job yet. Maybe it’s an article on industry trends or a webinar on professional development. At this stage, candidates aren’t ready to consider applying; they’re just looking to learn and grow. By being a helpful resource, your company becomes a trusted voice in their minds.
2. Shopper Marketing: Standing Out
Once you’ve built some trust, you move into what’s known as the “Shopper Marketing” phase. In the consumer world, this is the flashy, high-impact advertising that convinces someone to buy. For employer branding, this is where you start to present branded content that shows who you are as a company and why candidates should take a closer look at you.
At this stage, candidates know your company name, and now you want to capture their attention. Share success stories from your current employees, highlight your company’s mission, and showcase unique aspects of your work culture. This is the time to say, “Here’s why we’re different,” and make people want to engage further.
3. National Accounts: Introducing Your Brand Values
Once trust has been built and initial interest gained, it’s time to deepen the relationship. In commercial branding, this is where companies form long-term connections with their key customers. In the context of recruitment, this is when you begin to introduce stories about the day-to-day life of your company and your core values.
At this point, candidates are starting to see themselves as potential future employees. They’re more open to hearing about what it’s like to work at your company. Showcase your company culture, emphasize growth opportunities, and share your commitment to supporting employees. This stage is about showing candidates that your brand values align with their personal values.
4. The Retailer: Making the Final Choice
In this final stage, think of your potential candidate as a “shopper” making their final decision. In commercial branding, this is the point where a retailer convinces someone to buy. For employer branding, this is when your company’s messaging and reputation need to be strong enough to motivate the candidate to apply.
Here, the relationship built in earlier stages should come full circle. By now, candidates should feel that they know your company and what it stands for. They should be excited to be part of your team. Make the application process simple, clear, and as inviting as possible. Every element should make them feel welcome and appreciated, reinforcing all the reasons they want to “buy” into your company as their next employer.
Why Employee-Generated Content is Key
One thing that makes employer branding unique is the power of authentic, employee-driven content. Instead of highly-produced videos or articles written by PR teams, employee-generated content feels real and trustworthy.
Encourage employees to share their stories. These can be quick videos about a “day in the life,” photos from team-building events, or blog posts where they talk about their own growth within the company. This organic content, created by real employees, provides an unfiltered look at your company culture, which is something job seekers value deeply. It’s relatable and allows potential candidates to see the company through the eyes of people who work there.
Proactive Branding: Weetabix’s Success Story
A great example of proactive employer branding is Weetabix, the UK-based breakfast brand. When we started building their employer brand, Weetabix was struggling to connect with candidates. The company was reactive, only reaching out when they had a position to fill. This lack of consistency hurt their brand visibility.
They shifted to a proactive approach, building a clear employer brand that focused on telling real employee stories and highlighting the growth opportunities at Weetabix. This change led to a major improvement: a 60% shift toward direct applications and reduced reliance on expensive recruiting agencies. Weetabix found that when candidates saw the genuine experiences of current employees, they were more likely to apply.
Key Takeaways
- Build Trust First – Before jumping into recruitment messaging, establish yourself as a valuable resource in your industry. Offer educational content or industry insights without expecting anything in return.
- Create Eye-Catching Content – Once you have their attention, share the stories that make your company unique. Show your work culture, growth opportunities, and values.
- Emphasize Authenticity – Encourage employees to share their personal experiences. Authentic, employee-generated content can make a stronger impact than polished marketing materials.
- Think Proactively – Like we did at Weetabix, build a proactive branding strategy that reaches candidates before you need to fill a position. This keeps a steady pipeline of interested, engaged candidates who already know your brand values.
A strong employer brand isn’t built overnight. It’s a journey that starts with trust, grows with consistent communication, and ends with a clear, authentic call to action. Creating a strong employer brand takes time, but by focusing on authenticity and value, you can build a brand that resonates with the people you want to attract. Let’s give potential employees a reason to join you, grow with you, and stay with you for the long term.
audacia 