employer branding 102: social media - the brand multiplier.

Companies across the globe understand that online employer visibility and interaction is critical to draw top talent. Research shows that 49% job seekers worldwide use social media networks – an indispensable tool for recruiters to reach out to the right talent. Further, people wish to work for a company they are aware of, and a brand they can trust.

Learn how you can leverage social media to improve your employer brand.

With readily available and easily accessible information about organisations, industries and competitors, promoting an employer brand online has become vital for companies. Organisations are integrating their employer brand with their social media strategy as job seekers read up on company’s career opportunities, blog posts, and articles, check social media accounts, and view brand videos and workplace photos to get a feel of the culture of an organisation and determine what it's like to work there.

Social big data powers the corporate brand

Social networking sites and advanced web technologies have shifted the power in employer branding away from organisations to people. Social big data is changing the talent acquisition and recruitment process by offering increased visibility into enormous amounts of candidate data and thereby enabling HR to identify and attract both active and passive job seekers.

Companies must identify the relationships that exist between diverse data sets. For instance, the relationship between the time period and the ability to meet sales targets will help organisations determine if sales targets should be changed for people who start working for the company. Then again, advanced data mining techniques enable companies to illustrate the available talent in a particular segment, helping HR tap into the relevant resource pool in a quick and hassle free manner.

Social is the way forward

Social media has facilitated transparency in organisations. Employees are increasingly using social networking to broadcast personal opinions about their organisation. A critical aspect of candidate attraction is to facilitate a positive employer brand experience online.

However, it's not feasible to ensure only positive reviews and opinions from people. The only way to diminish a probable negative impact of social media on an employer brand is to identify the root cause of grievances and resolve them satisfactorily, giving employees less to complain about. Organisations must acknowledge negative opinions in the online world and stay positive by taking appropriate steps to resolve the issues.

Boosting the employer brand through social media

Companies need to realise that employer branding is about the internal organisational culture and this knowledge can help foster positive employee perspectives on social media. Organisations should stop trying to control and limit online conversations and embrace social media as a way to acquire real-time, honest opinions and perceptions about the brand culture and identity. Companies that use social media to build a consistent employer brand will achieve greater success as it can help attract and retain the right talent.

When employees share social content about their employer, they demonstrate their pride in the organisation. Employer branding through digital media is about striking a conversation with the people and the wider market. Encouraging this interaction will reflect the true culture of an organisation.

Reaching the right candidates through social media

Social media goes beyond talent engagement and can serve as an excellent listening tool for the organisation. As technology gains momentum, it is intensely changing the strategic framework of employer branding. To begin with, organisations must define the talent required to make the company a success, and structure the acquisition process appropriately. This includes defining job profiles and choosing the targeted digital platforms.

It's crucial to get the candidate journey correct, and it all commences with the employer brand strategy. Organisations that incorporate the right social strategy will experience a real impact on their brand awareness, reach, quality of hire, and cost per hire. With the availability of diverse digital platforms, organisations must pick the most appropriate platforms to market their brand and reach out to their target audience. It is important to pick a strategy that elevates the strength of the brand. For instance, the brand experience of a young employee will differ from that of a senior managerial executive.

Organisations that wish to appeal to young employees can do so by creating and uploading videos of their innovative work environment on YouTube to engage potential candidates. On the other hand organisations that wish to attract senior managerial job seekers can create blogs that provide insights into their business and key industry trends. Selecting appropriate channels and messaging to suit the target audience is critical. Organisations should categorise their audience and speak to them as groups, offering specific and relevant information. Understanding the nuances of social media is important for elevating the employer brand.