For many organizations, attracting top talent goes beyond what HR departments and hiring managers can do on their own. While hiring practices are important, developing an integrated marketing, branding and employee benefits strategy that is adopted by a business throughout departments is essential to hiring the right people. This strategy goes beyond the standard “Now Hiring” messaging and goes beyond basic compensation. While many of us have heard firsthand or via media outlets the employee benefits that come with a job at Netflix, Meta or Google, grandiose perks are not the only way in which to attract, cultivate and retain top talent.

In today’s world and job market, the majority of employees want to work for a company that values more than just their work and the service they provide to an organization. When employers provide their employees with great job benefits, it increases employee dedication and loyalty, and reduces employee turnover and churn. By definition, employee benefits are indirect, non-cash, or cash compensation paid to employees by their employer in addition to their annual salary or wages. For example, companies that offer work-life balance programs for their employees have reported an 85% increase in productivity.

Organizations that offer great employee benefits, or organizations that have an impressive record of employee retention and loyalty should be using such details to their advantage. While neatly packaged posts and content created by marketing professionals sheds some light on what life is like at a company, allowing for authentic storytelling is invaluable.

Employer branding allows for those outside of your organization’s walls to catch a glimpse into the driving forces of your business and to see first-hand the values and the culture your company possesses. Companies who offer non-financial incentives should emphasize career advancement opportunities, work/life balance, and any other perks they are able to include.

Once hires are made, company leadership should work to keep employees satisfied by publicly recognizing exceptional performance, offering extra days off, or providing flexible work from home days when possible. Doing so can incite interest from top-tier candidates when there’s fierce competition among industry leaders.

Highlighting Workplace Culture in Branding Campaigns

Investing in programs that offer brand recognition and also programs that offer employee recognition is crucial for organizations to demonstrate their value and legitimacy. According to Energage, workplace culture awards are not only something to celebrate internally, but offer additional benefits such as credibility, media exposure, improved employee recruitment and better employee engagement and performance.

The Times Union works to not only help our clients with recruitment marketing efforts, we also strive to be a partner in employee branding. One way in which we work to do so is through our Top Workplaces awards program. In its 11th year, the Times Union Top Workplaces is more than just an awards program. It aims to provide helpful feedback to employers, no matter where they rank. The winners will be announced in a special report to be published in April 2022 and during a special awards program to be held next week.

For area organizations looking to glean information from their employees about company culture and more, Top Workplaces is a great opportunity to do just that. Employee engagement surveys allow internal teams to make better informed decisions to improve an organization for both the short and long term.

For the organizations that win a Top Workplaces award, the recognition helps companies appeal to top talent, differentiate themselves in a very competitive hiring market and boost current employee morale. Research shows companies that earn recognition as an organization of choice attract better job candidates, find the right talent for their organization, and have lower turnover. Top Workplaces is an opportunity to highlight your people-centered culture and a chance to celebrate the good — and that’s more important than ever.

In addition, we would be remiss not to note that in addition to branding campaigns or participation in awards programs, getting out into the community to interact first-hand with potential candidates is another fantastic option to promote your brand. Meeting job seekers in person and discussing what makes your organization unique and highlighting company values can leave a lasting impression. The Times Union has recognized this benefit for some time. We have hosted the Capital Region’s longest running job fair to connect local businesses with job seekers.

We are once again hosting a Spring Job Fair on Monday, April 25 from 10AM-4PM at the Albany Marriott on Wolf Road. For interested exhibitors and those searching for their next opportunity, we encourage you to visit our Job Fair page today and connect with us in a few short weeks.

In Conclusion

Through a multi-channel marketing and branding approach, organizations will not only attract quality candidates, but also create a company culture that aligns with overarching business goals.

We encourage you to begin by defining your employer brand. How is your workplace perceived internally and how do those outside of your organization perceive you? If the two answers aren’t perfectly aligned, determine where there is a disconnect and work to ensure that a bridge is built between the two. This may mean that you must place renewed effort into defining your brand and telling your company’s story in an authentic way. The quality of your storytelling also plays a role. Be mindful that the story you are telling is on-brand and captures the essence of your organization in a succinct, congruent manner.

In need of some help? Get in touch with us today to learn more about how our content marketing and special events team can assist your organization earn and retain top talent.

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