Employer’s reputation matters to brand-driven candidates

Brand-driven candidates want to work for an authentic and trustworthy company.

Candidate preferences have shifted significantly in the last decade. Gone are the days of the cradle-to-grave job, when employers held all the power over the talent pool.

Thanks to the digital age bringing about a new level of transparency, we’ve seen a rebalancing of power between employers and candidates. With information accessible at the touch of a button, candidates have never been in a better position to judge a company’s reputation and culture.

They are doing their due diligence on a brand before they’ve arrived for an interview, and this has resulted in the growing trend of the brand-driven candidate.

Brand-driven candidates are people who learn about a company’s employee value proposition and seek information on company culture, core values and core social responsibility initiatives. Our research found half of Australian jobseekers believe an employer’s brand and reputation is more important now than it was five years ago.

Not surprisingly, millennials are the most likely group to be brand-motivated. Brand-driven candidates want to work for an authentic and trustworthy company that has its values based in mutual respect between employer and employee. Eight in 10 Australians feel trust is the most important aspect of company brand.

The line between work and personal life has blurred. Technology has made it easier to work where we want, when we want. People now seek a work-life balance that complements their lifestyle. The decision to join a company is no longer solely based on the type of work you do or how much you will be paid. Candidates want to align their work with personal goals and values.

We’ve seen plenty of companies do this well and technology companies often lead the way. Places such as Google have upped the ante on reinventing company culture as an essential part of the employee value proposition.

Brand-driven candidates are turning to several places to source their information.

• 35 per cent of jobseekers consider current employees the most reliable source of information. Using your current employees as brand advocates can be extremely influential.

• The second most valuable source is your company website. Do you promote your culture or employee value proposition online? Or do you concentrate on your products and services only?

• Social media and reviewer websites should be considered. Many brands overlook the great opportunity social media presents to give their brand a voice and show what their company culture and core values are all about.

This means your brand reputation has now become an extremely important factor in attracting and retaining talent.

Organisations need to respond if they want to keep a competitive edge when finding the right people for their company.

Organisations need to consider the business decisions they make and the impact these can have on brand perception. Would a candidate consider your company’s investments as ethical and would this help or hinder your brand perception?

With compensation and type of work becoming standardised across companies, reputation helps differentiate your brand from the pack.

More scrutiny and a more discerning audience means organisations need clarity about what they stand for and ensure their actions are congruent. Promoting your brand and reputation in the channels candidates look to the most is equally important.

You want to be showing up when they look; but more importantly, you need to show up in an appealing way.

Tim Roche is a regional practice leader at Right Management.