Are Your Job Postings Promoting Your Employer Brand and Culture?

A company’s job posting conveys an applicant attraction message that should ideally help the company stand out from competitors and give candidates a reason to want to join. It should also help candidates to self-select to opt out if they are not a good fit.  

According to the Harvard Business Review, a company’s employer branding is an influential part of a candidate’s consideration of working there. There are three main tenants of employer branding – reputation, employer value proposition, and employee experience (which aligns with culture).  

Reputation is critical, so let’s tackle review sites first. It’s imperative to stay on top of ratings and reviews of current and past employees. Next to a personal recommendation, review sites are heavily leaned on to make judgement calls. Of course, no company will have 100% glowing reviews. Those “honest” comments care often from disgruntled ex-employees who have been let go. Emphasis should remain on active employees’ reviews. 

Next, your employer value proposition – or reason a candidate should want to work for your company – is one of the most important steps in branding your workplace. These are the questions to ensure you cover in the job posting: Who is a great fit? What’s in it for the candidate? Why is it a great place to work? What do you offer that others don’t? Where do they work (remote/hybrid jobs are still in demand)? For example, Apple is a brand known worldwide for innovation. When it added full educational reimbursement to its list of perks, their brand – with a culture of incessant improvement – increased differentiation from competitors and appealed to candidates who valued continuous learning and growth.  

Let’s take it a step further. Job descriptions can spin the company culture any way they want, but when the rubber meets the road, the employee experience is a deeply personal one. Let’s say you promote your organization as immersed in DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives. Yet your new employee comes to work and begins to feel harassed about their sexual orientation. Not only is your culture not in alignment with your stated goals and objectives, but your employee experience is damaged. 

An article by Forbes reinforces the notion that employers will need to adapt their recruitment strategies to attract and retain talent in today’s tight job market. It goes on to say that “employer branding and company culture will continue to be a top priority for companies looking to attract and retain top talent.” A strong employer brand can help companies build trust with potential employees.  

By listing your organization’s unique qualities, perks, and giving a taste of the culture in the job description, you will help build that memorable and attractive employer brand.  

nextSource Insights 

By following these strategies, you can create job postings that not only attract top talent but also help build a strong employer brand:  

• Existing employees are your most powerful source of recruiting. They can play a key role in helping to attract talent. To cultivate brand ambassadors, find your most productive and most excited employees, then ask them to contribute to review sites such as Glassdoor. Continually push your reputation score higher by increasing the number of fresh, positive reviews. 
• By including your employer value proposition in every job description, not just your careers page, you are reinforcing your brand and giving a peek into the company culture. Most professional candidates have researched the culture before applying, and candidates are less likely to leave when there is a harmonious cultural fit. 
• As a corollary, your careers page messaging and overall website should be consistent with your job ad – from a branding and a cultural perspective. Most candidates will visit the company website to learn more about a potential opportunity. Does your website reflect the values and environment described in the job ad?  
• Ensure that your job postings are on-brand and consistent with your culture. For example, inject personality into the posting if your brand is consumer-driven.