Your Year-End Employment Brand Checklist: 6 steps you should take now to connect with candidates in 2013

by Charles Kapec

Your employment brand is constantly evolving. But sometimes even top HR professionals can get so caught up in day-to-day activities that they don’t notice how their company’s employment brand has changed. As we reach the end of the year, now is a good time to take stock and review your current employment brand so you can start 2013 with a brand and messaging that more accurately reflect who you are as an employer. Here are six things you can do to see where you stand as you head into a new year:

1. Check the pulse of your employment brand.

Stop and take a reality check. Is the way you present your organization to candidates true and compelling? Has anything changed substantially within your company this year that would affect your employment brand? Has your organization’s marketing been updated? You can also survey both employees and external candidates to find out whether there is a gap between how you are perceived and the message you are sending.

2. Survey the competitive landscape.

Is your employment brand effective in differentiating you from your competition? Have you kept up to date on how your competitors position themselves? Does your organization continue to stand out? If you have not spent much time reviewing the employment brands of the companies you compete with for talent, you would be wise to take a look before 2013 begins.

3. Analyze your career site.

You should be evaluating your career site analytics on a regular basis, and the end of the year offers a perfect opportunity to review how candidates are interacting with your branded content. What is your site’s drop-off rate? How much time are visitors spending on the site? Which pages are most and least popular? This data will give you an idea of what steps you need to take to maximize the candidate experience your career site offers.

4. Review your communications.

How did your branded communications fare in 2012? Take a look at everything you ran, from interactive, social and multi-platform campaigns to simple postings and print ads. Is every communication in alignment from a messaging standpoint? Does it mesh seamlessly with your career site? Assess what worked, what should stay in your 2013 plan and how your brand is being applied across all media.

5. Ask for feedback from your team.

Your recruiters and hiring managers have been on the front lines with candidates. They can tell you first-hand what people know about your company and how they feel about it. Since they are the ones promoting your employment brand through their encounters with candidates, your recruiters and hiring managers can tell you how your brand is being received and how effective your efforts are.

6. Consider diving deeper.

If you start to get the feeling that things are amiss with your employment brand, you may want to get additional input, whether through employee surveys or focus groups with external candidates. Sometimes, you can be too close to your company to see the ongoing changes that occur, know precisely what you stand for or how to implement the right messaging. That’s where outside experts, like the ones at NAS Recruitment Communications, can be of assistance.

Once you have completed a thorough review, you’ll have a good idea of where your employment brand stands and what needs to be done in the coming year. Your next step will be to create a “To Do” list, figure out your budget and make a resolution to ensure your employment brand is in excellent shape for 2013!

Charles Kapec, Senior Creative Strategist

Charles is a Senior Creative Strategist at NAS Recruitment Communications. With the agency since 1993, he partners with clients to develop employment brands and to provide a wide range of creative solutions.

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