Top 10 Employer Branding Examples and How to Use Them in Your Event Strategy
Barbara Kozanecka
Nov 26, 2024 12:20:00 PM
Employer branding examples are easy to find. However, it can be difficult to borrow them without full-blown stealing them. Fortunately, we’re here to help. We’ve collected ten amazing examples of employer branding campaigns, along with suggestions on how you can use them when throwing a killer employer branding event.
The term “employer branding” refers to the perception of a company as an employer, but this doesn’t mean it’s a collection of job postings, a mission statement, and a website. As summarized by Ankita Sancheti, Vice President – Brand & Digital of talent recruitment firm Cielo, it’s instead “...the sum of a company’s experiences and a long-term strategy that helps convey the values and characteristics that define an organization’s culture. It’s the chance to influence your company culture and curate an exceptional experience for candidates and employees, helping you meet the bottom line and keep talent for the long term.”
An effective employer brand can be why a candidate chooses your company over another, and it can be why employees decide to stay. Done right, it can reduce the cost per hire by as much as 50% and turnover by as much as 28%.
Employer branding is not a new practice; it’s been around for decades. People have always wanted to work for a company they believe offers a good work environment, a stable career path, and other benefits. However, employer branding is becoming increasingly important thanks to changing workforce demographics, phenomena such as “The Great Resignation,” an unprecedented labor market.
Building a solid employer brand takes time and a commitment to invest in it as much as you would invest in any other part of your business. To ensure your business has the necessary talent to stay at the forefront of its industry, you must continually assess, fine-tune, and adapt your employer brand as your organization and industry evolves.
In the era of ad insensitivity and universal access to information, employers struggle to acquire new talents. However, employer branding is a part of the solution to this problem. Employer branding actions display and highlight the perks of being employed by a certain organization. This gives potential employees an idea of what it’s like to work for a company, while also encouraging a positive work culture for existing employees.
86% of recruiters agree that recruiting is becoming more like marketing.[1] The game of getting the best publicity was afoot for all brands. What’s more, according to Glassdoor, 84% of job seekers say the reputation of a company as an employer is important.[2] The importance of setting a strong and positive employer image is unarguable.
What are the benefits of utilizing employer branding? Let’s take a look:
If you get your employer brand right, you’ll create the kind of “buzz” around your company that attracts motivated candidates and engenders employee satisfaction. And again, in a full-circle maneuver, those people will broadcast their positive experiences to other potential talent, clients, investors, etc. — further broadening your employer brand’s footprint.
An excellent place to start when building an employer brand is by answering questions such as these:
When answering these questions, be as authentic as possible and invite cross-functional stakeholders at every level of the organization to participate. Chances are, you’ll begin to identify themes, and these themes will give you a solid foundation for an employer value proposition. Your value proposition will reflect what’s unique and valuable about working for your company and essentially promise a specific employment experience in exchange for talent and work. With a compelling employment value proposition, you can springboard into any employer branding initiative.
Employer branding managers have numerous tools to use in order to run employer branding campaigns. The most popular employer branding best practices are:
So, who slays at employer branding?
Google employer branding is one of the best in the world. The company is known for its excellent approach to employees, as well as its knack for building a strong employer value proposition. Every year, the company receives approximately 3 million resumes, of which they pick only 7,000 new employees. It makes great sense, given that a company goes the extra mile to be the employer of the year. Numerous benefits, campus-style workspace, swift leaders, and more; all of these things directly contribute to the reason why Google attracts their talent.
Google even has its own Hollywood production. Released in 2013, The Internship with Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson tells of two forties who find work in Google. Needless to say, it was one of the best employer branding campaigns of the year.
Although the film didn’t get the best reviews (6.3 / 10 on IMDB), it’s still one of the boldest and most daring employer branding campaigns. The film clearly shows the philosophy of the brand and its culture.
Make an open day and invite students and potential candidates to visit the company. Give them a sneak peek of what a workday looks like in your company. Organize your work so that selected employees can tell visitors what they are doing and what their daily challenges look like. Choose a day so that potential employees can experience the organizational culture prevailing in your company to its fullest. An important element of this strategy is to remain authentic. Visitors will quickly sense acting and staging.
In order to secure a large number of people willing to meet you, you must ensure that your company and your event are properly advertised. For example, a film stylized as a movie trailer can help. Funny content has viral potential and is readily available on social media.
General Electric was one of the first companies listed on Dow Jones in 1896. After switching to the digital world, the company had to face a new era, and they came to this with great distance. The series of films ‘What’s the Matter with Owen’ showed the funny adventures of a young engineer who could not explain to people around him what he was doing.
Needless to say, it’s a clear analogy to the ‘digital company and also an industrial company’. The light approach from this Methuselah of digital companies delivered just the right message. The young engineers can easily identify with slightly awkward Owen; and thus, with General Electric.
While throwing an event, make sure that you can tell potential employees what your company does in an understandable manner.
First, you will need the audience profile. Identify and analyze data from previous events and from the HR department to build personas. If you can, use the data from event tech software to check the audience demographics during the previous events.
Next, adjust your communication style to the people you want to hire. Make it relatable and understandable. Don’t speak to the engineers like they were on the book club meeting, and don’t address future bankers like the five-graders.
Salesforce refers to their team members and clients as “Ohana” – the Hawaiian word for family. It is also a witty reference to the beloved Disney movie – Lilo & Stich. The quote “Ohana means family”’ still can bring some of us to tears.
The quote has the second part that goes: “Family means no one gets left behind, or forgotten.” What a beautiful value to share. Building a strong community around the company gave Salesforce the title of the #1 World’s Best Workplace for several years in a row.
A vital part of the Salesforce employer branding activities is organizing Ohana family reunions, i.e., internal employer branding events where employees can unwind and meet in a semi-formal atmosphere.
Throw a party for your employees on occasion! Plan it ahead, as you would any event. Gather some feedback on the preferred dates, and check how many people want to come. Ask questions with an online registration form to get data that’s standardized, quick to sort, and easy to analyze, then run a data-driven venue search. Also, use this data in budgeting the event. Your COO will be pleased with facts instead of gut-driven ideas.
This retailer is slaying it on social media. Their Instagram account, @ZapposCulture, is full of behind-the-scenes photos and videos of how is it to work for the company. For example, the company shared its Halloween costume contest, numerous company events, employee photos, and employee stories. They also use it to remind people about the vacancies.
Don’t be afraid of posting unedited backstage photos. Use them to promote your events, and maybe even make them into a presentation for the attendees. Let people see how you really work! This brings employees and employers closer together. What’s more, your employees who are in the photos can feel like brand heroes. Win-win.
Also, Zappos is an excellent example of superior employer branding. Its brand is simple: Zappos is a great workplace, and happiness is core to the business. Zappos’s founder, Tony Hsieh, even wrote a book called Delivering Happiness, and the company prioritizes “happiness delivery” to its employees first and its customers second. Zappos has an extremely low turnover rate, and it’s been named one of the best places to work in America multiple times. When you have happy employees to showcase the culture of your company, the work does itself.
Cisco is often named as an exquisite example of employer branding done right. Their career page on their website does a marvelous job when it comes to providing and organizing resources for employees-to-be. They make it easy to share the materials across various social platforms. What’s more, they provide visitors with a clear navigation system through all job offers and career essentials. The landing page contains also success stories of their employees who share insights on how it is to work at Cisco. Every single important detail is within the visitor’s reach.
Define your goals. Cisco’s page is all about making people apply for the job, and every single detail serves this purpose. Make your goal the core of the event. Plan the venue, prelections, and extras so they can tell a coherent story and lead the attendees towards the proper action. It can be scheduling an interview, leaving their resume, or sharing live video in their social media feed. The outcome all depends on the goal.
While prepping the venue for the event, make sure that all the important materials and stands are easily accessible. Put them somewhere visible in the main lobby of your venue. All gadgets, starter packs, and souvenirs should be easy to find for visitors.
The third place after home and work may not be immediately associated with the great employer branding strategy. Starbucks has a very strong communication strategy: they use social platforms like Twitter and Instagram to run employer branding profiles. Starbucks uses the mentioned platforms solely to communicate with current and future employees.
The thing that caught our attention was the way they refer to their employees: Partners.
Doesn’t sound like a silly after-school job, isn’t it? Building a specific culture of respect and partnership is really important for people working in a company.
Reward all team efforts that lead to the event. Show all involved employees as heroes. Also, do not pick favorites. Find a good thing to say about everyone. Highlight their quirky personalities in relation to the company values. You can even build your own hall of fame. Bear in mind to keep it aligned with the company values. Make it adequate and real. Avoid being pompous and do not exaggerate. Keep it simple and lighthearted.
Aside from being a company of the software industry, Microsoft is a company that many want to work for. Partially it’s because the company works hard to close the gender gap. They support their female coworkers and celebrate their success; for example when the CFO of Microsoft was listed as one of Forbes' Most Powerful Women in the World in 2018.
Photo by Fortune
Current employees, as well as potential employees, can follow the fan page, share their content, and apply for job openings.
Pick an idea aligned with your brand’s philosophy and support it. Let people feel that your words are followed by your actions. If you want to support underprivileged students, run a scholarship program. If you sympathize with the healthy body image, support a body-positive movement. Throw a charity event or virtual gala to support your cause. There are many opportunities to showcase yourself as a brand with strong values. Pick yours and remain consistent and true.
One of the simplest and most powerful employer branding videos is the one made by the American brewery, Samuel Adams. In the video, the narrator talks about the everyday perks of working with the company, with mentions about bringing pets to the workplace, sharing the passion, and making the beer they enjoy drinking - and that’s it. Zero hired actors, zero animation, zero complicated scenarios. The message is powerful – our everyday things are worth highlighting, we are passionate about our job, and it’s like a second home for us.
Tell your story loud and clear. There are no two identical companies in this world. One man’s ‘everyday’ is another man’s holiday. Start by asking employees what they value most about the company, and go from there. If it is a ‘bring your pet’ policy, make sure there will be a few pooches at the event. If it’s free daycare, encourage young parents to bring kids to the event and organize a special kid zone for them. Make it your banner and be proud of it. If current employees already appreciate it, prospects will too.
The other beer-related company on the list is the international giant. Heineken launched their Go Places campaign, focused on acquiring new talents. First, see their manifesto.
And now tell me, can you work for Heineken? Of course, you can. And how do you know that? The man in the suit told you.
Bring your company manifest to life! If your company has a list of the values and rules that define its shape, put them together and tell people who you are and what it means to others. Find a few catchphrases and put them to good use while promoting your next event. You can even make a video where the face of the company tells the story. Check if every detail of the event is aligned with the manifesto. If not – redesign. It will bring you to a whole new level of being the embodiment of the values you cherish.
Netflix is one of Glassdoor's best-rated employers. The company cares for its employees’ work-life balance. Back in 2015, they announced a ground-breaking parental leave policy. It allows the new parents to take as many days off as needed during the first year after the child is born - but that’s not all. Netflix navigates towards the open-minded, friendly organizational culture, that is employee-centered. They see the team as one, but they respect one’s individual needs. Instead of building a traditional organization with chiefs who give orders, they listened to a great dreamer – Antoine de Saint-Exupery:
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the people to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.”
Always listen to feedback and treat employees as the company’s greatest asset. Dedicate a part of the employer branding budget only to integrate the whole team. Make an epic party according to their needs, and make sure that the C-levels and execs will be there to listen to others. Also, don’t put the feedback on the ‘read’ tray. Announce which employee-generated changes will be implemented and when. Use company parties to reach your audience.
Panera Bread is another example of a company that built its brand on the idea that it’s a great workplace. The company is known for its employee training programs, scholarships, and more in improving workers’ lives. Panera has been named one of the best places to work in America multiple times, and it shows. When employers invest in their employees, they keep them engaged and create better internal talent for their team. According to a LinkedIn WorkForce learning report, 93% of employees would stay at the company if a company invested in its career path.
Uber has a unique and specific employer brand: it is an industry disruptor–a technology company offering the most convenient transportation on the planet. With an emphasis on innovation, it promotes creativity and dynamism. It shines a light on their employees, giving them shout-outs and praise for their hard work. According to a Brandon Hall Group study on The Business Impact of Inclusive and Frequent Recognition, 41% of organizations that give frequent recognition to their employees are more likely to see increased employee retention. This means recognizing the hard work your employees put in, and you'll see what a simple "Thank you" can do for your organization.
Here's another one:
These are only a few of the great employer branding examples that you can use while organizing your event. If you're new to the virtual and hybrid event space, let us guide you through the planning process! We specialize in all types of events, from virtual trade shows to in-person conferences. We can help to ensure that your internal and external employee events run as smoothly as possible on a reputable event platform. We’ll take care of the logistics so that you can focus on your employees. Contact us today to find out more.
Learn about the different types of user-generated content, the elements of storytelling, and how to build content to fit an event. These components are connected to each other, and you can use them to strengthen the effectiveness of employer branding events.
Storytelling is a popular tool for modern marketing. Let's uncover how to leverage user-generated content within storytelling for employer branding events.
Storytelling, also called narrative marketing by experts in the field, is used to establish and strengthen relations between a brand and its consumers. By sharing engaging stories, the consumer is able to remember the key messages of the brand.
Cognitive psychologist Jerome Bruner claims, “Information served as a story [is] remembered up to 22 times faster than raw facts or random content.” What’s more, an effective story evokes strong and permanent emotions within the audience.
We can look at Airbnb, which does an exceptional job at creating stories based on travel experiences that fit the brand. Here is an example from their Instagram page:
Seth Godin’s TED Talk, “How to Get Your Ideas to Spread,” is the perfect example.
Storytelling can also serve a multidimensional purpose. It satisfies the desires to feel safe and understand the meaning of life, which are inscribed within the human mind. Effective stories help the organization relate to its social surroundings. Sharing stories allows you to consciously create a community as well as to satisfy the deeply hidden, psychological needs of consumers.
Research clearly indicates that modern consumers (especially the millennial generation) are indifferent to advertisements. So, what do modern consumers expect?
It is in this field that user-generated content has no match. Content created by users is characterized by realness and a lack of business undertone, and consumers can feel this. It also works because it is much easier to feel the happiness of the guy or girl next door, as opposed to the famous and well-known Jay-Z and Beyoncé.
There is a reason behind numerous studies showing that before making purchases, users check for the opinions of others who have purchased a given product or service (usually through reviews). The situation is similar with pictures, which we can see through user-generated content campaigns.
The #AerieReal campaign on Instagram used unaltered pictures of female users, showing the real beauty of women and promoting the body positive trend. For every picture posted under the appropriate hashtag, the company donated to an association fighting eating disorders. Not only did the campaign raise the projected amount of money, but it also turned into a movement related to body positivity, which continues with the same hashtag.
It is proven that the impact of user-generated content is strong among customers. The 2018 User-Generated Content Marketing Report shows that more than 70 percent of consumers agree that user-generated content increases their purchasing confidence. More than 60 percent agree that this type of content encourages them to engage with the brand.[4]
We’ve partially touched upon the impact of storytelling on employer branding. A well-planned story allows you to permanently inscribe an image of your brand on recipients’ minds. Here is an example of a video from Shippit:
This video gives you a behind-the-scenes view of the office, shows you employees in their workspace, and interviews them to share their experiences.
Employer branding concerns, above all, the reception of the brand by current and potential employees. A well-constructed narration builds a certain image of the brand in its role as an employer.
In this case, user-generated content is of the utmost importance. Employees who are enthusiastic about sharing their experiences provide an underestimated value. The organization itself benefits from this, and employees who see authentic happiness among their colleagues become more motivated. Also, a sense of unity increases in a successful team, which has a direct effect on increasing team members’ effectiveness.
Of course, active storytelling that is co-created by employees also has an impact on employer branding in the external dimension. Storytelling gives a way to incorporate various types of user-generated content into marketing activities as naturally as possible. Recruitment processes are most affected by these actions. Experienced professionals looking for employment pay special attention to factors such as the culture of the organization and its reputation. Warm, authentic feedback from employees on social media makes it easier for the company to recruit the most talented employees.
Building content is incredibly important in the case of an event devoted to employer branding. On the one hand, rich content published on a blog, as well as on social media, contributes to better event promotion itself. On the other hand, it increases the authenticity of the organization.
For example, when organizing an HR event that aims at simplifying the process of recruiting specialists, you must give them a specific reason for choosing this event; and we’re not talking about cheap tricks like free coffee. An ideal situation would be for people to come not because of the EVENT, but because YOU are organizing it.
For this to happen, your target group must see real value in your message. Determining the right story supported by the experiences of those who work at your company can work wonders. Content can support in-person events, as well as virtual and hybrid events. Our 6Connex cloud-based virtual event products can help you set up webinars, virtual venues, and many more.
The fairly obvious solution is to encourage your employees to publish authentic content related to upcoming events themselves. In such a situation, all types of “call to create” strategies prove to be useful. Confirmation of participation in the event should be complemented with a space in which the employees will be able to share their individual stories and pictures related to a given experience. This is how a unique and authentic story created by employees is made.
Another content-building opportunity is to arrange short breaks for guests during the event. This gives an excellent time to take Facebook pictures, create Instagram Stories, and so on.
After the event, encourage guests to create reviews of it on social media. Use simple, reliable engagement tools to make the process as easy and efficient as possible.
An employer branding event is subjected to the same rules as any other event. To increase the likelihood of creating appropriate content, spice up the conference with original elements that fit your industry. Examples include electrical installations or choreographed flash mob performances.
User-generated content is a multidimensional phenomenon. Therefore, it is worth having a closer look at the most popular and powerful types of user-generated content ideas, which include:
Experts also name:
Video marketing can be a valuable component of storytelling that shows how a given product or service holds up in various life situations. Effective video should avoid dry dialogue and scripts, as the success of this format is determined by factors that don’t rely on traditional methods.
For this reason, the most optimal form of video reporting is simply an interview. The subject should appear as natural as possible, and the host should ask questions that are concentrated on the positive effects of a given product on the person’s life and how it helped solve a problem.
Video recommendations should be limited to three to four minutes and include a logical theme. It is helpful to present specific problems that the protagonist of the feature must face. In the case of a video implemented into employer branding, an example is the struggle to find a good employer who will be able to ensure an optimal work-life balance.
Users can create live streams before and during an event. Live streaming through social media allows for real-time sharing of experiences during an event.
A collection of memories gathered after the event can create fantastic social proof when promoting a future event. It also serves as an element binding the community connected by the event.
Another element of storytelling is the personal stories of leaders. They provide an incredible opportunity to show the human side of the brand, as well as the authentic individuals that create it. This format encourages emotional and intellectual engagement from the audience. This fact alone strengthens the relationship of the consumer with the brand, and in the case of employer branding, a potential employee for the organization. Here, authenticity is important for evoking sympathy, building relationships, and persuading.
Storytelling ideas are not limited to short stories. Reviews offer a helpful tool that encourages user-generated content. Studies conducted by specialists show that recipients are willing to trust user reviews.
Why? Because reviews are considered a type of publication, which is inherently objective. Most recipients think that reviews, regardless of whether they are positive, are created by independent individuals.
Reviews can effectively be used in storytelling, just as they can support an event in the field of employer branding. The company’s image in services like glassdoor.com, reputation.com, greatplacetowork.com, or indeed.com may affect others’ minds. A comprehensive review, which will then be placed on the company blog and social media pages, can bolster the content around the event. Users can boost the credibility of a review with pictures and comments under posts.
The opinions of employees about the company are equally as important for potential candidates. If the employees are eager to inform about a pleasant atmosphere at the company and want to share the company’s mission, it’s a sign that they feel good about the company.
Success stories can diversify event content. In the case of employer building, they can help maintain positive relationships with employees who are the most active on social media. This is a personal, genuine story provided by a recipient or a satisfied employee that gets the individual’s personality across. It is effective because it provokes powerful emotions and provides a story for recipients to identify with.
These stories can be published on a dedicated company blog or specially designed landing pages. To reach millennials, it is helpful to connect the story to a wider social issue. For instance, connect stories on sustainable events to broader environmental concerns.
For event content to work as an effective storytelling tool, it should have a timeless character that generates traffic for an extended period of time. Evergreen employer branding storytelling should present the general development of the industry. It also helps to present the history of the brand with employee-generated stories.
Storytelling can provide unexpected value to marketing efforts. Leveraging some of the user-generated content ideas listed above can boost the image of your brand to have a positive effect on your event’s buzz.
Common themes related to user-generated content include the authentic character of the stories and the ability to connect with a range of employees who work separately from the company’s marketing department. Effective storytelling is time-consuming and complex, yet specialty tools can simplify the process to help your employer branding.
For more information about user-generated content or creating a virtual venue for your employer branding events, contact us or request a demo today.
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Sources:
1. The Undercover Recruiter - Why Recruiters Need to Start Acting More Like Marketers
2. Business News Daily - How to Create a Strong Business Recruitment Strategy
3. LinkedIn - The Ultimate List of Employer Brand Statistics
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