%20(1).png)
The competition for talented software engineers is tougher than ever, so any company trying to attract the best talent needs to stand out from the crowd!
In one of our previous blog posts, we spoke about how to sell your company when on a tight budget, but building a strong employer branding that attracts your ideal candidate requires a lot of thought and attention.
What is employer branding & why is it important?
Employing a candidate is a 2 way street - both sides need to be fully aware of what the other brings to the table. While candidates have their CV and Linkedin pages, employer branding comes from all communication channels that your company may have. You never know where your next star developer may come from!
Your overall company brand and employer branding are closely intertwined, and must be aligned. Everything, from the way your brand speaks online to the way your HR team speaks directly to your candidates shapes your employer branding. A strong brand perception will help you attract and retain talented software engineers, and show why you’re “The One” to work with!
So let’s build your employer brand in 3 easy steps!!
1. Know who you want to attract
Your company most likely has a core culture, which it seeks to maintain and cultivate. In order to do this, you’ll need to attract similar-minded people, right?
The trick to developing employer branding that works best for you is to talk to the people you want to attract. You want to understand what they want, and tell them how you can provide it!
Here’s a rough guide if you’re looking for:
Knowledge-hungry developers: You should focus on the variety of learning opportunities that your company can provide. Those who seek to upskill and grow with their company will look for the companies that give them the best development opportunities, such as free Udemy subscriptions, regular training sessions, or mentorships. People in this category are typically younger, thus also appreciate flexible working opportunities and a fun culture.
Knowledgeable, more senior engineers: Senior software engineers typically care less about training and development, and more about company stability. To attract candidates that are established in their careers and require less coaching, flex your interesting employee benefits - especially if they cover dependents and family members! This segment of the workforce may also be more interested in the reputation of your company, so be sure to let them know you’re a formidable player in the market!
Top of the top: The most talented developers are highly sought after - and they know it. While their desires are diverse, many of the strongest software engineers who are looking to stay on top of their game have a strong interest in companies with very interesting and complex projects. They want to be a front runner, and their company must reflect that! Make your company and the projects feel exclusive - a “can’t miss” opportunity.
2. Build your value proposition
Your employer branding begins with your value proposition, which is an internal communication regarding what your company can provide to potential new joiners. A clear and easily accessible value proposition makes it easy for all internal parties to align on what your best assets are to attract the candidates best for you!
We highly recommend breaking down your value proposition into employer, team, and individual. You should be asking questions like: Why are you a great company to work for?; why is the assigned team the best team to be joining?; and what is in it for your candidate?
The best way to find your answers is to ask your employees! More than anyone, they will be able to tell you why they enjoy working at your company, and what makes it stand out from the rest. Your value proposition should be focused on the type of company you are, and less so on the company’s aspirations for their employer branding. While you can include what the company is looking to become, that shouldn’t be the core of the value proposition before you’ve achieved these goals.
3. Shout about your brand
A sign of a strong employer brand is when your own employees are proud to be associated with your company. More often than not, fulfilled employees become strong brand ambassadors both online and offline, and are seen as credible sources to vouch for your reputation and employer brand.
However, you can’t just lean on your employees to promote your brand to potential candidates! Great companies will also showcase their culture and employer branding on social media or company websites throughout the year. The goal is to advertise why your company is great to work for, even when you’re not directly hiring. If it’s done right, the candidates best for your culture will come to you when you begin your hiring activities!
A great example of this is Google, whose employer branding is so strong that they’ve become one of the most sought-after companies for software engineers! Aside from being one of the most used platforms on the planet, they’ve also taken time to publish their philosophy and company benefits are easily discoverable on their careers website and Linkedin Life section. While it’s easy to come across the #LifeatGoogle hashtag by their employees, Google themselves knows the importance of shouting about their brand, just as loud as their employees do!
Employer branding can be a tricky topic to think about, but it doesn’t have to be!
Need a little more help? Let us do it for you! Send an enquiry to us here or email our professionals at viknesh@trii.io
TRIIIO is a Malaysian recruitment firm focused on partnering with companies to find and recruit top talent and build their Software Engineering teams. For more information on how we can help you recruit Software Engineers in this candidate tight market, visit our service page.
Techdesk.my is a curated job board lovingly created by us at TRIIIO Recruitment to make your job search easier! Visit Techdesk.my and start searching for Software Engineering jobs today!