Any job seeker with enough patience can scroll through job postings until he finds a job in the right location for an agreeable salary. What do you have to gain by paying for the services of the top staffing agencies, then? For one thing, the best finance recruiters get to know you better than even the most sophisticated job search app ever can. Likewise, they also know a lot more about prospective employers than you can find out from job postings. Specifically, they have heard from many other employees what it is like to work for that employer. In other words, they have firsthand knowledge of the company’s employer branding.
What Is Employer Branding?
Companies consciously cultivate a brand identify when advertising to prospective customers. They consider how members of their target audience see themselves and attempt to reflect those characteristics. For example, a company might market itself as the beer for adventuresome, health-conscious people. Another might market itself as the laundry detergent for practical people who care more about frugality than about impressing others.
Likewise, employer branding is when companies try to project a certain image to attract the kinds of employees they want. For example, the company might actively court employees who see themselves as sophisticated, unpretentious, or morally upstanding. It might promote its family-friendliness by offering generous family leave benefits. It might try to attract employees who enjoy the finer things in life by issuing trendy smartphones to employees.
How Important Is Employer Branding?
Job seekers should consider employer branding when applying for jobs, but it should not be the only factor. It is not as important as advancement opportunities, for example. Employer branding is important, though, as it can give you insights into the workplace culture of your prospective job.
