8 Steps to Crafting a Winning Employer Brand Strategy

8 Steps to Crafting a Winning Employer Brand Strategy

8 Steps to Crafting a Winning Employer Brand Strategy

As you embark on your journey to craft a standout employer brand, start by asking yourself: What makes your company a truly exceptional workplace? What sets you apart from the competition?
Employer branding is your secret weapon for enhancing candidate engagement, empowering employee advocacy, and minimizing turnover. 

Our company's core values of transparency, equity, and diversity, combined with our commitment to employee empowerment, have resulted in a truly exceptional workplace. Together, we continue to push the boundaries of innovation and redefine industry standards, setting ourselves apart from the competition and achieving unparalleled success.

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Step 1: Gauge Your Employer Brand's Current Position

To successfully enhance your employer brand, it’s essential to begin by examining its current state. Conduct a comprehensive audit to gain insights into where your employer brand stands and identify areas for improvement.
 
Here are some key steps to take in the assessment process:
 

1. Gather Employee Feedback

 

Encourage open and honest communication by conducting anonymous surveys among your employees. This will provide valuable insights into what’s working well and areas that require improvement.

 
If the survey results indicate issues with corporate culture or internal communication, address them head-on. Share your action plans with employees, demonstrating your commitment to adapt and meet their needs. This not only fosters a team of devoted brand advocates but also proves that you’re walking the walk.
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Monitor your company reviews

2. Monitor Your Company Reviews:

Engaging with and regularly assessing reviews is vital for understanding your employer brand’s perception. In fact, Glassdoor reports that 62% of job seekers have an improved opinion of a company after an employer responds to a review.

 

Company reviews offer a candid perspective on your organization’s culture and brand image. These reviews can be sourced from external platforms like Glassdoor or through internal channels such as exit interviews. By staying informed and actively responding to feedback, you can continue to enhance your employer brand and attract top talent.

Strengthen Your Employer Brand with Social Media, Recruitment, and Content Strategies

To optimize your brand’s impact, it is essential to scrutinize your social media footprint, hiring and onboarding methods, and content approaches. Delve into these critical aspects to identify opportunities for improvement:
 

1. Harness the Power of Social Media:

 

Social media offers invaluable insights into public perceptions of your brand. Collaborate with your social media team to identify common praise, complaints, and frequently asked questions. To gain even deeper insights, employ social listening tools to monitor brand health, sentiment, and keywords associated with your company.

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2. Evaluate Recruitment and Onboarding Procedures:

 

The hiring and onboarding experiences are the first opportunities to showcase your company culture to prospective employees. Seek feedback from current employees, particularly recent hires, and assess your recruitment procedures with your team. Identify areas for improvement and address any shortcomings.

3. Address Content and Resource Gaps:

 

Content plays a crucial role throughout the hiring process and in maintaining a compelling brand narrative. Consider the following aspects to determine if additional content or resources are necessary:

  • Social Media Content: Review the type and frequency of content shared about your brand, employees, and job openings.
  • Website Content: Evaluate your career page and overall website branding. Do they need updating?
  • Job Postings: Ensure clarity and accuracy in job descriptions.
  • Onboarding Materials: Assess whether these resources adequately support new hires or leave them struggling to fill in the gaps.
  • Internal Newsletters: Stay connected with your employees through valuable content. Is your current communication effective?
  • External Newsletters: Avoid spamming potential candidates; keep your messaging relevant and engaging.
  • Blogs: Maintain a consistent flow of industry-related articles and employee advocacy stories to showcase your company’s expertise and values.
Career's Page

Step 2: Craft a Compelling Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

A robust EVP encapsulates the rewards—monetary and non-monetary—that your company offers employees in exchange for their expertise, skills, and dedication. It serves as the foundation for your employer brand messaging and strategy.

 
While salary fulfills the most fundamental level in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, enabling employees to meet basic living requirements, it’s essential to consider other factors that help individuals unlock their full potential, discover their true purpose, and flourish in a supportive work environment. Consider the following crucial components when developing your EVP:
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
  1. Salary: As a fundamental aspect of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, salary enables employees to take care of their basic necessities. Ensure that your compensation packages are competitive within the industry.
  2. Benefits:  Offer a comprehensive suite of benefits, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off, to enhance your employees’ well-being and work-life balance.
  3. Growth Opportunities: Promote employee development through training, mentorship, and advancement opportunities, encouraging employees to reach their full potential.
  4. Diversity and Inclusion: Demonstrate your commitment to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace by outlining tangible goals and initiatives.
  5. Remote Work Flexibility: In today’s ever-changing work landscape, providing employees with the option to work remotely allows them to balance personal and professional responsibilities.
  6. Company Culture: Create a thriving workplace culture that promotes collaboration, innovation, and mutual respect.
 
When crafting your EVP, it’s vital to be honest, and transparent. Ensure that it accurately reflects the employee experience at your organization. Overpromising and underdelivering can harm your reputation and hinder your ability to attract and retain top talent.

Step 3: Establish Clear Goals and KPIs for Your Employer Brand Strategy

Defining goals and KPIs is an essential aspect of evaluating the effectiveness of your employer branding strategy and securing stakeholder buy-in. Establish SMART goals and pinpoint KPIs that measure success in both recruitment and marketing or content initiatives.
 
Recruitment Goals and KPIs:
  1. Attract a higher volume of leads.
  2. Launch targeted campaigns for priority roles and departments.
  3. Achieve a specific number of new hires.
  4. Increase the rate of employee referrals.
  5. Boost employee engagement levels.
  6. Attract more qualified candidates for new positions.
  7. Improve the offer acceptance rate.
  8. Enhance employee retention over time.
 
Marketing or Content Goals and KPIs:
 
  1. Encourage more employee-shared content on social media.
  2. Increase the number of employer branding-related posts.
  3. Boost positive reviews on platforms like Glassdoor.
  4. Implement awareness campaigns to elevate your employer brand’s perception and recognition.

Step 4: Pinpoint Your Target Audience and Ideal Candidates

Research from LinkedIn reveals that 40% of professionals consider colleagues and work culture as top priorities when selecting a new job. To successfully draw in top talent, it’s crucial to first determine the type of candidate you want to attract.
 
 
Understanding Your Target Audience: Delve deeper than just job titles or experience levels when identifying your target audience. Consider the kind of work environment they desire and what motivates them. Crafting a comprehensive profile of your ideal candidate will inform the development of job descriptions and other recruitment materials, ensuring a more effective employer branding strategy.

Step 5: Identify Channels and Engage Stakeholders for Your Employer Brand Strategy

Just as a single individual doesn’t define your overall brand, employer branding is a collective endeavor. Establishing clear responsibilities and engaging stakeholders early on will prevent disorganization and burnout down the line.
 

1. Assign Roles and Responsibilities: Determine who needs to be involved in your employer branding efforts and define each person’s responsibilities. Ensure that stakeholders are aligned with your strategy, fostering collaboration and a unified vision.

 

2. Utilize Effective Communication Channels: Consider all potential communication channels, such as social media, newsletters, and internal emails. Identify which channels are most effective in reinforcing your employer brand and reaching the appropriate audience—both internally and externally.

Step 6: Engage Your C-Suite in Employer Branding Initiatives

Securing C-suite buy-in is vital to implementing organizational changes that enhance your employer brand. A McKinsey study reveals that 70% of employees derive a sense of purpose from work, and they seek even greater fulfillment. Involving top executives in communications and day-to-day activities can help provide this sense of purpose and strengthen your employer brand.

Engage Your C-Suite in Employer Branding Initiatives
Employer Branding Initiatives

1. Inspire Purpose with C-Suite Involvement: Encourage your C-suite executives to actively participate in communications, demonstrating their commitment to the company’s mission and purpose. Employees are more likely to stay on board if they believe in the captain steering the ship.


2. Integrate C-Suite into Daily Strategy: Don’t hesitate to involve your C-suite executives in the day-to-day aspects of your employer branding strategy. Encourage leadership to contribute to employer brand content, cultivate their own social media presence, or actively participate in internal communications. This level of engagement will show current and prospective employees that the organization’s leadership is genuinely invested in the company’s success and their well-being.

Step 7: Crafting a Streamlined Rollout Plan

A well-structured rollout plan ensures that your employer branding strategy remains organized and consistent, while keeping stakeholders informed and engaged. By outlining ways for employee advocates across the organization to get involved, you can create a cohesive and effective approach to promoting your employer brand.

Editorial Calendar
Components of a Successful Rollout Plan:
 

1. Editorial Calendar: Create a schedule for blog and social media content that emphasizes your employer brand, including employee spotlights, company values, and other relevant topics.

2. Internal Communications: Utilize internal emails to solicit employee feedback, encourage social media sharing, and promote an open dialogue around your employer brand.

3. Review Management: Regularly monitor and respond to company reviews, while motivating current employees to share their experiences and leave reviews.

 

4. Employee Advocacy: Encourage employees across all teams to share job openings and promote the company’s brand, fostering a collective sense of ownership and pride.

5. Website Updates: Refresh your careers page and overall website to accurately reflect your employee value proposition and showcase your commitment to fostering a positive work environment.

Step 8: Monitor and Optimize Results

An effective employer branding strategy is an ongoing journey, not a one-time destination. Regularly tracking your results allows you to celebrate successes and make adjustments when needed.

1. Keep an Eye on KPIs: Continuously monitor your KPIs to assess if you’re meeting the goals you established. This will enable you to identify areas for improvement and fine-tune your approach.

2. Leverage Existing Tools: Utilize the tools at your disposal, such as social media platforms and employee advocacy tools, to measure your progress and gauge the impact of your efforts.

3. Establish a Review Cadence: Implement a routine schedule for reviewing your performance, evaluating your strategy, and determining future actions. This consistent analysis will ensure your employer branding strategy remains agile and effective.
percentage of engaged users says they would post on social media if content was written for them

Embracing a Cultural Shift for Effective Employer Branding

A successful employer branding strategy extends beyond marketing—it requires a fundamental shift in organizational culture. Management and leadership must be wholeheartedly committed to the brand, ready to fulfill promises made to employees and adapt when opportunities for growth emerge.

 
The foundation of a strong employer brand lies within the company itself. Begin by amplifying employees’ voices internally to resonate with prospective talent externally. Discover how XA Talent’s Workforce Accelerator System can turbocharge your employer brand and attract the best and brightest candidates.

HIRE ON-DEMAND AND RETAIN YOUR BEST EMPLOYEES

Add Thousands Of Top Candidates To Your Own Talent Pipelines Within 90 Days.

Workforce Accelerator System

Employers, are you ready to build your own pipelines of talent so that you don’t need to rely on third-party recruitment and their high-cost fees?
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Abigail Sel

I’m Abigail, a marketing expert who has transitioned from luxury brand marketing to corporate and executive branding. As a Chief Marketing Officer with a passion for storytelling and launching innovative digital strategies, I’ve spent the last decade helping companies build brand love and drive business growth.
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Abigail Sel

I’m Abigail, a marketing expert who has transitioned from luxury brand marketing to corporate and executive branding. As a Chief Marketing Officer with a passion for storytelling and launching innovative digital strategies, I’ve spent the last decade helping companies build brand love and drive business growth.

http://www.myxatalent.com

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Aiyaz, VP of Recruitment and Staffing

Aiyaz Uddin

VP, Recruitment and Staffing

With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Aiyaz brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our team by strategically positioning clients to attract, engage, and pipeline the most sought-after talent in information technology utilizing open-source intelligence, talent solutions, and machine learning tools for federal and local government contracting firms, and commercial employers. Aiyaz has a proven track record of success in matching the right talent with the right opportunities, leading to long-term and mutually beneficial relationships.

 

As a leader in the industry, he is constantly seeking out new and innovative ways to improve our services and deliver the best results for our clients and job seekers.


Aiyaz is a certified tech recruitment professional with an MBA in Finance & Marketing along with M.Sc. Psychology. Additionally, his drive to seek new and innovative approaches to talent acquisition led him to speak on LinkedIn Talent Solutions by LinkedIn and HackerEarth’s Tech Recruiting Conference Hire 101.


Under Aiyaz 's leadership, XA Talent has become a trusted partner for companies looking to grow their teams and job seekers looking for their next great opportunity. Aiyaz and our team are committed to delivering an exceptional experience for everyone we work with.

 

Get in touch with XA Talent today, and let us help you find your next great opportunity.

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Peyton Brooks, VP of Workforce Development

Peyton Brooks

VP, Workforce Development

As a firm believer in continuous development and self-improvement, I attained a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Howard University and a Juris Doctor Degree from The George Washington University Law School.

 

My passion for service to the community drove me towards the workforce development industry, where I have been in active pursuit to change the trajectory of lives and shape communities ever since. With nearly a decade of experience doing so, I have helped thousands of individuals obtain access to more short-term, affordable, and convenient upskill and reskill opportunities across the nation.

 

Given my vast industry expertise, I provide management consulting services to workforce
development organizations helping them with customized solutions, specialized curricula, strategic partnerships, and employer engagement. My consulting leverages deep technical knowledge as well as strategic and tactical approaches to provide the best solutions with data-driven outcomes. 

 

My proven experience in building workforce development systems have led me to develop and evangelize best practices for workforce development programs that include the following outcome-based attributes:

– Livable wages and sustainable careers in high-demand industry sectors
– Job placement-focused programs with strong employer partnerships
– Data-driven understanding of regional skills gaps; and
– Comprehensive skills training that includes practical application work experience with career coaching.

 

My ability to thrive in the workforce development industry is attributed to my strong interpersonal skills, which have enhanced my capabilities to understand what people truly mean to communicate when attempting to express their business challenges. This trait has set me apart from the rest, as I can identify and resolve the root cause of challenges resulting in proper alignment of investment to desired business outcomes.

 

Therefore, as a leader of cooperative outcome-focused efforts, I would like to connect with
professionals who are interested in collaborating to improve communities and change the trajectory of lives through sustainable career attainment.

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Abigail Sel, Chief Marketing Officer

Abigail Sel, MBA

CMO

“Marketing maven with a knack for turning vision into outcomes.” As a Chief Marketing Officer with a passion for storytelling and launching innovative digital strategies, I’ve spent the last decade helping companies build brand love and drive business growth📈. 

 

From leading cross-functional teams to developing and executing innovative marketing campaigns, I’ve always been driven by the power of connection. I’m a strategic thinker, data-driven decision-maker, and creative problem solver. I specialize in digital marketing, brand positioning, and go-to-market planning.

 

I’m Abigail👋🏽, a marketing expert who has transitioned from luxury brand marketing to corporate and executive branding. Two years ago, I merged my boutique marketing agency with XA Talent to create a disruptive Recruitment Marketing and Branding Agency.

 

We pulled apart the pre-existing Talent Acquisition Accelerator System (TAA) and enhanced it to what we currently call the 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. This system was created and perfected by our founder, Evan Jones, in his 22 years in business managing his own federal government consulting firm, XA Systems, consulting with market-leading companies such as Accenture, Booze Allen Hamilton, L3 Harris Corporation, and more.

 

👩🏽‍💻The Workforce Accelerator System is able to resolve workforce acquisition and retention challenges enabling SMBs, especially federal and state/local government contracting firms and workforce development companies, to hire culture-driven talent on-demand without having to pay high-cost third-party recruitment agency fees. Moreover, with compelling brand stories and data-driven strategies, you have the potential to stay ahead of your competitors to attract new talent and clients/partners.

 

What makes my expertise different in the market is that I utilize winning creative methodologies to differentiate corporate SMBs’ marketing campaigns that result in connection with their target audience. So yes, collaborating on this system has been the most rewarding experience in my fifteen-year professional career.

 

When I’m not strategizing, you can find me attending marketing events and exploring new technologies and trends to bring fresh perspectives to the table.

 

Personally, I have lived in five countries – Malaysia, Australia, Dubai, the UK, and the US.
✈️an avid traveler
📑completed my MBA in London
👩🏽‍🍳love to experiment with new recipes at home
🤸🏽‍♀️absolutely love Pilates to strengthen my mind and body!

Connect with me⤴️ to learn more about how I can help your business succeed.

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Evan Jones, Founder and CEO

Evan Jones

Founder and CEO

After 20 years of delivering IT management consulting and infrastructure operations & management services to the federal government (XA Systems, LLC https://xasystems.com/) and hiring thousands of employees over the years, Evan and his team have developed a system that scales a company's personnel recruitment with culture-driven candidates who contribute to the success of the business.

 

As a technology-based business focused on continual process improvement, the methods he and his team have developed have been improved over the years and are centered on employer branding and recruitment marketing that results in a pipeline of engaged candidates ready to be hired on demand. He believes every business can succeed and create an impact if they are willing to take uncomfortable action with the right tools and knowledge. He’s determined to stand in the gap and provide the tools and knowledge businesses need.

 

To date, he has played a role in the growth and development of more than 30 companies. He has worked behind the scenes of SMBs and massive 8 to 10-figure companies helping them overhaul their processes, reinvent their recruitment marketing strategies, and drive growth, both in net profit and an overall employer reach into job seeker communities.

 

With a passion for business transformation, Evan has developed his own technology, an enterprise SaaS solution, ServeOptics, that delivers service support performance metrics to IT leaders who need actionable insights to make informed business decisions. The more visibility of operations that exists with real-time performance metrics and automated reporting, the more efficient and effective companies can be in their service support operations, which enables a business to gain a significant competitive advantage in their industry.

 

Evan is interested in connecting with forward-thinking business professionals who want to collaborate on business opportunities or discuss how his recruitment system can enable a business to attract top-tier candidates, employ on-demand, and retain its best employees.

Let's connect