How to Build a Company People Want to Work For

For many companies, employee retention is a huge issue. There are some, though, that have happy employees who have no desire to leave, and they have applications flooding the HR department on a daily basis. Big-name companies like Google and Apple have candidates practically banging down their doors, largely because they have mastered the art of employer branding.

What is employer branding, and how can you use it to build a company people want to work for? Keep reading to find out.

What Is Employer Branding, and Why Is It Important?

Employer branding has a huge impact on a business’s ability to remain competitive. To become a brand of choice for prospective employees, your company needs to have a strong marketing strategy that is similar to a lead generation campaign.

Believe it or not, an inbound talent strategy is just as important (if not more so) as your strategy for gaining new customers. The companies that people want to work for the most have invested a lot of time and money into their employer branding and their employees in order to gain a competitive edge.

On average, it takes more than 40 days and costs over $4,000 for a company to make a hire. When a business needs to replace a salaried employee, it can cost as much as six to nine months’ salary. Clearly, companies need to build strong employer branding and campaigns to attract new talent. So, how do you go about mastering employer branding and building a company people want to work for? We’re glad you asked!

Enhance the Job Seeker Experience

Job seekers spend a lot of time doing research. From finding potential openings to learning more about the companies they are thinking about applying to, they put a lot of effort into learning as much as possible. If you want your company to be appealing, you need to have a website and social media platforms that tell a compelling story and let prospective employees know why they should want to work for you.

What are employee benefit plans?

Employee benefit plans are often a company’s most expensive cost.

There are many different types of employee benefits, but they can be grouped into four main categories: health care, retirement savings, disability, and life insurance.

You probably have developed buyer personas to help with your marketing strategy. You should also develop ideal candidate personas to help you develop messages that attract your ideal applicant. From the details in a job posting to the team page on your website, there are plenty of places where you should showcase day-to-day employee experiences and your company’s vision and values.

Write compelling job descriptions that speak to a job seeker’s aspirations. Instead of saying that you are looking for someone who is a great team player (what business isn’t?), say something like, “Be a part of a collaborative team that provides vital services to Fortune 500 companies.”

Show off your company’s culture through videos and blog posts written by employees. When the people who work for you showcase why they love their job, it goes a long way toward making other people want to work for you, too.

Improve the Employee Experience

Whether you are hiring new people or just want to keep your existing team on board, make an effort to improve the employee experience. Take the time to get to know your team and learn more about what they want. Chances are, taking small steps to ensure that your employees feel trusted and appreciated will make them feel better about their jobs.

Show them that there is a purpose in the work they do and that you are grateful to have them on your team. Be transparent. Give your team the freedom to do their jobs without being micromanaged. All of these things improve the employee experience.

If your budget allows you to do so, annual merit increases, of course, improve employee satisfaction and make job seekers more inclined to apply for a job at your company. Not all perks need to be monetary, though.

Create a working environment where employees are encouraged to take frequent breaks. Ditch the stuffy cubicles in favor of a more open office. Take steps to avoid common frustrations. Even something as simple as making sure that the supply closet is always stocked with ink cartridges improves employee experience and makes your company more enjoyable to work for.

Encourage Transparency

Businesses that rank highly on employee happiness indexes tend to have strong cultures of trust and transparency. Being transparent means maintaining honest and open communication with your team. It makes employees feel more like they are “in the loop” and can eliminate fear, anxiety, and distrust. Everyone should feel like they can talk to you or other members of your team openly and receive honest responses. Transparency builds trust, and trust builds productivity as well as employee happiness.

Follow Your Passion

You started your business for a reason, right? You were passionate enough about something to turn it into a career. Share that passion with your employees. Make it clear in your job postings and on your website. Show off what gets you excited about your business every single day. Passion is contagious. If you can make other people feel passionate about your dream, you will be well on your way to building a company that people want to work for.

Don’t get so caught up in building the “perfect business” that you ignore your own passion. The things that work well for brands like Google and Apple might not be right at all for your company. Think about your values and the qualities you would like to see in someone who works for you. Build a work culture that will appeal to people who share your values and passion. In doing so, you will create a company that people want to work for.