Don’t Burn Your Employer Brand Bridge: You’ll Need to Cross the River Again

When I opened an email in summer 2015 from an employer I’d recently interviewed with, I was disappointed, but for a reason beyond the decision to not hire me.

“At this time we have chosen to not move forward with next steps in interviewing and again appreciate your interest,” the hiring manager wrote.

That’s it? Where’s the why?

I was left with knowing I’d been rejected, but I was neglected knowledge of what the employer was looking for that I could not offer, why I would not be the best fit, and what I could do to strengthen my candidacy for another role.

Communication and feedback are critical in the process of attracting and retaining strong talent, and maintaining good rapport with all talent that might cross your path.

Employer branding doesn’t stop when HR says “no.”

When leaders decide to reject candidates and deliver news of their decision, they must take an approach that moves away from automated messages, and instead, personalize each letter. After all – that’s your business’s future customers you’re speaking to!

Growth of your organization becomes more challenging when its leaders lack a transparent employment brand and a positive candidate experience.

Eighty percent of talent leaders, according to a 2017 Global Recruiting Trends Report, said employer brand has a significant impact on their ability to find great talent.

One important element that shapes employment brand is the referral.

Referrals can replicate a domino effect because employment brand is a compilation of each candidate’s experience – a chain reaction that begins with one experience, collides with the next and so on. Each positive experience will likely produce a referral, which is a valuable tool for attracting applicants.

Talent acquisition teams are increasingly relying on referrals, and top candidates are, too. Those on the job hunt go to their own networks for the scoop: what’s it really like to work there?

As part of its Talent Pulse research, the Human Capital Institute in 2014 found employee referrals to be the most effective method for sourcing active candidates. Of the research sample, 79 percent rated referrals as an “effective or very effective” method of sourcing active candidates.

If leaders haven’t established a clear brand and provided a pleasant candidate experience, they’ll likely miss the opportunity of bringing skilled talent on board.

Remember, your organization’s reputation is always on the line. Valuable talent pools are shopping for you, and your company must stand out in a competitive job marketplace. Tell and sell who you are, what you value and what you believe in.

Learn to use your employer brand to catch and capture the best candidates by watching the on demand webcast, Employer Branding & Candidate Experience: Remaining Inventive while Delivering, during which you will learn how employment brand and candidate experience alignment is essential to your company’s growth.