Is Employer Branding Marketing or HR Driven?

Employer branding is a crucial element in attracting top talent to your company. Your employer brand is the reputation your company has, and is a major factor for attracting top talent to your business and open positions. 

But who is responsible for cultivating and managing your employer brand? 

Is it the marketing team or the HR team? 

Let's explore the roles of marketing and HR in employer branding and how they work together to create a strong employer brand strategy to support your recruitment process and attract the ideal candidates.

Key Takeaways:

• Both marketing and HR play important roles in employer branding and should collaborate to create a unified recruitment marketing strategy. 
• Marketing is responsible for delivering consistent company brand messages across all customer channels like PPC, trade shows and Blog Posts for SEO, while HR focuses on understanding and meeting the needs of employees. The skills of both are required.
• In medium to large companies, a Talent Acquisition Specialist may sit across both Marketing and HR to ensure the best recruitment results and potential candidates are engaged. 
• An employer brand is the perception of working for a company and is amplified by creating a culture that puts employees first, and sharing these Employee Videos. Here are 21 Employer Branding statistics you should know.
• Employer branding is rarely the sole responsibility of any one department; it requires collaboration between marketing, HR, and other functions within the organization.
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What is an Employer Brand?

An employer brand is the reputation a company has on the market and future employees. It is how people perceive the organization from the outside, including both current and previous employees. 

An employer brand encompasses the thoughts, feelings, and opinions of individuals regarding what it's like to work for a particular company - it is all about telling employee stories the right way, like with video. It goes beyond just the company's products or services and focuses on the culture and employee experience.
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How are Employer Branding and Workplace Culture Connected?

Before getting into specific roles, it's good to know that employer branding, at its heart, is about creating a workplace culture that puts your employees at the forefront, which is a task of your entire company. 

Technically, putting employees first includes building an employee value proposition for your current and potential employees, with reasons they should want to work at your company - not a competitors. It's about creating a positive perception of working for the organization, highlighting the benefits and opportunities available.

By cultivating a strong employer brand, companies can attract top talent that may otherwise be out of reach. Candidates are more likely to be drawn to organizations with a positive employer brand, as it signals a desirable workplace and culture. Additionally, an employer brand helps organizations differentiate themselves from their competitors and create a unique identity in the market.
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How do I Build my Employer Brand?

Building an employer brand is a crucial process that requires time and effort. It involves creating a compelling employee value proposition (EVP) that attracts potential employees to your organization.

 When developing your employer brand, consider what sets your company apart and why someone would want to work for you. Highlight your unique culture, benefits, and opportunities for growth.

Building your Employer Brand is a topic in itself, so please see our "What is Employer Brand" guide with neat industry tips and tricks by the Vouch team to get your employer brand on track.
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What is the Role of Marketing and HR in Employer Branding?

Both marketing and HR play crucial roles in building and maintaining an effective employer brand. Marketing is responsible for delivering consistent brand messages that align with the organization's values and culture. Marketing should have a deep understanding of the company's brand and how it should be communicated to potential and current customers and employees. 

HR, on the other hand, focuses on the recruitment process and sets policies that are in line with the employer brand. To break it down a little further:

• Marketing is responsible for creating an internal culture that reflects the brand values and attracts top talent.
• HR ensures that the recruitment process is aligned with the employer brand and that potential employees understand and resonate with the company's values.
• A Talent Acquisition Specialist is a role that bridges both departments and is often a highly sought-after position in medium to larger companies with strong competition when it comes to finding and onboarding the best talent.
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Does a Talent Acquisition Specialist remove HR and Marketing?

Even with a Talent Acquisition Specialist steering the ship, collaboration between the entire company, including marketing and HR, is key to successfully developing and implementing an employer brand strategy. 

Everyone needs to work together to build your Employer Brand, EVPs, and determine the communication channels that will effectively reach your target audience (the ideal candidates). 

Recruitment marketing channels can include company websites, social media platforms, and internal communication platforms. Additionally, storytelling plays a vital role in conveying the employer's brand. By sharing authentic stories about the company's culture and the experiences of its employees, marketing and HR can create a compelling narrative that attracts and engages talent.

Developing your Employee Value Proposition (EVP)

Your Employee Value Proposition is the unique set of benefits and values that your organization offers to employees. It is what sets you apart from other employers and makes you an attractive choice. When developing your value proposition, consider the following high-level questions:

"What do we offer that others don't?"

"What benefits and perks do we provide?"

"What is our company culture like?"

"What growth opportunities do we offer?"

"What is our mission and purpose?"

Answering these questions will help you craft a compelling value proposition that resonates with potential employees. If you would like to learn more, please see our Employee Value Propositions Tips & Examples.
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Should I Be Measuring Employee and Candidate Satisfaction?

Absolutely, and this is where your Marketing team can really shine with their analytics skillsets. Regularly measuring employee satisfaction and engagement is crucial in building an employer brand, and this can be done through surveys, employee feedback sessions using video or one-on-one meetings. 

Understanding the needs and preferences of your employees will help you identify areas for improvement and implement changes that contribute to a positive employer brand.

Some key metrics to measure employee satisfaction and engagement include:

• Overall job satisfaction
• Perception of company culture
• Opportunities for growth and development
• Work-life balance
• Manager support and communication

By regularly measuring these metrics, you can identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement, ensuring your employer brand remains strong.
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FAQs

Is employer branding marketing or HR-driven?

Employer branding is a collaborative effort between marketing and HR. Both functions play important roles in creating and promoting the employer brand strategy.

What is an employer brand?

An employer brand is the reputation a company has in the talent market. It encompasses how both current and previous employees perceive the organization.

How do you build an employer brand?

Building an employer brand involves creating a value proposition for potential employees and meeting the needs of current employees. It is about cultivating a positive culture from the inside out.

Who is responsible for employer branding?

The responsibility for employer branding is a shared one. Both the talent acquisition team and HR team have valuable skills that contribute to employer branding. Marketing also plays a role in delivering consistent brand messages.

Why is employer branding important in organizations?

Employer branding is important as it helps attract and retain top talent, leading to increased financial performance. It also enhances the motivation and engagement of employees, creating a positive employee experience.

What is the role of marketing and HR in employer branding?

Marketing is responsible for delivering consistent brand messages and understanding how they should be communicated. HR is responsible for the recruitment process and setting policies aligned with the organization's values. Both functions should work together to create a unified strategy.

What is the conclusion about employer branding?

Employer branding is a team effort that requires collaboration between marketing and HR. It is an important part of a company's overall brand strategy and should not be underestimated in its impact on attracting and retaining top talent.

Conclusion

Employer branding is a crucial aspect of any organization's brand strategy. It requires collaboration between the marketing and HR teams to create a strong employer brand that attracts and retains top talent.

By working together, these two functions can create a unified strategy that effectively communicates your employer brand and improves your hiring process and cost per hire. You can also leverage tools like Vouch video on your social media channels to build trust and reach qualified candidates.

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