by Katrin Koha, May 10, 2017
Companies go to great lengths showing their day-to-day work, as well as their staff, and working environment. An increasing number of companies are making a conscious effort to communicate their image as an employer.
These days, employer branding is attracting a lot of attention for a number of reasons. First, there has been a shift in people’s attitudes when looking for a job (particularly but not exclusively among younger specialists). If we want to go to a restaurant, we go online and read the feedback or comments of past customers. If we like what we read, we go. If not, we look for something else.
It would only be logical then, that a job seeker does a thorough background search of a company before applying for a job with them, or before coming in for an interview. This allows the person to get a better idea of what the company says about itself, as well as what the employees, or anyone else has to say. If the person cannot find this information, or they do not like what they read, it’s most likely that they will not apply, or will cancel the interview.
This means that if the company’s activities have an important and positive impact, if the working environment and the people are fantastic, or if the challenges are especially interesting, but the company makes no effort to show off or describe all this, it is very unlikely to catch the eye of a real talent.
Recruiting is a two-way street
Second, employer branding is important for finding employees who share the same values, and are a good fit for the company; and who would also find the company to be a good fit for themselves.
However, this does not mean that a company should only look for one kind of person. A diversity of backgrounds, skills, opinions, and knowledge within the staff only give an advantage. What is important is to agree on the basic values, as this lays the foundation for an excellent cooperation.
As early as the interview stage, it is important for the job applicant to have the chance to “interview” the employer as well. They need to hear about the activities of the company, its working culture and cooperation principles, as well as the role of the current employees, and the impact of their work.
Satisfaction is determined by the broader impact of the work
In my experience, the values that an employee appreciates in the employer and in the job are fairly universal: people find it important to have a job that has an impact; that what they do makes something else better. They want to feel proud of their work and their employer, they want an enjoyable and inspiring team and working environment, they want to be taken into account, and to be offered development opportunities.
It goes without saying that pay is also important, but studies and practice are increasingly showing that pay is only important up to a certain income level. Pay is rarely the determining factor in choosing or leaving a job.
If you’re interested in working in Nortal, have a look at our career page or get directly in touch with me!