Article n°3 - 8 min

How To Make Your Brand A Talent Magnet

What is employer branding?

What is the ROI of a strong employer brand?

How do you build a strong employer brand?

The labour market is increasingly competitive and qualified candidates have more choice than even before. With that comes the necessity for investment firms to stand out and convince the best people to apply and work for them.

People are the lifeblood of any business. Having the best people will put you ahead of the competition and also attract more investors, who only want the best people to manage their assets.

On the other hand high employee turnover and constant hiring are extremely expensive and are a drag on a firm’s resources.

Here’s how you can make your brand a talent magnet.

Employer branding is the process of defining and promoting a company's reputation as an employer.

It’s about communicating your firm’s attributes to current and potential employees. Essentially, it is how a company is perceived as a place to work, which can significantly impact its ability to attract and retain top talent.

Companies that invest in a robust employer brand are more likely to stand out and appeal to people who are looking for more than just a paycheck—they are seeking a company where they can thrive, feel valued, and build a meaningful career.

1— Conduct your employer brand audit

The first step in building a strong employer brand is to conduct a thorough audit. This involves evaluating how your company is currently perceived as an employer, both internally by your employees and externally by the broader job market. Start by gathering feedback from employees through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. These insights can help you understand the strengths and weaknesses of your current workplace culture, work environment, and employee satisfaction levels.

Externally, analyze how job seekers perceive your company by monitoring social media mentions, comments on job posts, and reviews on employer review platforms like Glassdoor. This will give you a clear picture of your company’s reputation in the job market. The information gathered from this audit will serve as a foundation for developing/improving your employer brand.

2 — Define Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP) is a clear statement that explains what makes your company unique and why people should work there.

At Varig we’ve developed the Brand Y.I.E.L.D.™ framework to help you define your EVP, make it distinctive and to attract and retain the best talent.

  • Y for Your firm’s reality: Be honest about the realities of working at your firm to attract the right candidates and repel the rest.

  • I for Important: highlight the number one principle that’s considered most important to everyone.

  • E for Expectations: highlight what the company expects from candidates and what each individual will get in return.

  • L for Lived experience: what is the day-to-day experience of working at your firm. Show your employees level of satisfaction (if it’s good).

  • D for Differentiate: Differentiate yourself through your culture, the sense of belonging it creates, the impact your firm wants to have on the world, your purpose and values.

Based on our research, many firms struggle defining a strong EVP for three reasons.

1- Firms only include the benefits and opportunities they provide to employees, without ever detailing what they expect in return. This is critical information that applicants need in order to determine whether they will be able to succeed and thrive at a company.

2- Firms paint this rosy picture of how it is to work for them to attract more applicants. This doesn’t represent reality. Strong employer branding is about doing the opposite: attracting fewer applicants of higher quality. Your EVP should repel more than it attracts. Embrace your dark side and be honest about it. Why is your firm great for some people (your ideal candidate profile) and bad for others (those you don’t want.

3- Most firms don’t have a defined Brand DNA to begin with. The impact they want to have on the world and their purpose are poorly defined, which makes it difficult to define the D in the Y.I.E.L.D framework.

5 — Promote your employer brand internally

Internal promotion is just as important as external promotion. Encourage employees to become brand ambassadors by sharing their positive experiences and promoting the company culture. This can be achieved through ambassador programs, internal communications, and recognition programs that make employees feel valued and engaged.

When employees are happy and engaged, they are more likely to speak positively about the company to their networks, enhancing your employer brand organically. Creating a strong internal brand culture also ensures that employees are aligned with the company’s values and goals, which is crucial for long-term success.

3 — Broadcast it

Now it’s time to broadcast your employer brand and make it visible.

Start by optimizing your company website to reflect your brand values and showcase your company culture, employee experiences, and job opportunities. Ensure that the website is user-friendly and mobile-optimized to provide a seamless experience for visitors.

Social media is a powerful tool for employer branding. Maintain an active profile on LinkedIn to share engaging content about your company, such as employee stories/testimonials, company events, and achievements. This helps build a community around your brand and keeps potential candidates interested and informed.

Additionally, monitor and manage your online reviews on sites like Glassdoor or Indeed, and respond promptly to feedback to show that you value employee input.

7 — Signs you need to work on your employer brand

  • You’re not satisfied with the level of employee satisfaction.

  • You struggle attracting qualified candidates.

  • Your firm’s Brand DNA is not well defined.

  • You have had vacant job roles for a while.

  • You need a consistent workplace culture.

  • You feel like workplace morale is weak.

  • Your firm has a high turnover rate.

+50%

Employers with a strong employer brand receive 50% more qualified candidates and spend 50% less for every hire.

(Employer branding statistics, Zipdo 2024)

Strong employer branding can reduce the time to hire by up to 50%

(LinkedIn Employer Brand Statistics, 2024)

-50%

-28%

Companies with a strong employer brand see a 28% reduction on average in employee turnover

(LinkedIn Employer Brand Statistics, 2024)

4 — Your job postings: candidates first interaction with your employer brand

Your recruitment and selection process plays a crucial role in shaping your employer brand—more than you might initially realize. This extends beyond just hiring; it includes every step of your process, from the initial job postings and application submission to the interview phases, job offers, and the onboarding of new employees.

It's essential to consider if your brand message is consistently communicated to candidates throughout these stages. Are you effectively showcasing what it's truly like to be a part of your organization? Does your process make it clear why a candidate should choose your company over another? Additionally, is your recruitment process seamless and timely, with open lines of communication and regular updates to keep candidates informed?

A well-designed recruitment process doesn't just fill positions—it creates a positive first impression, leading to motivated and engaged employees, reduced turnover, and increased productivity. On the flip side, a poorly executed recruitment and onboarding experience can have the opposite effect, doubling the likelihood of new hires leaving the company early. Ensuring that every step of your hiring process reflects your employer brand is key to attracting and retaining top talent.

6 — What gets measured gets improved

It is important to continuously measure and refine your employer branding efforts. Track metrics such as employee retention rates, job offer acceptance rates, and the number of qualified applicants per position to assess the effectiveness of your employer brand. Regularly gather feedback from employees and job candidates to identify areas for improvement.

Turn these insights into reality.