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When things go silent and you aren’t receiving many job applications you may wonder if there’s something wrong on your end. Could something be switching people off or losing their attention? Generally, the culprit is a neglected employer brand – your reputation as a workplace.

If you don’t look after your reputation on social media, at industry events, and within your own company you could be missing out on promising office support talent. People should be leaving glowing reviews about your company both in private, and in public.

When you’re dealing with office work on a daily basis, you probably don’t have the time to deal with marketing or promoting yourself every five minutes online. This is why we’ve put together a few quick tips on how to market yourself honestly to job seekers with the help of your team.

1. Be Authentic

More often than not, companies can get caught up in the need to impress job seekers with fancy titles and false marketing. When in reality, all that people want to see is the truth about a business and what it is they’re offering. Honest marketing is charming, alluring, and most importantly it can make your company attractive to the right people. When potential candidates can relate, and identify with your brand, it shows they want to be a part of your mission, values, and company culture. Being blatantly honest about your company can also filter out any unwanted applicants that won’t fit in with your company culture.

2. Get Your Team Involved

The best way to send the right message to your audience is to get your team actively involved in the process. Since your team are the people that best know how your workplace operates on a day-to-day basis, they can probably share some good stories and testimonials. For starters, you can gather quirky and fun facts about each of your team members. Do they have a special talent and what do they do in their free time? Now that a large proportion of workers want flexibility, get your team talking about the ways that you support flexible working within your business. These examples can be weaved through people’s bios or help you craft key selling points for new candidates. Put these team bios up on your company website so people get an idea of each person’s personality, as well as what they love most about working in your team.

3. Boost Your Brand Online

Social media plays a large part in how people perceive your company and your online reputation is the first thing people will notice. Give your team the freedom to get involved by promoting your company online. If you don’t already have accounts on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram set up some accounts specifically for your team. Doing this means your team can post specific work related content on there.

You can use social media to your advantage and show job seekers what it’s really like to work at your company. Show people your company’s personality and give them a taste of a typical day, and what it “feels” like to work in your team. For example, take photos of your office space, or social events and upload them to your social media channels.

Your team should also be actively encouraging one another so recognising achievements publicly and online can really set the scene. Post these awards, certificates, or milestones online and get your team to share these articles as well. Job seekers will certainly take note of how supportive your team members are towards each other, and they’ll have a glimpse into what your company is like.

Your team can also stay proactive by sharing work related articles, posts, and regularly updating your social media platforms as well. You should also observe what people are saying online in regards to reviews on sites such as SEEK, Glassdoor and Indeed. If you happen to come across any negative reviews, see if your employees can up your ratings with some positive reviews instead.

4. Take Your Team to Business Events

Outside office hours is when you can really get out into the community and promote your company. Bring your team along as well whenever you can as it demonstrates their interest and that they’re happy to represent your company’s message. There are various industry events such as the Corporate PA Summit (Sydney, Melbourne), National EA/PA Forum (Sydney, Melbourne), EAN Conference, and the Executive PA Magazine Awards. Send a representative who can attend on your behalf and gather valuable information for you and your team at these events. Even better if you can send more than one attendee, but this will depend on your budget and workload.

If your team members are eager to speak at industry events give them the chance to do so. Regularly attending these industry events and actively participating can increase your credibility. And it’s a good way to get your current team engaged so they feel connected to your company.

5. Make Your Candidates Say “Wow”

Nothing is more disappointing than signing up to a job that is the exact opposite of what was advertised or promised. If you falsely market who you are then there may be a trail of negative reviews that can ultimately put off other people from applying. To make your candidates experience memorable in the right way you should pay attention to each step in the process. When a candidate first interacts with your team, from the job application to the interview, this can affect a person’s decision on whether they want to join your team or not.

If that candidate is successful, you should make them feel welcomed on their very first day. Depending on your style you could throw a surprise get together and decorate their desk with delicious treats, and company branded products. A simple welcome poster on their desk or an email from the CEO to announce their arrival to the team can also stand out. Or you can take them out for a coffee on their first day to calm their nerves. These small things count in the long run and they can often make or break your candidate’s experience. A candidate can spread the good word about your company through word of mouth, and if this happens you know you’ve done a good job!

Summary

When you let your employees take over your employer branding, they can work as the best advocates on getting the word out about your company. Through online marketing, both internal and external, you’ll be painting a picture of why you’re an employer of choice. Overall, job seekers will see how great your company and team are, and they’ll know exactly what they’re signing up for.

If you’re company isn’t receiving enough exposure or if you want to strengthen your recruitment process, don’t hesitate, get in touch today.