CANDIDATES ARE CUSTOMERS AND YOUR COMPANY A COMMODITY
Too many companies are on an endless cycle of reactive recruitment and struggle to attract and retain
top talent.
Branding, which is the foundation of product marketing, allows a business to win customers in a
competitive market, but only recently has the concept gained momentum in the recruitment market.
It’s a natural leap however from product to people, as candidates seek to work for companies in the
same way customers seek to transact with them – when the offer is compelling and they are known to
deliver what the customer desires. For an organisation to recruit effectively, its brand needs to be known,
understood and desirable to the target market. This is the essence of employer branding.
With a strong employer brand, an organisation can build employer of choice status, attract top talent
and retain engaged, productive and motivated employees for longer.
Employer of Choice – an organisation
that is, and is known to be, a great
place to work.
An employer of choice understands
the importance of an authentic and
clearly defined brand that aligns
closely with the organisation’s values
and vision.
Developing a strong employer brand is the key to attracting and retaining talented employees.
It also helps to inspire a solid and united corporate culture that means employees are more engaged
with the business, fulfilled and more likely to remain happily with the company.
Our guide outlines what employer branding is all about, why it matters and how you can develop a
strong employer brand.
PAGE 1 | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPLOYER BRANDING SCOUTTALENT.COM.AU

WHAT IS EMPLOYER BRANDING?
The three associated terms of employer branding, employer brand and EVP (employee value
proposition) are often used interchangeably but refer to different aspects.
Let’s break these down.
| Employer Brand
This exists in the minds of your current and prospective
employees. It is the perception they have formed about
what it means to work for your organisation based on any
interaction they have with your brand. You don’t control
or own this perception, but you can influence a candi-
date’s impression of your employer brand through…
| Employer Branding
This is the act of taking your positive, authentic
employer brand to market. Employer branding can affect
every touchpoint prospective and current employees
have with an organisation. If executed effectively, em-
ployer branding can help with recruitment, retention and
position your company as an employer of choice to your
target market.
| Employee Value Proposition
Your employee value proposition (EVP) is the foundation
of your employer brand. It is a statement that speaks to
the benefits, culture and motivations that make up your
‘why work with us’. Ultimately, your EVP should clearly
capture why your top talent joins and stays with your or-
ganisation. The aim of your employer branding is to bring
this to life to create a loyal customer base of current and
prospective employees.
PAGE 2 | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPLOYER BRANDING SCOUTTALENT.COM.AU

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
We know an organisation’s employer brand is owned by current and prospective employees, but the
question of who within the business is responsible for the company’s employer branding efforts attracts
differing opinions.
Studies have revealed perspective of ownership between HR, CEOs and marketing varies widely. Hu-
man resources professionals and Chief Executives believe they own employer branding, while market-
ing specialists appear undecided... but believe they should have some involvement!
Successful employer branding will only occur when there is an aligned approach across multiple depart-
ments and stakeholders. Employer branding is the responsibility of everyone in the organisation, with
key drivers from the CEO through to marketing, human resources, communications and senior manage-
ment.
With such internal discord, a unified, strategic response to employer branding is difficult to achieve and
a strategic partner is often required to ease the chaos.
EMPLOYER BRANDING MATTERS NOW!
Employers no longer have the control. We have entered the age of the talent economy. Your reputation
as an employer is under scrutiny and candidates are acting like customers to determine if your offer,
benefits and brand are worth their investment.
Prospective employees are doing their homework on you and are influenced by what they find. In our
broadcast world, where people feel compelled to share their experience on social media, the messages
your candidates come across may not be the ones you want to promote.
On average, candidates
engage with 16 total
resources in their job search.
*CareerBuilder 2016 Candidate Behaviour survey
PAGE 3 | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPLOYER BRANDING SCOUTTALENT.COM.AU

MARKETING MINDSET
To stay relevant in a job-seeker’s market, employers need to adopt a marketing mindset and apply cus-
tomer-centric principles of attraction and retention to their recruitment efforts. Your employer brand is
central to this.
Your employer brand influences the quality of your workforce, drives engagement and creates motivated
employees who are committed to your organisation. Ultimately, a strong employer brand is linked to
higher revenue and greater return on investment from the people in your organisation.
The companies that succeed in recruitment over the long term will be the ones who create and promote
a strong employer brand that sets them apart from competitors.
A STRONG EMPLOYER BRAND SHOULD:
• Drive higher applications from the right candidates
• Build and educate a talent pool of high calibre candidates who want to work with you
• Build employer of choice status and save on recruitment costs
• Reduce ‘reactive recruitment’ as you build a high-quality talent pipeline
• Ensure candidates align to your company culture to foster an engaged workforce
• Build employee loyalty and retain top talent for longer
• Improve employee motivation and productivity
• Encourage employees to act as brand advocates
PAGE 4 | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPLOYER BRANDING SCOUTTALENT.COM.AU
Employees are the most powerful brand ambassadors
at your disposal and should be encouraged to engage
with the business and its culture to secure their positive
endorsement. This is only achieved with the delivery
of a considered, clear, and well-articulated employer
brand communicated internally and externally. Tactics
to deliver employee advocacy include social media
sharing and engagement activities, career blogs and
referral programs.
According to the 2016 Edelman Trust Barometer, trust in
employees as credible spokespeople for companies is on the
rise and there is significant opportunity to provide evidence
from “people like me” to influence candidate behaviour.
45% of people are more likely to apply for a job if they saw a
friend post about the position on social media vs. other means.
(Bamboo, 2016)

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
We know that for businesses to attract and retain high calibre candidates, it is critical they share a
consistent, powerful employer brand that positions them as an employer of choice in the minds of their
target market.
But, what are the steps to building a strong
employer brand that leads to employer of
choice status?
| Research – Successful employer brands
have one thing in common. They are authentic
and lived by the organisation every day. To
create a strong employer brand, you need to
understand what you’re working with and be
honest about your company culture and
benefits. You need to know what you are and,
more importantly, what you aren’t.
| Research steps include:
• Understand the impressions of your current workforce (EVP discovery interviews, exit interviews
and employee engagement surveys are key)
• Review what is being said about you (Have you looked at your Glassdoor listing recently?)
• Identify EVP themes and test these theories (Are the themes you have identified truly those that
are most important to your people and prospective employees?)
• Review how your employer brand is communicated across your owned assets
(Are your website, job ads and social channels portraying a consistent message?)
• Benchmark how well your EVP themes are communicated across your owned assets (Conduct a
SWOT analysis of your assets to identify opportunities for improvement)
Articulation – To articulate a single EVP statement, distil the key themes into the fundamental
motivations of your workforce to join and stay.
Strategic Execution – Create and enhance your employer brand-driven recruitment and retention strat-
egies with roll out across the most relevant channels.
| Key strategies include:
• Engage employees in your EVP to encourage advocate behaviour
• SHOW the world what your employer brand is through storytelling, advocates and social media
• Implement a candidate management system to amplify your strategy
PAGE 5 | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPLOYER BRANDING SCOUTTALENT.COM.AU

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
Careers sites are the most import source of hire, yet organisations
continue to under invest in this key employer branding channel.
Companies who redesign their careers page have reported receiving
eight times as many applications, which underlines the importance of
this platform to jobseekers.
PAGE 6 | YOUR GUIDE TO EMPLOYER BRANDING SCOUTTALENT.COM.AU
If you have a candidate management system linked to a careers page, you are probably engaging in
employer branding activities without even realising.
It all starts with the communication style used in your job ads. And the best job ads will tell prospective
applicants exactly what they need to know. The tone and language of the ad, as well as the message
itself, provides powerful insight into your organisation. This will help attract people who culturally fit with
your business and want to work with you, and deflect those that don’t.
Our recruitment technology is uniquely placed to meet your employer branding needs. If you’re ready
to start your employer brand journey and embrace a world of proactive recruitment, talk to one of our
specialists today.
scouttalent.com.au
Mark Puncher - Head of Employer Branding at SCOUT Talent.
Mark.puncher@scouttalent.com.au
Ph 07 3330 2584