Ever had job vacancies open for more than a month and wondered why you can't seem to find the right person?

Your employer brand is one of the most important aspects in attracting and retaining the best people on the market.

In our latest blog post, we share seven compelling reasons why it's so important to have strong employer branding for recruiting and retaining - and the risks you run if you don't focus on this key element of your business.

Employer branding in recruitment

Employer branding might be a bit of a buzzword right now, but it's not a new idea.

It simply refers to how the world sees you - and that covers people both inside and outside your organisation. It's more than just your reputation - it's the whole perception people have of your company, its values and culture.

This concept has been around forever, but more and more organisations are realising its importance and the proactive steps you can take to cultivate a more positive impression of your business.

That's right - you can change your employer brand if you're realising there's room for improvement. Not sure where to start? Check out our previous blog covering five tips to improve your employer brand.

In this article, we're focusing on the WHY rather than the HOW of employer brand in recruitment so you understand more about how much it matters if you want to attract and retain top talent.

seven reasons why strong employer branding is important in recruitment

So, let's explore the key reasons a strong brand is important for the recruitment process in particular.

It helps you attract the best talent

Your reputation as an employer matters a lot when it comes to talent acquisition. In fact, a huge 88% of job hunters think about a business's employer brand when they're applying for a job.

Whether they're browsing your company website and social media to get a feel for the workplace culture, or trawling sites like Glassdoor to see if previous or existing employees have shared their experiences, they're looking and making their minds up about you.

So, when you cultivate a compelling employer brand, you give the best candidates confidence your business is a great place to work.

It reduces your cost per hire

If you're keen to spend less on attracting potential employees, it's time to work on improving your employer brand.

According to research by LinkedIn, companies that have a good employer brand spend up to 50% less in cost per hire than those with a negative brand.

This makes sense - a company with a great reputation can expect a good number of quality candidates to apply for a role as soon as it goes live, so in theory you won't have to try as hard for so long to find the right people.

Imagine for a moment you could do something that would potentially slash your recruitment budget by half - wouldn't you jump at that chance? And what could you use that surplus budget for?

You attract better quality candidates

Having a fantastic company culture and brand is attractive to talented job seekers who are searching for a healthy workplace where they will be recognised, respected, and valued.

The best people want to work for the best companies, after all. And in today's job market, which is candidate-driven, candidates have the luxury of choosing to work for the employer that offers the best company brand and cultural fit for them.

LinkedIn research revealed companies that invest in employer branding are three times more likely to make a good quality hire.

A strong employer brand helps you retain existing employees

There are so many reasons why employer branding is important, and it's crucial to remember that a good people strategy goes beyond attraction and should incorporate how you'll actually keep fantastic people within your organisation.

High turnover is bad for business - it harms your reputation and costs you money to keep hiring for the same roles. Plus, who wants to work for a company that can't seem to keep hold of its staff?

Research shows that if your company's brand is on point, you can expect to see a 28% increase in employee retention and a 20% increase in employee engagement.

It leads to more referrals

We've talked about the importance of employee referrals in a previous blog post, but did you know that according to LinkedIn, building a strong employer brand can boost your referral rates by 51%?

Encouraging your current employees to act as ambassadors for your company by referring friends and family to apply for relevant vacancies is a highly cost-effective way to hire.

And the benefits go beyond the cost savings - it can also slash the time it takes, as well as attract a better quality candidate.

So, anything you can do to boost the number of referrals you see will pay off significantly.

A good brand helps you hire faster

Having the same vacancy live for months on end isn't good for your productivity or your reputation.

So, if you're keen to get someone in position quickly, having a good company brand becomes even more important.

Statistics from LinkedIn show employer branding can reduce the time to hire by up to 50%. That gives you a lot of additional time to evolve and perform better as a business with the right people in place sooner.

Branding gives you an edge over competitors

When a candidate has multiple offers of similar roles and pay, a positive employer brand can be the deciding factor in which offer they accept.

In a survey by Randstad, 89% of human resources leaders said they felt a strong employer brand gave them a competitive edge in attracting talent.

What's more, 61% of employees who participated in another survey said they would leave their current employer for one with a better brand.

So, a company with a bad reputation is not only running the risk of losing potential candidates, but existing staff, too.

Get support to attract and retain the right talent for your business

If this blog post has made you keen to do some positive work on your employer brand, we're here to help.

Cummins Mellor is a Blackburn recruiter specialising in sourcing top class talent for professional sector roles across East Lancashire.

If you're an East Lancashire HR team leader or managing director looking for a tailored approach to how you hire, we'd love to arrange an initial chat to explore your requirements and business goals to see where we can slot in and support your long-term growth - we work as a true hiring partner to you and offer different recruitment solutions designed around your specific needs and budget, so it’s never a one-size-fits-all approach.

If you're further afield and would love to know more about how to hire better, visit our main blog page for further tips, insights, and practical advice on effective recruitment.

Employer Branding In Recruitment: Is It Really That Important?