Employer branding with careersites: Strengthen your employer brand
What is employer branding?
Employer branding is the process by which an organization positions itself as an appealing place to work. This process revolves around creating a positive image that attracts potential employees while inspiring current ones. The goal is to establish your company as a place with a strong culture, attractive benefits, and abundant opportunities for both personal and professional growth.
In today’s competitive job market, where top talent is hard to come by, employer branding is not only crucial for attracting new applicants but also for retaining existing employees. People want to feel a connection to the organization they work for. They expect more than just a product or service – they want to be part of a company that has a positive impact on society and cares about its employees.
The role of careers sites in employer branding
Careers sites are an essential tool in your employer branding strategy. These websites serve as the digital hub where potential candidates learn everything about your company, its culture, and the job opportunities you offer. A well-crafted careers site goes beyond just listing job openings; it’s an opportunity to showcase your organization in a way that helps candidates connect with your brand and inspires them to apply.
A careers site allows you to highlight much more than the basics of available roles. It’s your chance to present your company’s culture, values, mission, and vision in a visually engaging and informative way. By doing so, you create a platform not just for job listings, but for candidates to get excited about joining your organization.
Storytelling: The story behind your company
Storytelling is a potent tool in employer branding. It’s not just about sharing dry facts or corporate lingo; it’s about telling a compelling narrative that resonates with your target audience. Careers sites offer the perfect opportunity to tell your company’s story – not only through text but also through powerful visual content like photos, videos, and employee interviews.
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What is storytelling and why is it important?
Storytelling in employer branding is about sharing engaging narratives that connect with your audience on an emotional level. It's not just about stating facts or listing benefits—it's about showing who you are as a company, what values you stand for, and why you’re a great place to work. You can do this through personal stories from employees, videos that capture your company’s atmosphere, or articles that highlight your organization’s impact on society.
Storytelling humanizes your organization and makes it more relatable. Instead of relying on dry statistics or corporate jargon, storytelling gives candidates a chance to see the people behind the brand and understand how they contribute to its success. This personal touch can make a huge difference—it can turn a candidate who is simply looking for a job into one who is excited about the opportunity to join your company.
Examples of storytelling on career sites
Employee testimonials: Let your employees tell their stories. When they share their personal experiences, it adds authenticity and builds trust with potential candidates.
Workplace videos: Show what it’s like to work at your company with short videos featuring your office environment, team activities, or special events. This gives candidates a real sense of your company culture.
Success stories: Share stories of employees who have grown and advanced within the company. This highlights opportunities for career development and demonstrates that your organization is committed to helping employees thrive.
Engaging diverse audiences
A great thing about storytelling on career sites is its ability to reach different types of candidates. Not all job seekers are looking for the same experience, so your storytelling should reflect the diverse needs and expectations of various groups.
For example, if your target audience is millennials, you could share stories about how your company promotes flexibility, like offering remote work or the opportunity to travel while working. If you're aiming at more seasoned professionals, you could highlight leadership opportunities and your company’s focus on innovation. By tailoring your storytelling to speak to each audience, you can attract the right people and make them feel like your company is the right fit for them.
Authenticity and transparency: Building trust
When it comes to employer branding, authenticity and transparency are crucial. Candidates today value honesty and want to know what they’re getting into before they apply. A transparent approach on your careersite can go a long way in building trust with potential candidates. This involves sharing not just the good aspects of working at your organization but also being open about the challenges you face.
One way to demonstrate authenticity is by allowing your employees to speak directly about their experiences—both the positive and the challenging parts of working within your company. Transparency is also about providing clear and honest information regarding the terms of employment, working conditions, and what you expect from your employees. By doing so, you help candidates feel more confident in their decision-making process, knowing they are getting a full, honest picture of your company.
Visual and content strategy: Crafting an engaging user experience
Your visual content strategy is essential in shaping how your employer brand is perceived. People are naturally drawn to visuals, and an appealing careersite can make the difference between a candidate clicking through to learn more or leaving. Use images that authentically reflect your company culture—whether it's photos of your team in action, your office space, or snapshots from company events. These visuals give candidates a deeper sense of what life is like at your organization.
Your content strategy also plays a big role in reinforcing your brand. The language on your site should reflect your company’s tone and culture, and it should be consistent with the voice you use across other communication channels like your main website or social media. When your messaging is unified, it creates a seamless experience for candidates and makes your organization appear cohesive and professional.
Targeting the right audience: Tailoring your message
Simply posting job openings on your work-at-home site isn’t enough. To make sure you’re attracting the right candidates, your messaging needs to be tailored to specific groups. This could mean creating dedicated sections of your careersite for different types of candidates—whether that’s for entry-level positions, experienced professionals, or executives.
By targeting specific audiences with personalized content and job listings, you increase the likelihood of attracting candidates who align with your organization’s culture and values. This targeted approach strengthens your employer brand by showing that your company understands and caters to the needs of various types of talent. It ensures that you are speaking directly to the people who are most likely to thrive within your organization, creating a more effective and engaging experience for everyone involved.
Careersite as part of the candidate experience
The user experience (UX) on your careersite is essential. It needs to be visually appealing, but more importantly, it should be easy to navigate and intuitive. Job seekers should be able to quickly find the information they need—whether it’s about open positions, your company culture, or how to apply.
A mobile-friendly design is also non-negotiable. With more people applying for jobs on their smartphones, it’s crucial that your careersite works well on mobile devices. This means job listings should be easy to browse, and application forms should be simple to fill out, even from a small screen.
Enhancing your careersite with Serena CMS
Serena is designed to optimize your careersite with powerful features that let you customize job pages and application forms exactly the way you want. The platform makes it easy to add visual content, like images, videos, and employee testimonials, that help paint a true picture of your company culture.
What’s more, Serena doesn’t just allow you to customize the layout—it enables you to adapt the user experience for different devices, such as desktops and mobiles. With this flexibility, your careersite is always ready to provide a seamless experience, no matter how visitors access it. Optimizing your site for both desktop and mobile ensures that no candidate is left behind.
Measuring and optimizing your employer brand
How do you know if your careersite is effective? By using analytics tools like Google Analytics, you can track the behavior of visitors: where they’re coming from, which pages they’re engaging with, and how long they’re staying. This data provides valuable insights into what’s working and what might need improvement.
With Serena CMS, it’s easy to make changes based on this data. If you notice certain pages or content aren’t performing as well as expected, you can quickly adjust. Continuous optimization allows you to keep your careersite in tune with your target audience, making your employer branding strategy more effective over time.
In conclusion:
A great careersite is at the heart of a successful employer branding strategy. It’s not just a place for job postings—it’s where you tell your company’s story, showcase your culture, and engage with potential candidates. When your site is transparent, visually appealing, and easy to navigate, it strengthens your employer brand and makes it more likely you’ll attract the right talent.
Thanks to Serena, you have all the tools to build a careersite that aligns with your organizational goals and resonates with your ideal candidates. A well-crafted site doesn’t just attract applicants—it helps you create a lasting connection with the people who will thrive in your workplace.