With tech talent in extremely high demand (tech unemployment was 2% in February, according to CompTIA), employer branding and reputation has become a vital component to the recruiting strategies of organizations eager to stand out and differentiate their offerings from other employers.
Employer branding may feel like a large investment of time and money, but it can be simplified and accomplished with a phased approach when we think about it as a way of engaging with candidates. At the heart of that engagement lies the connection to mission, purpose and values. Organizations that can clearly articulate why they exist, what they are doing and what values their employees exhibit are better able to find, attract, hire and retain talent – no matter the size of their organization.
Here are three effective ways organizations are leveraging employer branding (with minimal investment) to differentiate themselves in today’s competitive market and increase apply rates.
1. Align with Candidate Values
Tech recruiters know technologists value aspects of work differently than other functions, like accounting or customer care. Consider your organizational values and how those values relate to and align with technologists’ values. Dice’s latest data shows that three in ten technologists are considering leaving their current roles in the next year and 26% of those technologists anticipate changing employers to find an opportunity that better aligns with their personal values.
Some of the personal values tech candidates are increasingly interested in aligning with their employers on relate to culture and inclusion. Forty-eight percent of candidates believe that a company’s DEI reputation is moderately to extremely influential in the decision to work there, according to Dice’s 2022 Equality in Tech Report. As DEI commitments and reputation continue to grow in importance and influence how tech candidates weigh opportunities, it behooves organizations to include current initiatives and programs in their employer branding communications.
Check out the Dice Tech Job Report for the latest data and trends in tech hiring.
2. Personalized Engagement with Candidates
Recruiting is a two-way street and when it comes to employer branding, it’s important to think beyond communicating your mission, values and culture. Employer branding also encompasses a candidate’s experience with your brand during the recruitment process.
With how reliant we’ve all become on fast processes and speedy fulfillment, organizations that make it easy to apply for jobs and easy to connect with a recruiter and hiring manager are standing out from competitors on process alone. In addition to creating a positive experience for candidates, you’ll widen your candidate pool and increase your apply rate when a candidate can apply for a job faster than they can order lunch on their phone.
On top of making the application process efficient and easy to follow, adding opportunities for candidates to engage with a recruiter one-on-one can also improve the candidate’s experience with your brand and influence their decision to interview and, ultimately, accept an offer.
3. Adapting Requirements to Meet Candidates Where They Are
Organizations that are winning candidates are not thinking about hiring the same way they were two years ago. To attract top talent, these organizations are paying attention to candidates’ changing needs and adjusting how jobs are designed and the environment in which work is done.
One of the more obvious changes is the gravitation to remote and flexible work. While there are a number of technologists who are interested in working remotely full-time, there are still many others who prefer a hybrid or fully in-office approach. (Check out Dice’s Technologist Sentiment Report for a full breakdown on technologists’ remote work preferences.) Understanding that needs will vary by candidate and being able to adjust requirements based on preferences can turn into a decision maker for some candidates.
The commonality in all three of these ways organizations are leveraging employer branding is personalization of the candidate experience. With the power now in candidates’ hands, it’s important to keep a pulse on ways to communicate your employer brand (and manage your reputation) in ways that align with technologists’ evolving needs.
Dice has solutions that provide support at any stage of employer branding. Whether you’re building your organization’s employer brand, expanding it or enhancing it, Dice can help you stand out amongst your competitors and increase your list of qualified candidates for open tech roles. Learn more about Dice solutions or reach out to Dice’s Employer Branding consultant, Jesse Ofner, for a complimentary consultation on how to win tech talent in today’s competitive market by investing in your employer brand.
