Question: I am the HR director of a medium-sized company in Amman, and was hired to revamp our employer branding in order to attract top talent to our growing workforce. What are the most important attributes of a strong employer brand, and what can I do to promote my company as an employer of choice in Jordan? Thank you! – Manar T.
Answer: According to the Bayt.com ‘Trends in Employer Branding in the Middle East and North Africa’ poll, June 2016, the biggest benefit of employer branding is better employee engagement. The poll shows that other important benefits of a great employer brand include higher job acceptance rates, recognition as an employer of choice, and making it easier on companies to attract and hire top talents. In its 2014 poll entitled, ‘What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?’, Bayt.com had already uncovered the secrets of great employer branding and revealed that seven in 10 professionals in the Middle East wouldn’t work for a company they aren’t proud of.
With 75% of respondents saying that they check a company’s online profile before applying for a job, and 53% of them saying that social media is the top channel for employer branding today, you want to make sure that you have polished your online presence and have done your best to reflect the image you’d like to reflect to professionals looking for a job. Promoting your company culture, highlighting your employer brand, and flaunting the attributes that make your company a great place to work among so many others are all great ways to catch the eyes and hearts of job seekers today.
Here are a few tips on how you can build a great employer brand for your company:
1. Introduce a health and wellness policy
The Bayt.com ‘Health and Lifestyle in the Middle East and North Africa’ poll, March 2016, revealed that 96% of professionals in the MENA region believe it is an employer’s responsibility to promote employees’ health and wellness. Health and wellness benefits are among the top benefits job seekers want to see when applying for a job. Bayt.com, for example, encourages all employees to lead a healthy lifestyle, both inside and outside the office. Each employee has an annual fitness allowance to join a gym of their choice, and our pantries are stocked daily with fresh fruits and vegetables for everyone to enjoy. Our company offers recreational equipment, like foosball, consoles and punching bags, and a book club that employees can participate in.
2. Allow flexible hours
Flexible hours have become a common work arrangement in many companies across the region and the world today. Allowing employees to work the stipulated work hours, but at timings of their own choosing relieves stress for many professionals who have obligations, such as dropping their children to school in the morning or taking care of an elderly parent, etc. This work arrangement helps employees achieve a better work-life balance, and in turn, yields happier, more satisfied and more productive employees.
3. Hold regular office events
It is no secret that we spend the majority of our days at work, and this can lead to burnout if the office doesn’t offer some form of relief. Every once in a while, plan a fun activity for your employees. This can be an office lunch or a picnic if the weather permits. Always celebrate important milestones, achievements and major holidays as a team, and provide entertainment options at the office. You can promote health and fun, at the same time, by including activities that require physical activity but are still enjoyable, such as hiking or rock climbing.
4. Offer diligent follow-up
One of the biggest mistakes that are guaranteed to harm your employer brand would be to ignore candidate applications. Whether they get the job or not, job seekers should never be ignored. Always respond with a “Thank you for your interest” email, letting them know that you will contact them if their qualifications match the job. The same goes for interviews. Always give an approximate timeline for how long it will take for a decision to be made, and once it has been made, inform the candidates of your decision. According to the Bayt.com ‘What Makes a Company an Attractive Place to Work?’ poll, 60% of professionals feel that the most harmful thing a company can do to its brand is not follow up after a job application.
5. Provide training and learning opportunities
Career development plays a key role in the lives of the majority (85%) of professionals across the MENA region, and 82% would leave their current company for better training opportunities, as revealed in the Bayt.com Career Development in the Middle East and North Africa survey, January 2016. Ensure that you’ve implemented internal and external learning structures and that you’re fostering a culture of learning throughout your company. This can be done via a multitude of ways, such as online courses and seminars, social learning and mentorship, in-house training programs, and even company-sponsored scholarships for higher education. If budgets are tight, don’t panic, and use these six ways to develop a low-cost yet effective training program for your employees.
6. Promote your brand on social media channels
Social media is a great way of creating an impression on customers and future employees. Being active on social media and creating a consistent employer brand helps people identify you instantly. Make sure you create a company page on Bayt.com and that your page is current and regularly updated. Talking about your company culture, your commitment towards employees and enabling two-way communications helps establish trust towards the company brand. This could in turn attract top talent. According to the Bayt.com ‘Social Recruiting in the Middle East and North Africa’ poll, October 2014, 80% of respondents check a company’s social profile before applying for a job, while 81% of them agree that online social platforms, such as Bayt.com Specialties, are a good way for employers and job seekers to get together and engage in industry-related questions and discussions.
