A growing number of organisations are recognising the need and value of investing in their Employer Value Propositions (EVP). Ensuring a brand promise is actually delivered, however, involves much more than a well-defined EVP. The true value lies in how it is executed and perceived by existing and potential talent. When focusing on potential talent, delivering a compelling candidate experience plays a significant part in a strong EVP.
Recent research undertaken by ManpowerGroup Solutions revealed the importance of brand and company reputation as a motivating factor in career decision-making and focused on identifying candidate preferences that can be shaped by employer value propositions. Awareness of the way candidates share feedback can help employers monitor and manage the candidate experience they are delivering.
For example, as the prevalence and influence of employer review sites continues to increase, employers must accept the reality that candidates are increasingly likely to talk about their experiences and have access to a growing number of platforms to do so anonymously or transparently, with no shortage of people willing to listen.
Rather than shying away from review sites and conversations about their brand on social media, savvy organisations pay attention to what’s being said, viewing such platforms as an opportunity to learn and enhance relationships with future talent pools. They also leverage the power of candidates in strengthening their EVP.
By encouraging candidates to talk about their experiences, organisations can demonstrate their transparency and how seriously they take candidate viewpoints. Engaged companies give candidates links to post reviews, provide hashtags to pose questions about the process on Twitter, and offer candidates a source to provide referrals – in turn building their own credibility and helping candidates become brand loyalists.
To be confident enough to promote conversation and engagement, however, employers must focus on giving candidates something great to talk about.
Elaine Orler, Chairman and board member of the Candidate Experience Awards and CEO of Talent Function said: “Employers who work to create a great candidate experience as part of their commitment to EVP recognise something other companies miss. When candidates are valued, respected and engaged, they’ll talk about it with their personal and professional networks. They refer others and can become more loyal customers. This is true whether or not those candidates are ultimately offered the position.”
Employer brand is an increasingly powerful tool for creating competitive advantage in today’s marketplace. Organisations who invest in building and delivering a consistent and positive candidate experience as an integral part of their EVP will be one step ahead in attracting the strongest talent and creating a robust talent pipeline for the future.
