Employers that have a clear mission and strong employer brand find it easier to remain competitive in recruitment, but many face significant hiring challenges post-pandemic, research has found.
Glassdoor’s State of employer branding report finds that 68% of hiring leaders felt their employer brand gave them a competitive edge when it came to recruitment, and 75% of talent acquisition and employer branding specialists said they were in tune with what their employees wanted.
However, hiring leaders felt recruitment had become more challenging since the Covid pandemic. Fifty-five per cent stated that retaining staff was more difficult now than in 2019, 50% found sourcing candidates with the right qualifications more difficult, and 47% admitted they could no longer make competitive offers.
The most significant hiring challenges faced by organisations included:
- candidates’ salary expectations not aligning with what their organisation paid (32%)
- the best candidates receiving multiple offers from other companies (32%)
- receiving too few qualified candidates (27%)
- applicants lacking the skills specified in the job description (23%)
- the time and resources needed to build a quality pipeline of candidates (23%).
Glassdoor’s report reiterates the importance of establishing a strong employer brand to attract and retain talent.
Employer branding
Its survey of 850 employees and job seekers found 69% felt it was extremely or very important for their employer to have a brand that they were proud to support.
To strengthen their brand, 59% of the 475 hiring leaders polled said they were delivering diversity and inclusion programmes, while 59% were conducting engagement surveys. They were exploring the employee voice further by developing employee engagement programmes (55%) and conducting 360 reviews (48%).
More than eight in 10 employers agreed that their employees’ experience was a big part of their employer brand.
Glassdoor career trends expert Jill Cotton said: “As we reach the end of 2022, a new employer-employee dynamic has emerged. Employees are holding companies accountable for promises made and choosing to work for organisations whose values align with their own.
“Record job vacancies may have given job hunters the upper hand when choosing where to work. But our research shows that successful employers listen to and deliver upon the wants and needs of their workforce. Cultivating a strong employer brand helps companies stand apart from the competition by answering the ‘why’ someone should want to work for you.”
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Twenty-nine per cent of employees and job seekers wanted to see clear growth opportunities within a company and 26% wanted to know that the employer promotes from within. Three-quarters would be more likely to apply for a job with a salary range displayed in the listing.
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