Employer branding – a valuable tool for startups too

Employer branding: What sounds like big corporations and paper tigers is in practice a valuable instrument for attracting and retaining employees - even for startups. Anyone who conveys a clear image of themselves and their values to the outside world and takes care of a professional recruiting strategy early on increases their chances of success in the market. Because the right team is central to the success of the company, especially for young companies.

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For startups, employer branding is probably not number 1 on the to-do list - all the energy and manpower goes into developing a product or service, developing markets and acquiring customers. But sooner or later, startups should also take care of this - especially for young companies, it is essential to attract the right employees: 23% of startups fail due to team composition. (https://recruitingdaily.com/top-reason-startups-fail-not-finding-right-talent/) Employer branding is no longer just the responsibility of large corporations. It also represents an important and valuable opportunity for SMEs and especially startups to position themselves as an attractive employer in the market and stand out from the competition.https://recruitingdaily.com/top-reason-startups-fail-not-finding-right-talent/) Employer Branding ist längst nicht mehr nur Sache von Grosskonzernen. Auch für KMU und insbesondere Startups stellt es eine wichtige und wertvolle Möglichkeit dar, sich als attraktiver Arbeitgeber im Markt zu positionieren und sich von der Konkurrenz abzuheben.

Building employer branding – what is our EVP?

At the very beginning of a startup, the motto in all areas of responsibility is: hands on. In this phase, representing the company to the outside world is the responsibility of all team members. Your actions and deeds have a significant impact on external perception. Therefore, to strengthen the employer brand, it is worth discussing and honestly answering the following aspects:

• Company identity and values: Who are we and how do we work? What is important to us? 
• Services and/or products: What do we offer and what is our USP? 
• Strengths as an employer: What corporate culture do we live in the company? What career and development opportunities and what special benefits do we offer our employees? What working environment do we offer? 
• Expectations of employees: Who is right for us and what do our employees bring to the table? 
• Market position and employer image: How do we differentiate ourselves from the competition? How are we currently perceived as a potential employer?

Answering these questions leads to the Employer Value Proposition, EVP. It is comparable to a company's unique value proposition. In contrast, the focus is not on a customer or an investor, but on the employees. Honesty is therefore crucial so that no promises appear in the EPP that cannot be kept. This ensures that the EVP fits the company and the corporate culture. Everything else quickly seems unbelievable.

Invest early and professionalize recruiting

The success of a company depends on its most valuable resource – its employees. It is also advisable for young companies to invest in employer branding as quickly and specifically as possible and to professionalize recruiting, for example with the support of an external partner. Anyone who just randomly publishes a job offer today and hopes for the right applications will miss the opportunity to find the right and highly competitive talent for the company - because the work is not done with a well-written job advertisement. A well-founded recruiting strategy follows a proactive approach: from the advertisement to the appropriate channel and distribution to the detailed design of the application process, nothing is left to chance.

Increase identification and strengthen bonds

Employer branding not only increases efficiency in recruiting, but also helps to retain qualified and committed employees in the long term. Ultimately, the goal is not only to attract the right talent to the company, but also to retain them and advance the company together. Employees who can identify strongly with the company and its values show higher levels of involvement and trust. When employees have trust, they work more motivated, do more efficient work and stay with the company longer. For example, a company can sustainably counteract the threat of brain drain and, together with a strong team, promote long-term corporate success.

Conclusion:

Building sustainable employer branding is already worthwhile in the early stages of a startup: this way, the young company strengthens its positioning in the market and creates a fertile basis for recruiting the best talent. Because only those who have the right team at their side can really get off to a good start in the long term.

Doris Fink

Managing Director/Owner