Employer Brands Matter
Post by
Janet Sun | May 29th, 2009
I often hear employers struggle with how much time, effort, energy, budget etc. they should spend on building their brand. In the Gen Y space, we asked candidates what they thought.
91% of Gen Y told us they believe a company’s brand is important when applying for job and internship opportunities. They also believe recognizable brands convey growth, potential and stability. When asked why they want to work for an established brand, Gen Y responded:
- 76% said an established brand offers growth potential
- 74% said it will build my resume
- 73% said it will provide greater job security
Fortunately, only a small fraction (8%) of respondents said they wanted to work for an established brand simply because “my friends will think it’s cool.” Any higher and I would begin to worry about this generation.
We also heard 42% of Gen Y prefers to apply to companies which they / their friends / their families have heard of before, signifying that brand awareness is critical for employers. Take a quick pulse and if many Gen Y haven’t heard of you, which could be the case if your company is in business-to-business markets, then you have some work to do.
Taking brand loyalty even further, 39% said they would take a job with a well-known company solely to have the name of the employer on their resume. Now that says a lot about the power of brand.
So if you find yourself wondering about whether to invest in your employer brand, refer to these stats and remember that your brand drives the hiring results and the preference that you seek.
May 30th, 2009 at 7:59 pm
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June 10th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Great stats Janet. I did some research with a sample of students last week and the employer brand seems to communicate security and prestige.
When I was in school, it seemed like the brightest students went to work with a big brand, because they could - not because it was the best fit. I think students with high GPAs feel like they sell themselves short if they don’t work for a brand that sounds cool and people know at cocktail parties.
Regardless, the employer brand matters - big time.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Really interesting reading.
It seems more and more employers are cottoning on to this as they are investing a lot of energy in building their online brand awareness through the likes of Facebook, Twitter and employee blogs. This on top of the usual corporate website and careers pages.
I am currently working with the global consumer goods giant Reckitt Benckiser (Vanish, Dettol, Finish, Cillit Bang etc) who are keen to raise their online awareness among early career professionals and ensure they know and understand exactly what opportunities are out there for them at the company.
These days it’s easier than ever to look under the doormat of a company you want to work for.
RB has launched an employee blog (www.myrbopportunity.com) to give prospective candidates an insight into working life at the firm. The company recognises that a career with them wouldn’t suit everyone (they demand bold, daring people who are results driven, thrive on early responsibility and relish thinking on their feet) but by going down this awareness-raising route they can be sure that the people who do want that sort of career can gain a clear insight into exactly what is out there for them.
It shouldn’t all be about the brand, but whether or not what is behind the brand actually suits you and the way you want your career to pan out.
@ Ted: “I think students with high GPAs feel like they sell themselves short if they don’t work for a brand that sounds cool and people know at cocktail parties” - nicely put!