“Investing in your employer brand will attract and retain the right talent" says expert

More than seventy attendees hailing from a wide range of sectors heard from the US-based consultant who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, helping them enhance how they attract and retain talent.

"The importance of employer branding for talent attraction, engagement and retention" was held at The Merchant Hotel in Belfast hosted by employer marketing agency, The Formula in association with Internal Communications platform Thrive.App, Bauer Media Group and PML Group.

“When faced with a fiercely competitive job market which sees the power firmly in the hands of jobseekers” said Mr Adams “high-performing organisations don’t want or need more candidates — they want more of the right candidates so they can save on time and budget.”

“It may seem counterintuitive” he continued, “but I am of the firm belief that rather making a sales pitch to potential candidates based on perceived ideals, employers need to focus on making clear the cultural realities of what it is like to work in their organisation and spur on candidates to ask themselves “am I right for this?”.

“It’s about matchmaking working culture with the right people and, in my experience, that’s only achieved by flipping the dynamics and acknowledging who isn’t the right fit and building your campaigns with that in mind” he commented.

Developing and promoting company culture was also a key topic for discussion as employer marketing and branding experts The Formula presented top-level findings from a bespoke piece of research focussing on the expectations of Northern Ireland employees and jobseekers.

Emma Murray, Managing Director of The Formula said: “We already know that building a strong employer brand can reduce the cost per hire by up to 50% and reduce staff turnover by up to 28% (Source: LinkedIn) and our new data is telling us that a culture of accountability, flexible working options and a supportive environment for learning and development are high on the priority list for candidates.”

“The way that people think about their career is changing and many organisations are finding they are being left behind when it comes to attracting people because the old tactics just aren’t working. Pay, rewards and benefits may still be important to many candidates, but unless these factors are paired with offering jobseekers the right challenge for the specific stage of their career, the right culture and a supportive environment, then recruitment can fall flat.”

“41% of those surveyed said that while they were not actively seeking a new role, if something captured their attention, they would apply. With staff retention being one of the biggest pain points for employers right now, this passive job seeker is posing its own challenges. Organisations need to do more to communicate their mission, values and culture, so they keep the best talent first and foremost while attracting new talent.”

The event programme also included a discussion panel featuring Emma Murray, MD of The Formula, a local employer marketing agency, James Scott CEO & Co-Founder of Thrive.App, an employee communications and engagement software platform, Orla McKeating, Business Development Executive at Diversity Mark, an awarding authority on diversity and inclusion, across the UK and Ireland, Ryno Kleynhans, Head of Operations & Client Solutions, Mindmill (HR) which designs measurable competency-based recruitment and talent development processes; with Valerie Ludlow, Head of Research & Insights for The Formula, presenting the first look at the Insights research on what makes a happy employee.

For future events details and information on employer branding, visit wearetheformula.co.uk.