If 2023 confirmed anything, it’s that employer branding is in good health. Back in October last year, we attended – and ran a creative thinking workshop at – World Employer Branding Day in Amsterdam. Employers from all over the globe attended, shared their progress and discussed what’s next. Amongst Amsterdam’s darkening skies, wet-cobbled streets and warm lamp-glow, there was much discussion, reflection, and glimpses of what the future might hold. As ever, we came away filled with inspiration and insight – and it’s brought to life some exciting trends for the year ahead. So how can employers make the most of 2024?
Go for distinctive, not unique
Here’s an uncomfortable truth: you’re probably not unique. But you’re also not alone. In consumer marketing, according to a piece of research by Gartner, only 15% of all brand assets out in the world are actually distinctive. That’s trillions of dollars’ worth of assets that don’t feel like ‘no other brand could have done this’. As part of our workshop, we studied the employer branding used by the world’s top 200 employers in 2023. As it turns out, upwards of 90% of the messages used fall into just four categories: people, impact, purpose and growth. Perhaps that’s not so surprising: very few businesses do something that no other business does – so genuine points of difference are rare.
So what can you do when what you have to say is largely the same as many others? Work on becoming distinctive. How? Well, don’t just focus on what you do as an organization – but on why you do it, and how. And more importantly, don’t use your employer brand just to describe your organization – delve deep to find the details that set you apart and find a new and interesting way to express that.
Evolve and tailor your brand
The process of building an employer brand is no longer about settling on a position and staying there. Things move. The world changes. Audiences want different things. New competition pops up. So, your brand has to change, adapt and evolve too.
That change can take two forms. It might involve fine-tuning: surveying the competitive landscape and working out whether your employer brand message is still as effective as it can be. Equally, it could involve tailoring your brand for specific audiences: research the views and needs of a specific audience and adapting the brand to meet them. The recent emergence of Inclusion Value Propositions (IVPs) – which define an employer’s commitment to foster ED&I and are built on a deep understanding of underrepresented audiences – is a great example of this in action.
Roll out the proof
Our biggest piece of advice for 2024? Move your employer brand away from just words. Focus, instead, on action. Not just telling people your values – but showing them your character. Not defining touch points but action points. Not trying to say everything; but instead, standing for something. When planning your communications strategy, consider how people can experience your values for themselves: how, externally, you can get involved with sponsorships, community work, or activities that demonstrate who you are; and how, internally, you can implement and communicate policies and initiatives that strengthen your employer brand.
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The good news is, all of the above is possible in the year ahead. There were examples aplenty at World Employer Branding Day of employers differentiating themselves in ways only they can – like showcasing their employees by using their organisation’s motion capture technology; or reaching out to Deaf audiences through viral TikTok dances. This October, we can’t wait to see how else organisations have been pushing their employer brands in 2024.