Most business leaders already know that building a strong company brand can help generate leads and boost sales. Unfortunately, many of these same business owners fail to see how the right branding can also help them attract and hire top talent candidates. That’s right. Building a positive employer brand can help you attract better quality candidates. Here’s how.

Brand Matters More Now than Ever

Thanks to online employer review sites and social media, today’s candidates can research companies even before applying for a job. What these potential candidates learn about your company will determine if they apply to the job or skip to the next one. In fact, according to a recent study, 84 percent of job seekers said that a company’s reputation plays a direct role in deciding where to apply.

It’s crucial that you don’t let social media or online review sites create an employer brand for you. Instead, you must take proactive steps to develop and maintain an employer brand that attracts high-quality candidates.

Remember, You’re Being Interviewed Too

One of the biggest hiring mistakes many employers make is to think that the interview process is all about assessing the candidates. These employers fail to realize that the candidates are also evaluating them. This error can lead to the unfortunate situation where your ideal candidate declines to accept the job offer.

Your hiring strategies cannot only focus on attracting top talent. You must also build a strong employer brand that entices these candidates to accept the offer. Keep in mind that the latest generation of candidates has grown up on Instagram and Snapchat, surrounded by branding. This means that branding is everything when it comes to getting the attention of this particular demographic.

How to Make Your Brand More Attractive to Candidates

The first step to creating a more attractive employer brand is to develop a clear message. Determine how you want to establish yourself as an employer and then make sure this message remains consistent throughout the candidate experience and across all platforms, including the company career page and social media.

Also, implement various strategies, such as storytelling, social media posting, and employee testimonials to get your brand message out in front of the candidates. Another key element to building a positive employer brand is to remain responsive. Always take the time to respond to both positive and negative comments on online review sites or social media. Studies show that 70 percent of people change their view of a brand after reading a company response.

Don’t make the mistake of not leveraging your brand to attract top talent. Instead, take steps today to build a positive employer brand that has the power to attract high-quality candidates. Improving the quality of your candidate pool increases your company’s ability to hire its ideal candidates.