How To Get Started in Employer Branding
Thinking about shifting your career toward employer branding (EB)? Now might be the perfect time—especially with AI casting a spotlight on some of the more traditional talent acquisition (TA) processes. For TA experts who may not have that full-on marketing background, don’t worry. You won’t transform into a brand identity pro overnight. Instead, aim to become a “generalist” by honing a broader set of skills to kick off your EB journey.
Start with the Basics: Recruitment Marketing Data
If you’ve got recruiting chops, begin by diving into applicant data—this is a major part of the recruitment marketing function. Make a habit of gathering and analyzing data about your job applicants over time. Keep tabs on top traffic sources (like social media pages), track your Cost-Per-Click and Apply Clicks from Indeed, and watch your career site bounce and conversion rates. Even email open, and click-through rates from LinkedIn outreach are valuable insights.
Seek Out Employer Branding Experience
One of the best ways to gain real employer branding know-how is by collaborating with your company’s marketing team. They’ll keep you on brand (so no unicorn-riding cats in your recruitment posts) and show you how brand guidelines work in practice. But you might find it challenging to score a marketing gig purely from a TA background. One workaround? Target companies that don’t yet have a formal employer branding setup. That’s where you can step in and add immediate value. Try your hand at:
- Running social media ads
- Conducting employee surveys and research
- Serving as the go-between for marketing and TA
- Supporting or even creating an internal newsletter
Land Some Quick Wins
As you build those foundational skills and learn about the company’s objectives, grab some easy-win projects to show off what you can do. Creating a content calendar is a great place to start, and don’t be shy about partnering with marketing to get fun, eye-catching designs for LinkedIn posts or internal comms.
Take Your Time
EB is a big world—you won’t master it overnight. Check out employer branding job descriptions on LinkedIn and look through profiles to see which skills and experiences pop up across different companies. This will guide you on what’s most in demand.
Ready to Learn More?
If you’re serious about jumping into employer branding, swing by Employer Branding EXP. We have a virtual conference coming up in April, along with workshops designed to help you build and refine your EB skills. Hope to see you there!