Webinar: The importance of employer branding

CWJobs’ most recent webinar saw our Commercial Director, Dominic Harvey joined by another expert panel to discuss the importance of employer branding in attracting top tech talent. Sharing their insights were Steve Ward, UK & Ireland Director at Universum, Nimmi Patel, Policy Manager at TechUK, and Milimo Banji, CEO of TapIn.

Here are some of the key highlights from the webinar and discussion panel that followed:

The tipping point of the great resignation

To provide some context, Steve shared some insights from Universum’s latest research. He revealed that the number of professionals looking to change employer in the next 6 months increased from 26% in summer 2020, to 37% in summer 2021. Similarly, professionals looking to change employer in the next year, increased from 44% in summer 2020, to 54% in summer 2021.

Dominic asked whether remote working is to blame for the increase in tech workers planning to change employers, and Steve shared the idea that it’s more about trust. He revealed that in the first quarter of 2021, 36% of workers said they trust in their organisation’s vision, compared to 33% in the second quarter. In the first quarter, 31% trusted their organisation’s leaders, compared to 28% in quarter 2. And in the first quarter, 56% felt they were trusted to do their job, compared to 55% in the second.

Steve cited research from McKinsey that finds the top drivers for employees leaving an organisation are a lack of belonging, or feeling valued at work. He said:

‘‘In order to build trust, we need to understand change in behaviour and what is different now from two years ago. The pandemic changed the need for talent, changed our priorities as human beings, as families, and as workers, and we need to reflect on that’’.

What drives tech professionals in 2022

When discussing what motivates the tech workforce, Steve shared that in 2020, competitive base salary, embracing new technologies, and innovation were cited among the top 5 factors. In 2021, however, they were in the bottom 10. In 2020, a clear path for advancement, secure employment, and respect for people were in among the bottom 10 motivating factors. However, in 2021, these three factors are now much further up the list of priorities.

Steve explained that it’s important for companies to understand what tech talent want employers to talk about. Drawing on Universum’s research, he revealed that training and development opportunities (55%), advancement opportunities (50%), and renumeration and benefits (45%) were the most important talking points for talent. The topics that have increased the most in importance are corporate social responsibility (12%), products and services (9%), and what the workplace looks like (8%).

He shared some examples of big tech companies like Amazon and Apple that are creating bigger conversations around their brand. He said:

‘‘These are really important factors that we need to consider in the balance of our communication. Some best-in-class examples are striking the balance between the need to talk about innovation and technology and purpose – which in a lot of cases, is about sustainability. There needs to be reference points in career content, and in career pages that focus the purpose behind what it is a company is doing’’.

Steve then shared Universum’s approach to employer branding to show other companies how they can adopt a similar strategy:

• Understand the needs of the target talent
• Conduct internal surveys, using the same metrics of benchmarking perception
• Carry out management interviews to understand the company vision
• Find the human element in the employee experience

He explained that there are three sources of data to find the truths in an employer brand:

1. Strategy and vision: who you need to be
2. Internal perception: who you really are
3. External preferences: what talent want

Key takeaways

• Assumptions are futile – companies need to understand the needs of talent now.
• The tech talent audience is maturing, and therefore so are their needs.
• Companies need to marry ‘brain vs heart’, i.e., innovation vs purpose.
• Employers should work with their tech teams on understanding needs/desires.
• Creating trust inside an organisation fuels external employer brand success.

Guest panel discussion

When discussing the importance of employer branding for companies in today’s tech landscape, Nimmi said:

‘‘I’m seeing global tech brands who are finding it difficult to source the talent that they need. I think it’s due to a number of reasons, including a lack of digital skills, and the intensification of competition for the same talent. However, they key component is people not accepting employer brands as well as they used to.’’

She went on to share some statistics from Deloitte’s Global Millennial survey, which reveals that in the past two years 44% of millennials, and 48% of Gen Z say they have made choices about the type of work they’re prepared to do, and the organisation they’re willing to work for, based on their personal ethics. She added that 15% of Gen Z left their job after reflecting on their experiences during the pandemic and whether their company met with their own values.

Milimo confirmed that tech companies need to be at the forefront of supporting and nurturing the values of its talent. He said:

‘‘People are realising that in tech, you have a really good work-life balance, coupled with good pay. And so, we’re seeing more people moving into the industry. However, it’s becoming a lot more challenging for employers to engage with that talent. Companies really need to understand the values of young tech professionals to attract them to roles.’’

Dominic added that during the pandemic, many people have had the opportunity to reflect on what they want from a company. He said that companies have come to realise that people want flexibility. Speaking about flexible working, Milimo added:

‘‘I’ve seen a lot of companies adapt their ways of working. They’ve become more digital. If talent needs and wants change, companies also have to change. Companies need to shift with the way that talent wants to work. Case in point is the UK trialling a four-day working week. It’ll be interesting to see what the outcomes of that are.’’

He went to ponder what strategies companies will use to attract digitally remote talent from across the UK. He asked how companies will use employer branding and social platforms to engage with this talent. Dominic also added that with the rise in remote work, a company’s identity is no longer tied to its location, or its building. It’s about the people and the company values.

The impact of remote working further down the line

When discussing the future of remote working, Nimmi cited research from Vodafone that shows the cost of not having flexible working and parental leave. More than a third of people, and half of 18-30-year-olds would be more likely to apply for a job if they knew the employer had good parental leave policies. She added that employers who don’t offer sufficient parental leave risk losing top tech talent.

Milimo went on to say that it’s important for organisations to understand what employer branding is, and what it means to a company. He said there are a few key factors that influence the perception of employer branding, including how authentic an organisation is, and whether they share what they stand for. He said an employer brand needs to be a true reflection of what a company actually does.

He added that employers also need to be able to communicate their brand effectively. He said companies should be looking at platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, where 45% of Gen Z are spending their time.

To end the webinar, Nimmi provided some insights into the importance of social media. She said that data can cut through assumptions and provide hard evidence of behaviour. She said it’s important for companies to latch on to something that they think will benefit their target audience but also mirrors their values. She cited ventures like outreach programmes at local schools, business in the community activities, and offering work experience placements as good examples.