In the past, a flashy career page and a few hand-picked employee testimonials could make your MSP look like a dream employer. But in today’s hyper-connected world of social media and employer review pages, word-of-mouth travels fast. This means if your employer branding efforts promise an experience you don’t offer, candidates will find out.
This can be particularly challenging for employers in the tech space where current demand is greater than talent supply. As per CompTIA’s latest research, unemployment is at an all-time low of 2.2%. So, how do you project yourself as an attractive employer? And, most importantly, how do you create a strong employer brand strategy. Well, the best way is to gauge and promote the strength of your company culture and employee satisfaction by offering them 360-degree career development opportunities.
Seek feedback inward to reflect your strengths outward
Remember — honesty is the most important element of your employer’s brand. Don’t try to make your MSP seem like an amazing place to work. Rather, strive to make it an amazing place to work for your tech talent. Speak directly with your employees. Whether through anonymous surveys or face-to-face meetings, find out what they love most about working at your MSP, asking important questions such as:
• Do your employees feel your benefits program is satisfactory?
• Do they want more open communication with leadership?
• Do they have a clear picture of the growth potential?
Listening to your employees will not only help you identify weaknesses your MSP can improve on— but, you’ll also identify which strengths you must showcase in your employer’s brand messaging.
Humanize your employer brand
Through written and visual brand storytelling, talk about the journey of your organization and your leaders beyond the obvious employee benefits. These stories will resonate with candidates and humanize your MSP. I even recommend promoting your company’s core values along with highlighting people who live those core values in your employer’s brand content.
Involve your employees in employer brand messaging
Not all of your employees are recruiters — of course — but they’re an integral part of the employer’s brand-building process. Remember — employees who feel valued and appreciated will be more willing to advocate for your brand and company. So, recognize and reward your employees’ efforts as they promote your job openings in their professional network.
Use your alumni community as an advocate
Stay in touch with ex-employees through close Facebook groups and monthly newsletters. This will enable you to re-tap into some old fruitful relationships. Keep them updated about the progress you made on the business front. Try to regain their confidence in you by offering them exclusive leadership content that you create for your employee community and extending referral program benefits to help them promote you through word-of-mouth.
In order to build a strong foundation for alumni outreach activities, you must treat everyone with respect at the time of their departure. I personally hand over golden tickets to employees who have been a valuable asset to IT By Design. This ticket mentions the time within which they can come back to ITBD and feel as if they never left in the first place.
Final Thought: It’s no longer enough for MSPs to post jobs and hope the right candidates will apply. You must prove that you are a worthy employer by reflecting on your employer brand’s promise and finding ways to improve on them.
