In the current, highly competitive and tight global labour market, talented tech B2B employees are scarce. However, attracting and retaining top talent is a necessity for an organization’s growth. Especially if you want to retain your position at the forefront of tech innovations.  

But what happens if you’re not able to offer the highest salary? Will tech talents still be interested in your company? Yes! That is, if you have in place a strong employer brand. Because, more than ever before, a strong employer brand is a sure-fire way of attracting the tech talent you need.

How do you ensure that your company catches the attention and interest of potential employees? And to successfully hire and retain scarce talent? What we see is that, in highly competitive markets, companies believe they need to make a choice. Are they going to compete on the basis of cost structure (good primary conditions)? Or on basis of something else that boosts potential employees’ willingness to work for less salary than the competitor has to offer?

Fact is that, usually, when people apply for a job, they don’t simply choose a certain position purely based on salary alone. It turns out that company values, culture and ambitions – the employer brand – are also of major importance. So, the question companies should be asking is: ‘What makes my company unique and valuable for employees?’

1. Understand your target audience to perfection
   Worrying about finding people who perfectly fit your company? Stop worrying! You’ll find the talent you need simply by fulfilling their specific needs and wishes.First of all, know that if you aim for quality instead of quantity, you won’t need to offer terms and conditions that fit all applicants. Instead of worrying about employee conditions, save your breath and start doing extensive buyer persona research. It will help you get a picture of what the best fitting candidate looks like, understand their ambitions and know how to catch their attention.Key is that you find out what makes your organisation interesting for potential candidates, what is needed to get them on board and to retain them in the longer term. Experience learns that, when it comes to employer branding essentials, nothing can replace the hours’ worth of interviews that come with thorough and effective buyer persona research. Because those invested hours ensure the best insights for an effective strategy and execution, matching your target group.
2. Stand out from the crowd
   The next step in the employer branding process is to turn the outcome of your buyer persona research into an Employee Value Proposition (EVP). This EVP defines what value your company can offer employees, that your competitors cannot.An EVP can, for instance, be your company’s vision on the world, or its approach to sustainability. Or even the opportunity for employees to gain experience and achieve professional growth. Whatever value makes working for your company a unique opportunity in the eye of a particular candidate, make sure that your organisation can actually deliver on its promise.In fact, your value proposition and your ability to uphold that promise is essential for maintaining the interest of employees in the long term.
3. Nail your employer branding strategy and execution
   Based on the insights of your buyer persona research and your EVP, it’s easy to successfully leverage a fitting employer branding strategy, in line with your company’s goals and KPIs. After all, you now understand who you are targeting, where to find them and how to address them.What’s left is to determine which content or digital marketing technologies and website or social media tools are the best choice for communicating with potential candidates, as well as current employees. Nail it all by defining the timeline and, not to forget and in the words of a great brand, just do it!

As already stated, an employer branding strategy is only effective in the measure that a company can deliver on its promises. Always bear in mind that your employer brand is inseparably linked to your business strategy and corporate branding. Integrate these three to establish and ensure a strong and consistent reputation.