The recipe to a strong and impactful employer brand
The first Magnet Employer Branding Awards Finland was held on March 2023, and we are humbly taking a stand to say that “it was a long-awaited event for the Employer Branding community in Finland”.
Though the event was in March 2023, we can still feel the frenetic buzz on social media and the whispers of success across offices in Finland.
The Magnet Awards is a competition about creativity, communication, strategy, and impact, and the winners and finalists surely managed to impress the jury members with the quality of their work. We extend our warm congratulations to all the winners and those who applied! If you missed your chance this time, don’t worry, next year, you’ll have another possibility to win the judges’ hearts!
Two goals were set by the organizing community; celebrate Finland’s best employer brand initiatives and professionals, and build a strong knowledge-sharing community.
So here we are, walking the talk and sharing three things we learned during the event!
1. Employer branding is a connector
Employer branding not only bridges the gap between employer and potential candidates, but it also connects current employees to the management, giving them a voice and creating a sense of belonging and loyalty to the organization.
Regardless of where your employer branding function sits in your organization, it is a connector. Whether it is in human resources, marketing, or talent acquisition, employer branding connects people, functions, and stakeholders across various departments. Ultimately, it requires input and collaboration from various teams within an organization. By working together to create a strong employer brand, organizations can attract and retain top talent and build a positive reputation in the market.
2. Quality of employee experience is the #1 employer branding KPI
This was a unanimous opinion from Magnet Awards winners. Employee experience feeds into your employer brand. The number one employer branding Key Performance Indicator is the quality of your employee experience. In the end, it is simple; the happier your employees are, the higher their engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
From an employer branding perspective, if you make your employees a priority, they will, in return, boost your attraction and retention capabilities by sharing their positive experiences with the outside world. Katri Riekkinen, Communications manager at Verohallinto shared that employee experience should be nurtured with the following focus; relationship, meaning, achievement, positive emotions, engagement, and vitality.
3. Employer branding should be an embedded behaviour
Lukumanu Iddrisu shared his personal career story and how employees’ acts of kindness are able to create lasting positive impact on your employer brand and reputation.
Employer branding is not just about creating a positive image of the company in the market, but also about living up to your company’s values, culture, and mission. To ensure that your employer branding strategy is effective, it is essential that it is embedded in the behaviours of the people representing the company; your employees.
Your employees are the face of your company. They are the ones that interact with potential candidates, customers, and stakeholders.
Ultimately, they represent your company’s brand and culture, and their behaviour can significantly impact how the company is perceived. If their behaviour does not align with the company’s values, it can damage your employer brand. If they treat people with kindness and respect, it will cause a ripple effect on how your company is perceived. Remember, people trust people!
Finders Seekers was one of the organizing partners bringing the Magnet Employer Branding Awards to Finland.
Read more about the Magnet Awards Finland.