The tight labor market continues amid the Great Resignation. People are quitting jobs and switching careers in record numbers, making high employee engagement and a good corporate reputation business imperatives.
Gone are the days when recruitment and retention are PR afterthoughts. It’s a candidate-driven market in which prospects can be selective when choosing where they want to work. So employer branding, and the PR that drives it, has never been more important.
Here’s how PR can help companies find and keep high-performing employees:
- Showcase effective leadership
Since company leaders drive corporate culture, they are powerful brand assets. Establishing CEO and C-level executives as industry thought leaders not only highlights organizational expertise, it also creates opportunities to convey your values, vision and future plans. Executives who are quoted by news outlets and accept strategic speaking engagements help attract top talent by adding credibility to the organization and illustrating a commitment to brand success – all characteristics job applicants seek in a prospective employer, because people want to work with business rock stars.
- Highlight positive culture
In a post-pandemic world, employees expect and demand an exceptional workplace experience. And that no longer just means office perks like the ability to bring your dog to work or free food. What matters most now is that employers provide flexible, meaningful, inclusive and supportive working conditions. PR is the perfect way to show off a company’s positive culture, and illustrate to customers and prospective employees alike that it cares about people and operates with a sense of purpose. Mining for and sharing stories that illustrate progressive internal policies and employee successes is a good place to start.
- Earn external recognition
Awards and professional honors also boost a company’s image and recruiting efforts. There are myriad accolades a savvy PR pro can secure for an organization and its leadership, from “Best Places to Work,” “Entrepreneur of the Year” to “40 Under 40.” Such recognition improves public perception and effectively positions your organization as a desirable workplace with accomplished leaders. And, because lists you might be included on and the names of award recipients often live online indefinitely, they can appear in search results for years to come when job candidates research your organization.
Before the pandemic, organizations sometimes considered employees a secondary audience for marketing communications efforts. The job market shifts precipitated by the pandemic have changed the game for companies trying to find and keep good employees, and given job seekers the upper hand in the recruitment and hiring processes.
As we’ve demonstrated in this post, though, PR can positively influence prospective employees and help companies gain competitive advantages over other potential employers by amplifying successes and workplace differentiators that position them as a desirable place to work. To realize the maximum potential of PR to attract and retain quality employees, partner with the seasoned experts at GYC Vegas.
We’ve been delivering public relations results that correspond directly to our clients’ business needs for decades. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn how we can help you build and sustain a high-impact workforce.