So, why is Employer Branding Important in New Zealand?

New Zealand's is a relatively small commercial market, and so when it comes to hiring, it is essential for businesses to lead with what helps them stand out. A strong employer brand can help companies stand out from the competition and attract the best talent. If you need some advice on how to make your employer branding stand out and how to achieve success in hiring, then let’s chat. Otherwise, check out these tips below.

How to Implement Employer Branding

• Define Your Company Culture
  Clearly articulate your company's values, mission, and vision. This will help you attract employees who align with your company's goals. For example, a tech startup might emphasise innovation, collaboration, and work-life balance. Work with your employees to identify what this culture looks like. At Find, our culture is very trust-based, fun and fast-paced, and we thrive on a people-first approach that keeps wellness at the centre.
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• Create a Strong Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
  Your EVP should highlight the unique benefits and perks that your company offers employees. This could include competitive salaries, flexible work arrangements, professional development opportunities, or a supportive work environment. Air New Zealand, for example, is known worldwide for its strong EVP, offering employees opportunities to travel the world and experience different cultures, as one of the safest and most beloved airlines.
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• Build a Positive Online Presence
  Your company's website, social media channels, and online reviews must reflect your employer brand. Share positive employee stories, highlight company achievements, and respond promptly to people who reach out for support. Your website is your digital shop face and as such should be kept up to date, with changing graphics and a constant growth of content. Whilst UI changes should be kept minimal, changing banners and welcome text on the home page keeps your website fresh for users, and ensures that it is a reliable and approachable asset to your brand.

• Foster a Positive Employee Experience
  Create a positive work environment where employees feel valued, supported, and engaged. This could involve providing opportunities for growth, recognising employee achievements, and promoting a healthy work-life balance. Undertake group training together to advance relationship building within the team, assign different people to different projects (where applicable) to keep things fresh and exciting, and provide opportunities for people to put their hands up. Don’t sweat the small stuff, and bring in a level of trust where your team feel empowered to do their work whilst maintaining work-life balance and a healthy approach to work. (Ask us how we achieve this!)
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• Leverage Employee Advocacy
  Encourage employees to share their positive experiences working at your company. This can be done through social media, employee referral programs, or employee testimonials. To achieve this though, you need to create an environment worth talking about. Think outside the box and take the team out for a unique experience – a pasta making class, an escape-room, or book out a private movie theatre (these can be surprisingly cost effective) and showcase the hottest movie in the market. Whilst a team dinner is always appreciated, a bit of creative thinking will go a long way. By creating these experiences, your people will be naturally driven to share and showcase their genuine thoughts which will resonate with the audience.

Need some more examples?

These brands below are known nationwide for their successful Employer Branding and how they position themselves to potential employees and to the market at large.

• Air New Zealand: Known for its exceptional customer service and employee engagement, Air New Zealand has a strong employer brand. Their safety videos are known globally for the creativity, emphasis on use of kiwi assets and branding, and relatability that sticks in your mind. This, combined with their service, offers flyers the peace of mind that they’re in safe and confident hands. The airline offers employees opportunities to travel the world and experience different cultures.
• The Warehouse Group: The Warehouse Group is a New Zealand hallmark, and has implemented a number of initiatives to improve its employer brand, including flexible work arrangements, employee development programs, and a focus on work-life balance.
• Fonterra: As one of the leading bodies of the dairy industry, Fonterra has developed its brand into a trusted kiwi name and has advanced its processes towards a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical sourcing. This has helped the company attract talent who share its values, and who seek to work for a business that is proactive in developing initiatives.

By investing in employer branding, you can create a more attractive and desirable workplace, attract top talent and foster a positive company environment that is recognised the world over. This helps your ads to stand out, gives a greater variability in the differences between your own brand and your competitors and means that when you speak about your business to others, you can be proud of the achievements that have bolstered your brand.