Today’s HR leaders have their work cut out for them. Most young men and women today only stay at a job for up to two years. Meanwhile, more and more people are freelancing. These trends along with the growth of a global job market have created a generation of top talent that’s harder to attract and retain.                              

To stand out from the competition, today’s most effective HR teams are those that are adapting techniques from the marketing world, specifically branding. This is a smart move: companies with positive reputations get more job applications from top-notch candidates and hold on to their best and brightest people. So, how can your company’s marketing gurus and HR honchos make the perfect combination to create an irresistible brand?

Below are some proven tips.

Market research improves the recruitment process
Your marketing team has the expertise to drill down deep into the data, and develop a strategy for attracting the exact type of people that are most likely to thrive at your company. Marketing can generate precise answers about the demographic you’re looking to attract: What kind of workplace culture are they interested in joining? Which workplace benefits appeal to them? How important are flexible hours? Once your marketing team has created the ideal persona for each new position, your HR team can then take these results and implement them during the recruitment process. 

Defining and disseminating your company’s core values
Core values outline the way your company promises to act. Which principles define your company? What drives its actions? Core values aren’t just fancy words or phrases. Your entire company needs to weigh in. The more time and care you take to craft your core values, the stronger your organizational culture and growth will be. Research shows that successful companies are those with strong cultures. Your marketing mavens play a crucial role since they have the tools, experience, and know-how needed to clearly convey your company’s values and messaging, both internally and to potential candidates.

Collaborate on creating job posts
Job posts are often the first point of contact a candidate has with your company. It’s a good idea to consult with your marketing team to ensure that your job postings are connecting with the potential candidates you want to reach. Your marketing department knows all about how a job posting should open, how it should be formatted, what’s the proper tone to take, and much more. 

Turn your people into ambassadors to boost employer branding           
A dynamite way to amplify your brand is to empower your people to do so. Technology and social media have liberated branding so that your people can communicate their feelings about your company with the people you’d like to attract. And when 84% of people say that they trust peer-to-peer recommendations over any other form of advertising, you know that organic word of mouth is the way to go. Marketing can fine-tune the process, guaranteeing that your people’s experiences and testimonials attract eyeballs.

Awesome onboarding is a team effort
Research found that companies with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82%. Your marketing and HR combination should collaborate to make sure that your company’s onboarding is as smooth and pleasant as possible. Your HR department can create the onboarding programs that your new hires need to effectively transition into their new roles. Meanwhile, your marketing people can get the word out, both within your company and to potential candidates, about why onboarding is so important.

It’s all about communication

Your marketing and HR teams aren’t all that different – communication is key to both. Top talents today want to thrive in a place where they can have a positive, meaningful experience. By first looking inward look at what truly guides your actions and then tapping into your marketing people’s knowledge to create a clear, compelling, message, your branding will help transform your company. 

From Stephanie Stevens

Stephanie is Content Marketer at Hibob. She has a background in Clinical Psychology and Crisis Management, and enjoys abstract painting and watching horror films in her spare time. She believes that people can connect with themselves, their peers, and the world around them through creative writing, helping them foster a deeper sense of self and their life goals in the process.