Can you compete with Google? Well, okay, of course not. Certainly, not in the search engine business. Hello, Bing. But we are talking recruitment.
Even if you are not as well known as the big brands, you can still compete for top talent by understanding what leaders really want, and knowing how to communicate what your company can offer the skilled candidates you need to hire.
Marketing is recruiting
It is simply that the Google brand as an employer is so strong that top talent will naturally gravitate towards it. Google is renowned for having cool offices; they’ve got piles of money, and perhaps most importantly, everybody knows their name.
That is the power of employer branding. Marketing is recruiting. When the company is mentioned, candidates want to work there without even hearing anything about the actual job.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for most companies, especially small businesses, start ups, and the majority of B2B brands.
What leaders want
If you’re not a Google, a Facebook, or one of the big names, many people won’t have heard of you at the outset. However, you can still contend for leadership talent, even if you don’t have their brands or their money.
That’s not where you compete. It takes a leader to find a leader. That is how you can win over the top talent that you need. You compete with your own brand story, by being different, by understanding what leaders want, and offering them the opportunity to shine.
Let people know your story, your mission, what your company stands for, and how they can have an impact on your success. Leaders want to lead. Marketing is recruiting.
Steve Jobs famously lured John Sculley away from being the head of Pepsi Co. to come and run the Apple company by asking him, “Do you want to sell sugar water for the rest of your life, or do you want to come with me and change the world?”
Obviously, at the time, Pepsi had much more money than the fledgling Apple, and a brand that was known across the planet. Jobs couldn’t compete on salary, benefits, or stability. What he could offer was the chance to be a part of something. An opportunity to make a difference. An even greater possibility for leadership. That is a winning employer value proposition.
Your employer value proposition
Your recruiters need to know what differentiates your business with its mission, values, and unique stories. Let candidates know how you’re changing the world, how you’re improving the lives of your customers and staff, how your team are helping to make a difference. (And why they think this makes your organization a great place to work.)
When you can’t necessarily compete on salary and benefits, compete on something else. Offer employment that is mission-driven, rewards results, and is flexible. Important work.
That’s actually something the bigger brands can’t offer. In a huge company, there is much less impact that any one individual can have on the overall success, direction, or beliefs of the organization.
Leaders want to lead. And you want the best people leading your teams. Tell your story, and let people know how they can have a hand in writing it. Freedom to try new things, genuine impact on business success, the ability to grow a career within a company: let these be a part of your employer brand.
Marketing is recruiting. Make sure that your website, your social media, and above all your recruiters sell your unique story: your employer value proposition. And yes, you can compete
with Google.
The Leadership Agency was founded with one purpose: to help companies lead by helping them hire the best leadership talent they need to take them to the top of their industries. To find out more, contact Jamie Hoobanoff, Founder at The Leadership Agency. jamie.hoobanoff@leadershipagency.com
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