Creating a powerful employer brand on a shoestring is possible by following a few steps, thinking outside the box, and using what you already have to the fullest extent. Employer branding is an external and internal perception of a company as a workplace. It is a vital process of identifying, recruiting, and maintaining high-performance employees. Although big companies will likely spend money on employer branding strategies, small enterprises or organizations with few resources can develop strong employer brands.

Here are strategies to achieve this:

1. Understand Your Current Brand

Knowing the company’s current image is essential before developing a brand. Interview employees in the workplace or conduct a simple poll to get their opinion on your workplace. Likewise, feedback and comments should be reviewed on social networks such as Glassdoor or LinkedIn. It is also essential to know the strengths to promote and the weaknesses to work on. This assessment is the starting point for your branding process.

2. Know Your Employer Value Proposition (EVP)

An EVP is a statement that defines why your company is a great place to work. Some factors are employee benefits, employee opportunities, and employee culture. Answer the following questions: What does your company represent? What type of experience does it offer to its customers? Why do people love working at your company? An EVP that is clear and genuine will attract potential employees and help differentiate your company from others.

3. Leverage Employee Advocacy

Your employees are the best brand advocates that you can have. Motivate them to write and speak good words about your company with their friends on social networks and other professional websites. Organic content is the best way to create content that will go viral, and this can be done by celebrating team achievements, individual success, and or company milestones. Employees’ word of mouth and recommendations are sometimes more credible than the company’s words.

4. Optimize Your Online Presence

Establishing a strong, clear, and polished online identity is important for employer branding. Ensure that your company’s website, including the career section of the site, focuses on culture, values, and employee perks. You should use content like videos, blog posts, and testimonials. Use social media accounts to post how your organization functions regularly. Authenticity and consistency can make a big difference even with a low budget.

5. Focus on Workplace Culture

The essence of a good employer brand is, therefore, anchored on a good workplace culture. Create a positive and welcoming culture that employees would like to be in. Appreciate cultural differences, acknowledge efforts, and have a good dialogue. A positive culture does not only help in acquiring new talents but also keeps the current employees, thus decreasing turnover expenses.

6. Use of Social Media Story Telling

Social media platforms are useful and inexpensive ways of getting your employer’s brand out there. Post content that gives an insight into your organization’s culture, like team-building exercises, events, or employee features. With the help of LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook, you can reach many people with little investment. Ensure you develop and share content that reflects your EVP and will interest your target audience.

7. Improve Learning and Development

People consider it important to progress in their careers. Providing employees with free or inexpensive training, apprenticeship, or an open door to online classes clearly indicates your dedication to their growth. This approach increases employee morale and makes your company perceived as one that values its employees.

8. Encourage Work-Life Balance

Management should encourage their employees to balance their work and their personal lives to make the company an attractive employer. Some ways that can help foster a good work environment may include flexible working hours, remote work, or even early closure. Such policies are usually cheap to implement but show that your organization cares for the welfare of its employees, hence increasing their loyalty and the organization’s reputation.

9. Present Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR activities, including volunteering, sustainability efforts, and other community involvement activities, are attractive to both employees and job seekers. Promote your organization’s CSR activities to show that your organization is involved in social responsibility. Such seemingly insignificant activities as volunteering at charity events can also enhance employer branding.

10. Leverage On Free or Cheap Resources

Many free or low-cost products and services can be used for employer branding. For example, with Canva, you can easily create great graphics for your content, while Hootsuite lets you manage your social media accounts effectively. Employers should use Google Forms to gather employee feedback to avoid the pitfalls of not engaging employees.

11. Creating a Positive Candidate Experience

Learning about the candidate experience will help you understand the importance of having a good candidate experience for your employer branding. Ensure that everyone is well informed during the recruitment process, keep the candidates informed, and give them positive criticism. This should even be the case for candidates who are unsuccessful in getting the job of their dreams through your company.

12. Participate in Partnership and Networking

Collaborate with schools, other organizations, and industries to increase your brand awareness. Participate in or support local events, job fairs, or webinars. Networking is a great way to contact potential employees and introduce the company.

13. Reward and Recognition of Employees

Appreciation is a powerful tool in creating a good employer brand. Recognize successes, either with actual awards, calling people out in team meetings, or on social media. Most employees need to be appreciated, and this can only be done by recognizing their efforts at the workplace.

14. Leverage Employee Feedback

Actively seeking and acting on employee feedback demonstrates that you value their opinions. Some of the ways include conducting pulse surveys or using anonymous suggestion boxes. Meeting concerns and implementing the recommendations enhance employees’ morale and provide evidence on your part as management that you care.

15. Create Compelling Content

It is also cheaper to improve the image of your employer brand through content marketing. Create blog entries, podcasts, or video content that tells your company’s story, values, and people. Emphasize your organization’s special features and try to make your content as sincere as possible.

By implementing these strategies, small businesses and other organizations with small budgets can create powerful employer branding and attract, engage, and retain the right talents. The main strategies that should be employed include being real and genuine, thinking outside the box, and being regular and consistent. The key is not how much money you must spend but how well you create the employee and candidate experience.