Tailor Your Talent Brand to Fit Today’s Candidates

Outdated, behind-the-times, old-fashioned and boring — all of these terms have been used to describe the insurance industry at one point in time. It’s clear that the industry has an image problem. But what about your organization? Does your company’s talent brand cut through the industry stereotypes to attract today’s talent?

At the industry level, partnerships like the Insurance Careers Movement have worked hard to combat long-held misconceptions. Acknowledging that insurance is tied second to last with the defense industry in terms of public image, these groups have begun to rebrand. Their efforts are beginning to make headway in promoting insurance as a great place to work — with historically stable employment, rewarding careers and opportunities for growth.

Now this rebranding needs to trickle down to the company level. In order to compete in today’s challenging labor market, insurance organizations must focus their attention on building and promoting their own unique employer brands.

Considered “the people’s voice,” a talent brand encompasses your organization’s public image, the feelings employees and potential employees have about your company as well as your social presence. Having a positive talent brand can play a big role in giving insurance organizations a leg up on the competition in today’s labor market. In fact, employer branding is considered the second most essential, long-term recruitment trend within the business world — surpassed only by the rise of social and professional networks.

Forward-thinking leaders understand the correlation between a strong talent brand and the successful recruitment and engagement of top talent. Eighty-three percent of global recruiting leaders report branding as a critical driver of their ability to attract and hire top talent, while 69 percent rate it as a top priority. Organizations with a focus on talent branding tend to grow 20 percent faster than their counterparts and report 28 percent lower turnover rates.

In addition, a strong talent persona helps to enhance an organization’s reputation and name recognition. It is clear that branding is an integral foundation for competing in today’s increasingly challenging labor market.

A successful talent brand requires outreach across a variety of channels. However, when looking at the most effective vehicles for outreach, the company website tops the list at 78 percent. Your organization’s website is often potential employees’ first point of contact with the company. As such, it is critical that your website positively promotes your firm.

Update your website with a focus on your About Us and Career sections. Make sure to continually update these pages with fresh content including company accomplishments and employer branded pieces. Incorporate photos throughout your website to increase engagement. You may even want to consider using photos of your current employees instead of the standard stock photography.

Insurance organizations should be looking to their current employees to serve as ambassadors and advocates for their organizations. Make sure to spotlight the positive experiences of current employees through employee testimonials. Whenever possible, include interactive content such as videos to “show, don’t tell” the story of your employees.

Finally, make sure your career page is optimized for mobile. With most job candidates utilizing mobile devices to search for their next opportunity, being able to view your page on their tablet or phone is a definite plus.

Don’t overlook the power of social media. Thirty-eight percent of recruiters view social media as the most effective channel for talent branding. With its rapid rise, social media provides a quick, easy and cost-effective way to build and promote your company brand.

Insurance organizations need to build and leverage a positive and robust social media presence that will help to engage candidates. Update your company’s profile, publish posts regularly and make an effort to engage and interact with your followers. Strike up conversations, respond to discussions and take part in dialogues.

Take it a step further and prompt your employees to get involved with your social media pages. Encourage them to add photos, post videos and share messages that showcase their involvement with your organization. Promote company activities and share awards and successes. If it bolsters your organization’s image or highlights a key part of your culture, share it.

Social media is quickly becoming a vital component in building a successful public persona. Your organization’s active participation across social networks will go a long way in building your online presence and reputation.

Talent branding matters. In today’s competitive labor market, having a strong, positive company image can be the key to recruiting and engaging top talent. Developing a multi-faceted, employee-focused brand will go a long way in promoting your company as an employer of choice. Only those organizations that take the time to cultivate a positive talent brand will be able to ensure future success.