It’s no secret that sought after talent will often now expect a hamper full of benefits when it comes to their working contract. From hybrid working to gym membership, flexitime, tech stack and more, it’s no longer just about the pay cheque.
Architecture is no different, the best people will seek out the nuanced details of the organisation looking to tap up their talent, to make their decision based on the minor differences from one business to the next.
Employer brand is crucially important to any business that is facing a competitive talent market; this allows a business to carve out a compelling narrative as to why their proposition is the better option, and portray an accurate picture of working life in the organisation, ensuring reduced costs brought about through team attrition.
Here we explore 3 key steps to establishing your employer brand in the architecture sector.
Understand and develop your employer brand
The first stage can often be the most difficult, an introspective look at your own business, what are the key facets to your employer brand?
Don’t get caught in the ‘blank screen death spiral’, instead, ask your key members of staff, what drew them to a career at your organisation? What were some assumptions they made that were subsequently proven wrong?
Also what else can you chuck in the mix that might trigger a key value for a certain candidate type, do you have a CSR programme that shows yours is a business with heart as well as ambition? Have you won any awards that demonstrate your standing in the sector?
These are the kinds of details that will enable you to highlight your strengths, and control the narrative for any of your externally perceived weaknesses too. Just collating these details down onto a word document or unstyled presentation can go a long way to building a plan for you going forward.
Creating a clear narrative around stability and development
It is likely that candidates will be at your door who require some professional / financial stability, or who are looking for a new challenge in their career.
You need to be sure that your architectural employer brand answers these questions, what are the opportunities for an ambitious employee with talent to back it up? Will they have the opportunity to progress in their position?
What can your business provide around assurances going into a future that will often feel uncertain for many. Have you been in operation a long time? Are you able to visualise and tell the story of employees and team members who’ve been in the organisation for a long term and provide that added layer of confidence that yours is a business that will take care of its team? Addressing potential anxieties on the part of the applicants is an excellent way to build trust and encourage engagement.
Crafting a compelling candidate experience
Finally - it was once said, what good is a great strategy if it’s poorly communicated? You need to ensure your message is well designed from first engagement through to onboarding and reviews to ensure it remains effective.
From the compelling social media posts that grab the attention of the right people (get your employer brand USPs nice and prominent!) through to the careers site that encourages skim reading and an intuitive call to action (brightly coloured buttons please!), finally a seamless onboarding pack, with information about who to contact in case of ‘x’, and when to reach out in case of ‘y’, your candidate needs to feel encouraged and supported throughout the end-to-end process.
The above should paint a picture of some of the essentials around employer brand in the architectural sector. If you’d like to know more about how we can develop a compelling candidate experience for your applicants, contact our team today.
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