If you’re an industrial company owner losing top talent because your business looks too small to offer a real career path, even though it’s not, this article is for you.
Remember, you’re not alone in feeling this way. Many businesses face similar challenges. However, the potential for growth and change is always there, and with the right recruitment marketing strategies, you can reshape your company’s image to attract and retain the skilled professionals you seek.
Understanding Recruitment Marketing in Industrial Branding
Recruitment marketing is more than just posting job openings. It’s about the power of storytelling, showcasing your company’s culture, values, and growth potential. It’s also a growing need for many companies. In an article discussing the future of recruiting posted on LinkedIn, nearly half of recruiters believe that employer branding will shape recruiting over the next several years.
In today’s competitive job market, candidates seek more than just a paycheck. They want to work for companies that align with their personal and professional goals and ethics. Creating a strong employer brand can make your company more attractive to the talent you want most.
According to Glassdoor, 75% of job seekers consider an employer’s brand before applying. Perhaps even more importantly, 92% of employees would consider switching jobs for a company with a stronger reputation.
Overcoming the ‘Mom-and-Pop’ Perception for Industrial Companies
Many organizations, especially those with a long history, may be perceived as outdated or lacking career growth opportunities. This “mom-and-pop” image may deter high-quality talent seeking dynamic and progressive workplaces.
However, your legacy reputation can be an asset if marketed correctly. Emphasizing your company’s stability, long-standing relationships, strong brand awareness, and commitment to quality can resonate with candidates looking for a reliable and established employer. It’s about reframing your history as a strength rather than a limitation and a strategy that can strengthen candidate confidence and improve recruitment.
Here are a few ways to market your brand’s legacy rep:
- Highlight your history and achievements: Share stories, testimonials, and case studies showing your success and longevity.
- Focus on customer experiences: Showcase positive customer feedback and emphasize the value you provide to them.
- Maintain consistency and integrity: Uphold your values and consistently deliver on your promises.
- Be transparent and authentic: Build trust by being open and honest about your business practices.
- Engage with your audience: Create a tribe(community) around your brand and encourage interaction and feedback.
Building a Strong Brand Identity
Whether your organization has existed for decades or is new, defining and crafting a brand identity isn’t just important when it comes to selling your products or services. It’s also a big part of your recruitment brand. Here’s how to get started:
Define Your Unique Value Proposition
What sets your industrial business apart? Is it your commitment to safety, innovation, or community involvement? Identifying and communicating your unique value proposition (UVP) is crucial in attracting top talent.
For example, if your company has a strong safety record, highlight this in your recruitment materials. If you offer opportunities for career advancement, make sure potential candidates are aware of these prospects. Your UVP should reflect what makes your company a great place to work in.
It really helps if the message comes from your employees or others, which is called third-party endorsement. This type of validation, where others speak positively about your company, increases trust and credibility. It’s like a personal recommendation from a trusted source, which can be very powerful in attracting top talent.
Create a Consistent Brand Message
Consistency is key in branding. Ensure that your messaging aligns across all platforms—your website, social media, job postings, and internal communications. A unified voice helps reinforce your company’s culture and values, making it easier for candidates to connect with your brand.
Discuss with the various departments in your company, such as marketing, HR, and operations, how they can share a similar message and provide a holistic view of your company. This will ensure that all aspects of your business are represented accurately.
The Importance of Visual Branding
It’s one thing to be able to speak to your brand. Having one that has visual punch also, only amplifies your message. Here’s how to ensure that you look as good as you sound:
Designing a Memorable Logo
Your logo may be the first impression potential candidates have of your company. A modern, professional logo can build credibility and reflect your company’s evolution and stability. In short, it’s a visual way to explain your brand’s identity.
Logos can be quite memorable when done properly. Zippia states that 75% of consumers recognize a brand just by seeing its logo.
A good logo effectively communicates your organization’s objectives, values, and message. It can set you apart from your competition and create a feeling of confidence among your consumers and potential employees. In short, a well-designed, professional logo more than pays for itself with your audience.
Establishing a Color Palette and Typography
The colors and fonts picked for your branding materials can influence perceptions of your company.
For instance, blue often conveys trust and professionalism, while green can represent growth and sustainability. Warm reds and oranges, depending on how they are used, can create a feeling of comfort or energy. They also create a strong, attention-grabbing look and feel.
When it comes to the right font, it has to feel like it matches your brand. Avoid complicated or overly decorative fonts, as they are hard to read. If you’re working with a professional graphic designer or an agency, ensure you see multiple logo versions with different fonts (and colors).
Implementing Effective Recruitment Marketing Strategies
Leveraging Social Media for Recruitment
Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are powerful tools for showcasing your company culture and job opportunities. Sharing employee stories, behind-the-scenes glimpses, and professionalism on job sites can humanize your brand and attract potential candidates.
Digital ads can also be effective in reaching a broader audience. For example, Bold Entity recently helped a growing mechanical contractor when faced with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to grow their workforce and execute on a new project.
Traditional hiring methods would take too long, and hiring a recruiter would cut into profits. The solution? We engineered a data-driven recruitment campaign, leveraging the unique strengths of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to draw interest from office professionals and field experts looking for a career change.
We’re proud to report that the results were quick hires at lower costs, leading to unprecedented growth for our client.
Content Marketing for Employer Branding
Creating and sharing content highlighting your company’s culture, values, and employee experiences can strengthen your employer brand. Instead of constantly showcasing your brand in sales-heavy ads, relying on storytelling formats like blogs, videos, and case studies enables you to tell your company’s story and what it stands for.
Investing in employee video testimonials can be particularly effective. These videos can be repurposed across various platforms—social media, newsletters, websites—and provide authentic insights into what working at your company is like.
Ensure that these testimonials remain honest and authentic. Otherwise, they won’t be as effective.
Summing it all up…
Branding – or rebranding – your industrial company to attract top talent is not an overnight process. However, with the right strategic recruitment marketing efforts, it’s achievable.
By defining your unique value proposition, ensuring consistent messaging, investing in visual branding, and leveraging storytelling and digital platforms, you can transform your company’s image and appeal to high-quality candidates.
Note: Although you may not be hiring at a given moment, an ongoing recruitment marketing campaign remains necessary. By having a consistent and always-on story, your hiring needs will be much easier to manage when the need for new employees ramps up.
Implementing these strategies internally can be challenging, especially if your marketing team is already stretched thin with other priorities.
Outsourcing to a skilled third-party marketing agency specializing in industrial marketing, like Bold Entity, can provide the expertise and resources needed to elevate your employer brand effectively.
Ready to take the next step? Contact Bold Entity today to learn how we can help you refine your brand image and attract the talent your company deserves.
