A lot of times when we think about marketing it’s in the traditional sense, which is marketing your company to existing and potential customers.
There’s another element to successful marketing for any corporation, however, and that’s how you market yourself as an employer. Employer branding is increasingly important as unemployment continues to go lower, and the job market is less competitive for employees. This makes it tougher for companies to get the best employees, making it the ideal time to think about how you market your organization in terms of being an employer.
The following are some key things to know about marketing your employee benefits and creating your overall employer brand.
Leisure Travel Programs
One of the benefits companies are increasingly offering clients is leisure travel. There are service providers that focus on creating and delivering exclusive travel offers and services for employees when they’re on vacation.
A lot of companies will actually put together a full website where employees can go to view special offers available only to them and also make travel arrangements. One example of an employer who does this is Airbnb, which gives employees an annual stipend to travel anywhere in the world and stay in an Airbnb listing.
In addition to leisure travel discounts and specific benefit options, companies can also think about marketing their business travel program as a perk, rather than something employees tolerate but don’t like. It’s all about how you brand it. Just make sure that you have an expense management system in place that can efficiently handle global expense capabilities.
Employee Transportation
One of the most desirable categories of benefits you can market to your employees is subsidized transportation. It may not seem very glamorous, but according to research it's something employees really want.
Transportation benefits can range from mileage reimbursements to public transportation passes offered to certain employees. Market these benefits as a way to improve employee satisfaction and boost how they manage their work-life balance.
Create Brand Ambassadors
This was touched on a bit above with Airbnb, but one of your objectives with all your employees should be to turn them into brand ambassadors. This helps with your internal and external marketing and makes for happier employees. Consider this concept when you’re creating employee benefits.
An example of a company that does this well is the Walt Disney Company. They provide their employees with things like free park admission and deep discounts on various hotels and merchandise. This is a huge perk for working there, but it also ensures that employees fully experience what the company has to offer and they’re able to share it with other employees and potential visitors and customers. It’s an all-around win-win.
Employee Testimonials
Finally, when you’re marketing to potential customers you may already know about the significance of testimonials and reviews, but what about regarding your internal marketing and your employer brand marketing?
Take a page out of Allianz’ book and have employees publish testimonials on your website. This will give potential candidates a real feel for what it’s like working at your company and also the advantages that come with it, including the benefits.