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Why Employer Branding Is the Future of Recruitment

How to Attract Top Talent Through Strong Employer Branding

In today’s competitive job market, attracting and keeping top talent has become more of a challenge than ever. While the traditional recruitment methods will always have their place when it comes to hiring, one of the most effective (and potentially underused) tool will always be your employer branding.

When people genuinely see your company as the great place it is to work, they’re not just likely to apply for your roles. They will be much more likely to stay, thrive within their careers and shout about it to others too.

Employer branding can be implemented and used effectively whether you’re a growing start up or even a well-established organisation. Continuously building on your employer brand can give you the real edge when it comes to both finding and hiring the markets best talent.

What is Employer Branding?

Employer branding is how your company is viewed by your current employees and any future potential candidates. Your employer branding will be shaped by:

• Culture: This shapes how employees experience daily life at work, and will influence their overall sense of belonging.
• Values: Values define what the company stands for – this helps attracts candidates who wish to align to a similar mission and purpose.
• Work Environment: This reflects on how supportive, flexible and engaging the company appears to be for its employees.
• Reputation as an employer: Determines how the outside world perceives your company as a place to work, impacting talent attraction and retention

These can be ‘grouped’ as your company’s personality in the eyes of jobseekers. Having a strong employer brand will make you more attractive to people aligned with your mission. But will also help to deter those who are not the right fit.

Why Does Employer Branding Matter?

Employer branding needs to be a key part of your recruitment strategy for the following reasons:

✅ Better Hires

Companies with a clear, attractive brand tend to attract candidates who are genuinely passionate about what they do – leading to stronger and more engaged hires.

✅ Improved Retention

When people feel proud to work for your company and believe in what you stand for, they’re far more likely to stay. This in turn can work to reduce your overall hiring costs!

✅ A Competitive Advantage

In a sea of job opportunities, standing out as an employer of choice makes it easier to attract the best candidates – even when you’re not the biggest name in the market.

How to Build Your Employer Brand

LinkedIn (as well as utilising your website and other social platforms) is a fantastic tool to showcase what makes your workplace special. We can use it to your advantage by implementing the following:

1. Optimise Your LinkedIn Company Page

This is often the first-place people go to learn about you. Make sure it’s updated with your values, culture, employee stories, and day-to-day insights. Think of it as your online shop window.

2. Encourage Employee Advocacy

Ask your team to share their own stories and experiences – whether it’s a post, a video, or even a short article. People trust people, and genuine employee content speaks volumes.

3. Showcase the Human Side of Your Brand

Don’t just post job ads. Share behind-the-scenes moments, shout-outs to team members, community involvement, or company milestones. Help people feel what it’s like to work with you.

4. Write Job Posts with Purpose

When sharing vacancies, don’t just list tasks. Talk about what it’s really like to work with you. What kind of team will they be joining? What opportunities are there for growth? What values do you live by?

A strong employer brand doesn’t just help you fill roles; it helps you attract the right people, foster loyalty, and build a positive workplace culture that others want to be part of.

By sharing the story behind your business, you can set yourself apart and build lasting connections with candidates who truly align with your mission and values.

👉 Ready to attract the right talent? Start your candidate search today

Why Diversity and Inclusion is Important in Today’s Society

Why Diversity and Inclusion Should Be at the Heart of Your Hiring Strategy

Introduction

In today’s world, hiring a diverse and inclusive team isn’t just about doing the right thing—it’s a smart business move. Companies that embrace diversity and inclusion (D&I) tend to be more innovative, productive, and better at understanding and meeting the needs of their customers. Here’s why D&I should play a key role in shaping how you hire.

1. Sparks Innovation and Creativity

When you bring together people with different backgrounds and experiences, you get fresh ideas and perspectives. This diversity leads to more creative problem-solving and innovative solutions that a less diverse team might miss. We find that differences in opinion (and the readiness to bring them to the table massively helps our team to remain open minded and hence more creative).

2. Attracts Top Talent

Job seekers, especially younger generations like millennials and Gen Z, want to work for companies that value inclusion. By showing a commitment to diversity, you can attract talented candidates who want to work for a company that aligns with their values.

3. Boosts Employee Engagement and Retention

Inclusive environments don’t just draw in new talent—they help keep your current employees happy too. When people feel like they’re part of a team where their contributions matter, they’re more engaged and loyal, which means less turnover of staff.

4. Reaches a Wider Market

A diverse team is better equipped to understand and connect with a wide range of customers. When your workforce reflects the diversity of your audience, you can create products and services that appeal to more people, giving your business a competitive edge.

5. Strengthens Your Company’s Reputation

Companies committed to diversity and inclusion enjoy a stronger, more positive reputation. This not only helps attract customers but also investors and partners who value corporate social responsibility.

Making diversity and inclusion a core part of your hiring strategy isn’t just a trend—it’s essential for growth, innovation, and long-term success. By building a diverse and inclusive team, you’re setting your company up to thrive in a rapidly changing world.

The Cost of a Bad Hire: How to Dodge Common Hiring Mistakes

Hiring the right person is crucial, but the real cost of a bad hire is often more than what meets the eye. It’s not just about the money; a poor hiring choice can drag down morale, hurt productivity, and even damage your company’s reputation. We break down why bad hires are so costly and how you can avoid these common pitfalls.

The Hidden Costs of a Bad Hire

A bad hire hits your budget hard in more ways than one. First, there are the direct financial costs such as job ads, interviews, and background checks. If the person doesn’t work out, all those resources are wasted, and you have to start over. Using a great recruitment partner will mean there is a rebate policy in place to safeguard this, as well as the opportunity to find an alternative candidate swiftly.

Then there’s the time and money spent on training and onboarding. You invest in getting a new employee up to speed, but if they leave or don’t perform, that investment is lost. Sometimes, letting a bad hire go involves severance pay or legal fees, adding more strain to your budget.

But it’s not just about the money. A bad hire can mess with your team’s vibe. When someone isn’t pulling their weight, it frustrates the team, lowers morale, and forces others to pick up the slack. This can lead to stress and lower productivity across the board.

The damage doesn’t stop there. A bad hire can slow down your whole operation, causing delays and errors that impact your team’s overall efficiency. And when they leave, you’re back to square one, spending time and resources to find and train someone new, instead of moving your company forward.

On top of all this, frequent hiring mistakes can hurt your reputation. High turnover can make your company look unstable, scaring off top talent. If the bad hire was client-facing, their poor performance could even damage your relationships with clients, which is bad news for your company’s image.

How to Avoid Common Hiring Pitfalls

To avoid these costly mistakes, start by getting clear on what you need. Create detailed job descriptions that clearly outline what the role involves and what kind of person you’re looking for. This helps attract candidates who are a good fit from the start.

Next, ensure you have a rigorous screening process in place. Structured interviews with consistent questions help you assess skills, experience, and cultural fit. It’s also smart to use assessments like skills tests or personality quizzes to get a better understanding of a candidate’s potential dependant on the seniority of the role.

Don’t skip on checking references and backgrounds either. Talking to a candidate’s previous employers can give you insights you might miss during interviews, and background checks ensure they have the credentials they claim.

Cultural fit is just as important as skills. Consider how well a candidate aligns with your company’s values and work environment. Involving team members in the interview process can help you gauge how well a candidate might integrate with your existing team.

Finally, make sure you’re offering a competitive salary where possible. Research market rates to ensure your salary and benefits package are attractive enough to draw in the best candidates. Remember, it’s not just about the money—non-monetary benefits like flexible work options and opportunities for professional growth can also make a big difference.

A bad hire can cost your company more than just money—it can drag down team morale, hurt productivity, and damage your reputation. By understanding these hidden costs and taking steps to avoid common hiring mistakes, you can make smarter choices and build a stronger, more effective team.

Instructing experts to support you will certainly ensure the hiring process runs smoothly but please don’t skip the essentials;  Clear job roles, a strong person specification and a visit to the work environment will give your chosen recruitment partner the ability to shortlist only the most relevant candidates. An experienced recruitment partner will challenge (very nicely) and be open to advising on salary levels, the skills available on the market and how to attract the right individuals successfully.

Building a respectful partnership with your chosen agency will mean they are able to actively keep ears to the ground for the right individuals and continue to work behind the scenes to promote your business.

The Importance of Being Authentic in our Personal and Professional Lives

In a world where we often seek approval from others, being authentic is key to thriving both personally and at work. Authenticity means staying true to who we are—our values, beliefs, and personality. This genuine approach brings many benefits, helping us build better relationships, find job satisfaction, and feel happier overall. Here’s why being authentic is so important to us here at First Base:

Authenticity at Work

1. Building Trust: Being authentic at work helps build trust. When colleagues see you as genuine, they are more likely to trust and respect you. This trust is essential for teamwork and collaboration. When you recognise you don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not, it’s so powerful.
2. Greater Job Satisfaction: Aligning your job with your core values and passions leads to higher job satisfaction. When you are true to yourself at work, you feel more engaged and fulfilled, which boosts productivity and job performance.
3. Better Resilience (another of our core values): Authentic people are more resilient because their self-worth comes from within, not from others’ approval. This inner strength helps them handle work challenges better, seeing setbacks as opportunities to grow.
4. Encouraging Creativity: Authenticity allows for the free expression of ideas. When you are not afraid to share your true thoughts, creativity thrives. This openness at work leads to innovative ideas and solutions.

Authenticity in Personal Life

1. Genuine Relationships: Authenticity is key to forming deep, meaningful relationships. By being yourself, you attract people who appreciate you for who you are, leading to more genuine and fulfilling connections with friends, family, and partners.
2. Personal Growth: Embracing authenticity is a journey of self-discovery. Recognising and accepting your strengths and weaknesses promotes self-awareness and personal growth, which is essential for mental and emotional well-being.
3. Living with Purpose: When your actions match your values and passions, you live a more purposeful life.
4. Emotional Freedom: Authenticity frees you from the pressure of pretending to be someone you’re not. This emotional freedom allows you to express your true thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment, leading to a calmer existence.

Connecting Personal and Professional Authenticity

The benefits of being authentic in your personal life naturally carry over to your professional life, creating a consistent and genuine approach in all areas. When you are true to yourself in your personal life, you bring that same authenticity to work, ensuring a balanced and integrated life.

Conclusion

Being authentic is more than just a nice quality – it’s a powerful state that can improve both your personal and professional life. By being true to yourself, you build trust, form deeper relationships, and achieve greater fulfilment.

Set Your Team Up for a Successful New Year

As we enter a new year, it’s key to ensure that your team are clear on business expectations and how their performance will tie into company objectives. This is a great opportunity to reassess priorities for the year and make any necessary adjustments to your team’s focus over the coming months.

Whether you’re looking to further expand your team or develop your employees for internal progression, it’s important to have a clear plan of action.

Setting specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals will help you stay on track. Setting SMART goals is a proven strategy to achieve success. By making your goals specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, you can help yourself and your team stay on track. Specific goals give you a clear target to aim for, while measurable goals allow you to track your progress. Achievable goals ensure that your targets are realistic and attainable, while relevant goals keep you focused on what truly matters. Time-bound goals create a sense of urgency, helping you to stay motivated and committed to achieving your objectives. By setting SMART goals, you can increase your chances of success and ensure that you and your team are working towards a shared vision.

Investing in professional development opportunities for yourself and your team can go a long way in ensuring that you all have the necessary skills and knowledge to be successful in your respective roles. This can involve attending relevant seminars, workshops, or training sessions, or even pursuing additional education or certification. By doing so, you can stay up to date with the latest industry trends, learn new techniques and strategies, and develop your leadership and collaboration skills.

Additionally, investing in your team’s professional development can foster a sense of loyalty and commitment, as well as promote a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Ultimately, by prioritizing professional development, you can position yourself and your team for long-term success and growth.

Remember, Planning and investing in your team can have a significant impact on your business’s long-term success and employee fulfilment. By dedicating time and resources to training, professional development, and team-building activities, you can foster a positive work environment and improve overall performance. When employees feel supported and valued, they are more likely to remain loyal to the company and strive for excellence in their roles. This can lead to increased productivity, higher quality work, and ultimately, greater success for the organisation as a whole.

As a leader, it is crucial to recognise the importance of investing in your team and to make it a priority in your business strategy. By doing so, you can create a culture of growth and achievement that benefits both your employees and your bottom line.

Unlocking Success: The Power of “Togetherness” at First Base 🚀

Are you curious about the key ingredients that make our team truly successful? 🤔 Look no further, because today, we’re diving deep into the art of teamwork and collaboration. 🤝

In the fast-paced world of recruitment, success isn’t just about individual talent; it’s about harnessing the collective power of our team. Here are some insights into what helps us to thrive :

1 Shared Goals and Vision: We share a common vision and set clear, achievable goals. When everyone is aligned and understands their role in the bigger picture, the magic truly happens

2 Effective Communication: Communication is the lifeblood of our team. Transparent, open, and honest communication helps in avoiding misunderstandings, fostering trust, and ensuring everyone is on the same page

3 Collaborative Mindset: Our team members actively support each other through mutual respect and trust. When one wins, the team wins

4 Celebrating Wins and Learning from Losses: We recognise and celebrate achievements, no matter how small. And when things don’t go as planned, we view them as learning opportunities rather than failures

5 Flexibility and Adaptability: The recruitment landscape can be unpredictable as we’re dealing with human beings. We pivot and adapt to changing circumstances swiftly

6 Empowerment: Our team are given autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work. Empowered team members are more motivated and creative problem solvers

7 Safeguarding: We do not tolerate poor behaviour. We take action as soon as we become aware of toxicity in the business and protect our team ferociously.

8 Diversity and Inclusion: A diverse team brings a wide range of perspectives and experiences to the table. Embracing diversity, leads to innovative solutions and better customer relationships

To us, team doesn’t mean just working side by side, knowing that our peers have our back. It means working collaboratively towards a shared goal, leveraging each team member’s strengths, and supporting each other through the ups and downs

Together, we can achieve remarkable results that surpass what any one of us could accomplish alone. We harness the power of teamwork and unlock the true potential of our sales team! 💪💼📈

#Success #Teamwork #Collaboration #Teamwork

How does your sales team embrace teamwork and collaboration? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! 👇

What are the benefits of using our Industry Expertise?

At Team First Base, one of our core values is that of Industry Expertise, but what does that mean for the people we work with?

We took a deep dive into what our industry expertise means to our clients across each of the sectors we offer.

1. We have well-established networks and access to a specialised talent pool within our respective industries.
2. We have connections with passive candidates who may not be actively searching for new opportunities but possess the skills and experience sought by organisations. This access allows us to source highly qualified candidates that may not be readily available through traditional channels.  
3. We can streamline the hiring process and save valuable time for organisations. Having a clear understanding of the required skill sets and qualifications enables us to efficiently screen and shortlist candidates. The industry knowledge we have gained from over 25 years in business, also helps in conducting targeted searches, reducing the time spent on sourcing and screening unqualified candidates.
4. We stay up-to-date with market trends, including changes in talent supply and demand, emerging skill sets, and remuneration benchmarks. We provide organisations with valuable insights into the current landscape, helping them make informed decisions regarding talent acquisition strategies, salary offers, and competitive positioning.
5. The team at First Base possess specialised knowledge and expertise in their respective fields. They are familiar with industry-specific recruitment best practices, including sourcing strategies, candidate assessment methods, and interview techniques. Leveraging this niche expertise, we can guide organisations in optimising their recruitment processes and ensuring a higher quality of candidate selection.
6. We can enhance your business branding and reputation. By working with us in partnership, we’ll support you in attracting top talent and building a positive experience. This can result in higher candidate engagement, increased employee retention, and improved perception among industry peers.
7. While there is a cost associated with engaging us, leveraging our industry expertise can result in cost savings in the long run. Efficient and effective candidate selection reduces the risk of hiring mistakes and turnover, which can be costly. 

In summary, we offer the advantages of deep industry knowledge, access to specialised talent pools, efficiency and time savings, market insights, niche expertise and best practices, enhanced employer branding, and potential cost savings. These benefits can contribute to successful and targeted hiring, resulting in better-quality candidates and improved organisational outcomes.

If you would like to discuss how we can help, don’t hesitate to contact us on 01453 755330, info@first-base.co.uk or click here.  Anything you discuss with us is completely confidential and there is no obligation to use our services.

How do I find more time to interview candidates?

We’re seeing more and more businesses report that they just don’t have the time to interview whilst they juggle the myriad of demands of running the organisation.

There’s so much going on that they lose sight of the importance of bringing on the right team to support the plans put together for 2023 and find themselves firefighting (doing the work of three people whilst they try to keep all the balls in the air).

It’s important to remember that an engaged and empowered workforce is critical in achieving growth AND adding to that team successfully, is just as key.

Candidates continue to be in short supply and are moving fast hence it’s so important to have a robust network of people that you can call on when business needs dictate it.

If you don’t have time to interview potential candidates there are a few things you can do: 

1. Consider using pre-interview assessments to help you quickly identify the most qualified candidates. These can be a great way to quickly highlight candidates with the right skills and experience, without having to spend as much time interviewing.
2. Ask current employees or industry contacts if they know of anyone who would be a good fit for the role. Personal referrals can be a great way to quickly identify qualified candidates.
3. Conduct virtual* interviews using video conferencing software. This allows you to interview candidates remotely, without having to meet in person. 
4. Consider hiring a candidate on a trial period or as a temp to start**, to determine if they are a good fit for the role and the company culture. This can be a good way to get to know the candidate without needing to conduct a long interview process.
5. Outsource the interview process to a consultant, HR professional, or a member of your team who is not involved in the day-to-day operations of the company. This would allow you to focus on your business while someone else conducts the interview process on your behalf.
6. A recruitment agency can handle the entire recruitment process*** for you, including advertising the job, screening cv’s, conducting interviews, and providing a shortlist of qualified candidates.

* Remember that virtual interviews should not replace the face-to-face interview, but act as a first step in identifying those you’d like to meet.  Meeting people, and allowing them to see and feel the culture of your business, is key.

**In today’s market, we are seeing a heightened need for stability hence a temp-to-perm arrangement or a permanent role from the get-go is far more attractive to job seekers

***A good recruitment agency will look after your reputation in the marketplace whilst you’re able to concentrate on all the other aspects of your job role. Look for great communication and a commitment to understanding the business. Invest in building a strong relationship in order to get the best out of your recruitment partner.

5 Tips to Improve Your Recruitment Process

You’ve come to the conclusion that you need to review your recruitment process. You’re engaging candidates but they don’t go the full distance – some drop out prior to the interview whilst others interview but don’t accept the job you’re offering.

5. It doesn’t stop there

Communication & Well-Being for Furloughed staff

This time last year I certainly did not envisage 2020 playing out the way it did for thousands of companies and for many, the full extent of the pandemic came as a complete (and prolonged) shock. Our first concern was, of course, the spread of the virus and looking after our people’s health. For many of us, this has now settled down as we know our teams are safe, staying inside and are successfully adapting to remote working life. Now that we are in 2021, our understanding of the virus has somewhat changed and the vaccine provides hope that we will return to some form of normality.

Most organisations we have spoken have had to make decisions over the last year which they could not have foreseen. Many have utilised this time to review their forecasts, look at streamlining where possible and putting plans in place to grow, as we begin to return to some form of normality.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be posting some helpful tips to continue to help you through this challenging time.

Communication & Well-Being for Furloughed staff

To help business through the pandemic the Government created the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme which allows employers to Furlough their staff in return for 80% of peoples wages*, up to a maximum of £2,500 and was further extended until the end of April 2021.

If you currently have staff on Furlough, one of the best ways to retain your employees is to continue to communicate and check in on them from a well bring perspective. Check-in and remind them that you are available for support and advice if they ever require it. You could provide them with well-being tips such as healthy eating, exercising regularly and the importance of keeping in touch with friends and family. You could also direct employees to external sources of support such as Charity Mind, the Mental Health UK Website Headspace and Future Learn. 

We also have some great blogs on our website that may help around identifying and managing stress.

Communicating with your staff during Furlough will help you identify any issues that they may be facing and help them through this difficult time. A good communication strategy will also minimise the risk of losing members of your team due to any perceived lack of engagement.  Surprisingly, we have continued to see a high degree of movement in the market as people continue to look for alternative employment.

David Thomason, Hospitality Business Manager

*Now excluding NI and AE contributions.