For an established company, focusing on its recruitment brand often means hiring a recruitment advertising agency and conducting a costly brand audit. Startups, on the other hand, are in the envious yet challenging position of being able to build their employer brand from scratch. What they lack in resources they must make up for with creativity. No matter how big or small your company, developing an employer brand is essentially a two-step process. The first step is identifying what your brand represents.
Many startups cherish the company culture that a core group of original employees has helped create.
For such startups, the challenge is not to create new brands from scratch, but to articulate their existing brands in messages that can be delivered to both existing and potential employees. Hodus recommends that startups poll current employees to get a better feel for their company cultures. By asking your employees directly why they think your company is a great place to work, you can pinpoint the core aspects of your employer brand that you want to publicize. Anonymity in such surveys is essential to ensure employees respond honestly. Be aware that the results of such surveys may not be all good news.