One of the most effective ways to promote your employer brand is through what we affectionally call “PR for HR”.
Traditional PR, or public relations, is the art of driving earned coverage and conversation. It means highlighting newsworthy information that you want media outlets to notice and publicize. And when we talk about PR for HR, what we mean is keeping your employer brand top of mind for candidates. We want to drive that conversation to showcase your organization as an employer of choice among the media and through social amplification.
The benefits of PR for HR are many—and significant. Third-party credibility is very valuable, but it must be earned, so you want the media and general population talking about your brand in a positive way. And beyond whatever time and effort you spend writing a press release or highlighting your company on social media, PR for HR can be incredibly cost efficient. The key to success is having a pulse on the news of the day, learning where the most relevant conversations are happening and, when possible, establishing strong relationships among media outlets.
If you’ve never tried it, but want to get your feet wet in PR for HR, there are some great opportunities for low-hanging fruit. You’ll often find that your organization is already doing things that bring good opportunities for PR, but you have yet to take advantage of them. Just think of the storytelling opportunities within your organization!
For instance, you can highlight your most innovative executives as thought leaders. Or focus on incredible employee stories during relevant news cycles, such as Veterans Day or International Women’s Day. You might even showcase the ways you are recruiting talent through unique avenues: Social media, technology, and creative hiring events. In HR, there are often opportunities to promote news about the number of jobs you’re bringing to the community. Jobs never go out of style, so there will always be an interest in stories about them. Here’s another idea: Describe what life is like within your organization.
The effective use of PR for HR is good for your image as an employer—and good for the future of your organization at a time when talent is more valuable than ever. Contact the team at Shaker if you’d like to give it a try.