• Small businesses have the power to connect with people directly.
• In a survey done in March, 86 per cent of job seekers seek this information from company’s website and 54 per cent on the company’s career page.
Small and Micro Enterprises need to employ cost-effective ways to build their brands and connect to potential employees, according to a Coca-Cola executive.
The firm's Africa human resource director John Mwendwa said this will enable them compete with major brands in sourcing quality talent.
He said big brands ride on the power of the current brands, heritage and huge financial muscle making them preferred by candidates in the market.
"Small businesses have the power to connect with people directly. It is worth to invest in employer brand, something earned overtime," Mwendwa said.
According to employment firm Shortlist, in today’s increasingly competitive and candidate-centric job marker, it is essential for companies to cultivate a positive employer brand to attract and maintain exceptional talent.
This is defined by public image of the workplace culture and how they have been viewed by former employees, current and prospective employees.
In a survey done in March, 86 per cent of job seekers seek this information from company’s website and 54 per cent on the company’s career page.
38 per cent showed that they talked to current or former employees while 20 per cent showed that they researched about the company through employees’ reviews on global website, Glassdoor.
The survey attracted 1201 respondents, out of which 58 per cent were millennials aged between 25 to 34 years.
“Most small businesses are more tech than the giant companies. This gives them an advantage to showcase the brand and interact with the potential employees online," Shortlist head of business and partnerships Doris Muigei said.
She said vacancies for senior roles have candidates looking for products offered by the company while internships call for review of culture
"Even the way you treat people during interviews, offering water really has an impact on the reputation.," she said.
Muigei said feedback after interviews is important as it translates to candidates how they will be treated once they get the job.
"People appreciate immediate feedback even if it is negative, " Safaricom PLC talent and acquisition senior manager Chris Otundo added.
The survey also showed that Kenyan employees seek learning opportunities, availability of promotions, professional training, positive culture and relationship from coworkers when applying for jobs.
Majority of job seekers are more concerned with the culture of their potential employers over salary and stability which were ranked number six and seven.
According to Glassdoor, 84 per cent of job seekers said reputation of a company as an employer is important when making a decision on where to apply for a job.
The information resonates with a recent study by LinkedIn that found out that organisations with strong employer branding incurred half the cost per hire of companies with poor or no employer brands.