In a competitive job market where qualified candidates receive multiple job offers or may suddenly withdraw from a recruitment process, having a well-defined brand will help you build strong connections with potential desired candidates. 

What is a brand journey?
Your brand journey is your way of delivering an experience to your clients and customers. A well-defined brand ensures your services &  products, online presence, leadership and your reputation all align with the values that you lay out.  Ideally, these are conveyed through all points of contact with the public, and potential candidates: on your website, in job listings, in advertisements, and also internally, in the way you communicate with current employees.

Championing your values throughout the interview process.
Your interview process should run promptly with thorough feedback provided at every stage, regardless of whether a candidate is progressing or being declined. This demonstrates to candidates that your business is efficient and punctual, but more importantly, it shows that you value candidates and their time and energy which promotes a positive image of your company. 

Everything should align throughout all stages of the hiring process from your on the ground team to your operations and hiring manager. This should be clearly defined prior to going to market; consider how your website highlights your brand and values; does your advertising and social media presence align with these values;  do your hiring managers portray the same message and ensure communication is consistent with each candidate whether it be a positive outcome or not?  Your recruitment process should also include a carefully curated induction and onboarding plan that replicates your values and invests in your new starter giving them time to learn and understand their new role. People work for people - share your own career journey with the candidate, share stories of succession planning and growth within the brand and build a meaningful connection!

Being transparent about your values and making sure that you choose candidates who align with your values, ensures that candidates feel included from the very beginning of their journey. Communicating these values and directions consistently and early on ensures that there are no unwelcome surprises for candidates at a later stage. Interviews and hiring processes are not just for skill-checking, it is also a beneficial opportunity for both the candidate and the hiring manager to review whether there is alignment in this crucial element of a successful recruitment outcome. 

Onboarding - How aligned values retain great employees.
To successfully onboard a new employee, your company must ensure that the leadership, values, and ethos, of your company, are cohesive. If you can do this it's a great start! It means that your candidate will feel comfortable in their role, and feel like your company is a place where they can grow, and most importantly, stay.

By focusing on genuinely selling your brand's ethos and your company values throughout the recruitment process, you will attract top talent who want to work and grow within your company, and will actively tell others about what a great place your company is to work. Recruiting authentically may feel like turning away candidates who are great on paper, but in reality, it allows you to hire the right kind of talent who want to promote your brand image and are committed to sticking around for the longterm.