“You have to be the employer of choice every day,” Yahoo Chairman Maynard Webb recently told The New York Times.

He’s right, and having an appealing talent brand will become even more important in the months and years ahead.  Ten thousand baby boomers turn 65 every day and will continue to do so until 2029, according to Pew Research.  The generation that follows is so much smaller that employers will need to fight for experienced talent to fill the knowledge gap. 

Having a strong employer brand can help.  Our recruiting team sees the impact every day.  Some companies provide a collaborative, team-based environment that allows for interaction and great outcomes. That makes it easy for recruiters to deliver a qualified, diverse slate of candidates with top speed.  Other organizations have such intense cultures that many candidates refuse even to explore an opportunity by telling us, “I’ve heard too much about this company.”

The employers most appealing to top talent find a way to add humanity to the workplace and establish trust with their employees.  Many organizations have to do some rebuilding in this area following the job losses of the Great Recession.  One study from Great Britain suggests that job displacement can damage trust for years. 

Increasing transparency can help build trust and improve an employer brand.  A  2014 Employer Branding Study by Randstad US found that the number one trait workers look for in an employer company is honesty. Business leaders also can ask themselves some simple questions about their workplace environment and how it might improve.  Some are going much further.  Corporate branding expert Jeanne Meister predicts in her Forbes column that 2015 will be the year HR departments start creating “social employer brand playbooks” to gain competitive advantage in sourcing and developing top talent.

Increasing transparency can help build trust and improve an employer brand.  A  2014 Employer Branding Study by Randstad US found that the number one trait workers look for in an employer company is honesty. Business leaders also can ask themselves some simple questions about their workplace environment and how it might improve.  Some are going much further.  Corporate branding expert Jeanne Meister predicts in her Forbes column that 2015 will be the year HR departments start creating “social employer brand playbooks” to gain competitive advantage in sourcing and developing top talent.