Employer branding has become a key pillar for attracting and retaining top talent. But how can you measure its real impact? What strategies should you adopt to improve it?
In a competitive job market, companies are constantly finding new ways to present themselves at their best. Many invest in building an employer brand, a strong identity similar to a corporate brand, except it is designed to attract talent rather than customers.
How do you evaluate the effectiveness of an employer brand?
An employer brand reflects the employee experience. It is used to attract talent, highlight competitive advantages, and motivate and retain teams.
Like any business strategy, employer branding is measured using key performance indicators (KPIs). Gabriel Tremblay, Director of Innovation at sept24, an agency that helps organizations define their employer brand, points out that every company is unique, with its own employer brand and objectives. He recommends defining these parameters based on what he calls “zero data,” meaning baseline HR metrics.
For example, this could include data such as time-to-fill positions, employee turnover rate, average cost per hire, or the proportion of employees from diverse backgrounds. “You could even monitor the number of positive or negative comments on social media,” he adds.
The idea is to quantify your current state and use these metrics as a baseline to measure whether your action plan has had a real impact. Gabriel Tremblay also recommends using progress surveys to assess whether limiting factors have actually improved.
How can an HRIS help measure employer brand impact?
HR teams often lack the time and resources to properly measure the performance of their employer brand. A Human Resource Information System (HRIS) can greatly simplify this process.
An HRIS allows you to:
- Collect data
- Define customized KPIs
- Measure goal achievement
- Create processes to support an action plan
- Gather user feedback
“The key is to go beyond the numbers,” says Guillaume Lapierre, Director of HRIS Projects at SIGMA-RH. He explains that a strong HRIS not only provides metrics such as turnover rates or the number of candidates who declined a job offer, but also the reasons behind those decisions. “The feedback we collect allows us to validate whether our action plan is effective and adjust it if needed,” he explains.
Our global HRIS is fuelled by generative AI. This breakthrough represents a decisive turning point in human resource management: it will soon be indispensable.
It represents a unique opportunity for HR departments to become a genuine source of strategic leverage.
Contact our team to learn moreHow to measure the impact of an employer brand
Guillaume Lapierre describes an HRIS as a portal that enables two-way communication between employees, managers, HR teams and leadership. From day one, it streamlines onboarding by providing new hires with personalized guidance and notifying managers of their arrival. “We often say onboarding is critical and that you only get one chance to make a good first impression. That is exactly what an HRIS enables,” he explains.
The system supports employees throughout their journey. Through a shared service center, they can access information about company policies and guidelines and ask questions about time off or benefits. In many cases, the system can respond directly using AI, without involving HR teams. When needed, a ticket is created and routed to the appropriate person.
By enabling smooth communication across the organization, an HRIS directly contributes to strengthening the employer brand. It also helps enhance it over time, whether by measuring performance through feedback and customized KPIs or by implementing processes to achieve strategic objectives. Most importantly, it supports HR teams by handling time-consuming tasks and helping build a strong identity that attracts and retains top talent.