In today’s candidate-driven job market, it isn’t enough to identify the best in the talent pool. Rather than relying on job offers to attract new hires, the smartest companies are turning inward by focusing on employer branding. This is an especially important tactic when hiring millennials, a generation that looks beyond traditional benefits and compensation to make career decisions. They want to know more about the company’s reputation, values, and work environment—information that can easily be found online.

This is why your employer branding is key to attracting millennials. 

To get an authentic view of what it is like to work for an organization, millennials are doing their due diligence. In many cases, job seekers are spending over 30 minutes researching a company before they even apply and/or interview for a job. This allows them to identify opportunities that are the best fit for their personality, principles, and career goals.

As a result, your employer branding needs to convey what a prospective hire can expect from working for your organization. This encompasses:

• Who you are
• What you do
• Why you’re a great place to work

Fortunately, the technology that is making the job market increasingly transparent, can also help you when hiring millennials. By showcasing your company’s culture and values online, you can offer millennials further incentive to consider your organization. While the extent to which this should be done will vary by industry, these messages should be communicated across all relevant platforms, including, but not limited to:

• The company website
• Career sites
• Social media
• 3^rd party review sites

Remember, authenticity is also key when hiring millennials. Everything you are saying (and showing) must be real. If a candidate feels they are being misled, they will not hesitate to withdraw from the process altogether.

Learn more about hiring millennials with our new eBook: The Millennial Workforce: 21 Tips for Identifying + Attracting A New Generation Of Talent

Check out our companion eBook on retaining millennials: The Millennial Workforce: 23 Tips For Motivating + Challenging Emerging Leaders