Employee Generated Content (EGC) is big in the Employer Branding (EB) world right now! (who knew there were so many acronyms in recruitment!) with employee-generated content having the ability to enhance your candidate engagement strategy and how your brand is perceived.

How does EGC fit in to Employer Branding?

But first, to summarise what employer branding is: It's the way your company is perceived by potential and current employees. It encompasses everything from company culture and values to the perks and benefits offered.

And where do employees come in? Well, they are the ones living and breathing your company culture every day and are the ones who can give an authentic and unique perspective on what it's like to work for your organisation.

This, combined with the fact that people are turning more and more to organic content and want to know more about the company they are considering, means that employee-generated content is vital in your employer branding strategy!

With candidate behaviour having undergone a huge change (96% of candidates research a potential employer’s reputation before switching jobs) [LinkedIn], along with the rapid rise in social media use and personalised video on platforms such as TikTok, one of the first things people are likely to do now is to check out a company's social media channels and website to get a feel for their culture. In fact, 79% of job seekers use social media in their job search process, according to CareerArc. And there is nothing more authentic than seeing real employees sharing their experiences and perspectives.

So how do you weave EGC into your recruitment strategy?

Your Employee Generated Content can be included in everything from blog posts to social media updates to videos. You don't need a huge budget or a marketing team to create good EGC, it can be as simple as using a phone to film an employee talking about their role or sharing organic content from what happened today in the office.

People don’t want to see stock imagery content created by the marketing department anymore and the data says it all. According to LinkedIn, companies with active employee engagement on LinkedIn see a 50% increase in job views and a 25% increase in job applications. And in a survey by Hootsuite, 72% of respondents said that they trust content created by employees more than content created by a brand.

Types of employee generated content includes

• Social media posts: These can be in the form of text, photos or videos
• Blogs and articles: Employees can write blog posts or articles about their experiences working for your company, the company culture, or industry-related topics to be shared on multiple platforms
• Testimonials and reviews: Employees can provide testimonials or reviews on your company's website or on third-party review sites like Glassdoor, providing insights into what it's like to work for your company
• Photos: Employees can take and share photos of company events, team building activities, or office spaces to be shared on the website /careers page
• Videos: Videos can be created by employees to showcase different aspects of the company, like a day in the life of an employee or an overview of the company culture and can be shared on the website or careers page

Companies that use video within job campaigns will be staying ahead of the curve. Over 70% of consumers watching videos on social media every day and this is no different for employer branding and recruitment. Have a read of our article on how to implement video in to your recruitment marketing strategy.

The added benefits of Employee Generated Content

Not only does employee generated content give potential employees a glimpse into what it's like to work for your company, but it could also have the potential to boost employee morale and engagement. When employees feel like their voices are being heard and valued, they are more likely to feel motivated and invested in the company they are working for.

There is also the benefit of organic reach. When employees share their experiences on social media, they are likely to share it with their own networks. Which means more eyes on your employer brand while keeping costs low.

Encouraging your employees to share their stories and perspectives can have a huge impact on enhancing your employer brand and engaging passive candidates as well as fostering a sense of community and engagement within your company. Ultimately, employee generated content will be a tool that engages not only top talent, but the right talent.