Employer Branding – How to Compete With Big Employers

Employer branding – your reputation and image as an employer – is crucial for attracting and retaining talent. Big companies with famous consumer brands often benefit from built-in name recognition, but for small and mid-sized businesses, it takes conscious effort to get on job seekers’ radar. A strong employer brand helps you stand out and convince candidates to join you, even if you can’t offer the same salary or perks as larger competitors. Here, we focus on how smaller companies can build their employer brand through career pages and online presence, and how ZenZaii supports these efforts.

Why Employer Branding Matters - Even for Small Businesses:

Candidates do their homework

Today’s job seekers don’t just read a job ad – they research the company. According to a LinkedIn report, 78% of job candidates will consider a company’s employer brand before applying for a job. This means that even if you’re a relatively unknown firm, a majority of potential applicants will try to find information about your culture, values, and reputation as an employer. If you have little or no visibility online, or if what they find is unappealing, talented people might skip over your opportunity.

Values-driven generation

The trend is clear – especially among younger generations, people care a lot about working for a company whose values align with their own. Surveys of millennial and Gen Z workers show that many actively seek out employers that share their interests and ethics. For a small business, this can actually be an advantage: you might have a strong mission or a unique story that you can broadcast. But it requires that you tell that story effectively. If you highlight your purpose and values, you can attract those who believe in what you do. The key is to make sure your voice is heard through the right channels.

Competing for talent with big players

Small companies compete on the same job market as larger ones. You might not always match big firms on salary or benefits, but a strong employer brand can still win over candidates. People don’t choose jobs based only on money – factors like work environment, growth opportunities, company culture, and meaningful work play a huge role. By showcasing what makes your workplace special, you can convince great candidates to join you for reasons beyond just compensation. There’s also a cost benefit: companies with a good employer reputation can significantly reduce their cost-per-hire. One analysis by Glassdoor found that businesses with a positive employer brand spend up to 50% less per new hire, because recruitment is faster and easier when candidates already have a favorable view of you. In short, investing in your employer brand saves money in the long run by easing your recruiting efforts.

Career Pages and Online Visibility – Keys to a Strong Employer Brand

To build your employer brand online, even small companies should leverage the platforms where candidates seek information:

Your own career page

A careers section on your website is your storefront for job seekers. Here you can list open positions and also give a peek into your company culture – with text about your vision and values, employee testimonials, maybe photos or a short video of your team. Statistics indicate that nearly 45% of job seekers visit an employer’s own website when looking for opportunities. So if an interested candidate hears about your company, it’s very likely they’ll click on your site. An up-to-date, inviting career page makes you look professional and welcoming, whereas if candidates find nothing (or outdated info), it’s a missed opportunity.

Social and professional networks

Many small firms gain traction by being active on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, or local industry groups. Employer branding isn’t just about saying “we’re great” – it’s about building relationships and credibility. By sharing content about your company’s journey, employee stories, or insights in your field, you can generate interest among potential future hires. This complements your career page and job ads by creating engagement over time. People start to recognize your company and associate it with expertise or a positive culture. Then, when you have a job opening, they’re already somewhat sold on you.

Presence on job sites

Make sure your job postings stand out on external job boards. This includes having a consistent company description that highlights your culture, and ideally linking back to your career page for more info. Many candidates use large job portals (approximately 80% of job seekers, according to recent data) to find opportunities. Each listing there is a chance to reinforce your employer brand message. Use a similar tone and messaging as on your own site – consistency helps build a clear image of who you are as an employer.

How ZenZaii Helps Small Businesses with Employer Branding

ZenZaii isn’t just a tool to manage applications – it’s also a platform to showcase your company at its best. We know small companies may have limited marketing resources, so we’ve built-in employer branding support:

Career site as a service

Every ZenZaii customer gets a customized career page hosted by us. You can easily tailor the page with your logo, brand colors, and a welcome message about your company. This means you get a professional-looking career site without having to build it from scratch. Your job listings are automatically displayed and updated on this page as soon as you post them in the system, saving you time and ensuring candidates always see current openings.

Rich employer content

ZenZaii encourages you to add the “extra touch” to your job ads and career pages – such as why it’s great to work at your company, what growth opportunities you offer, and how you approach things like sustainability or innovation. We know authenticity matters (over 70% of candidates say that honest, transparent communication about the company is important in their career decisions). To help, we even provide a module for you to publish short articles or employee interviews that bring your employer brand to life. Sharing these on your ZenZaii career page can give candidates a real sense of your culture and values, which is far more compelling than a generic job description.

Visibility via integrations

We’ll touch more on this next, but it’s worth noting: ZenZaii’s integrations (like the one with Arbetsförmedlingen/Platsbanken) mean that as a small company you can get just as much exposure for your jobs as larger firms, without extra effort. A strong employer brand only helps if people see it – and our tech helps push your brand and openings to the key platforms where candidates are looking.

In summary, employer branding is no longer a luxury only big corporations can indulge in. Small businesses have everything to gain by nurturing their reputation as employers. Through a well-crafted career page and an active presence where candidates gather information, you can positively differentiate yourself. ZenZaii gives you the tools to do this easily, so you can focus on telling your unique story and attracting the talent that fits your company. We help you build an employer brand that gets you noticed – and gets great people interested in joining your team.

References

• CIPD — A Head for Hiring: https://www.cipd.org/globalassets/media/knowledge/knowledge-hub/reports/a-head-for-hiring_2015-behavioural-science-of-recruitment-and-selection_tcm18-9557.pdf
• Blind orchestra auditions better for women: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2000/11/28/blind-orchestra-auditions-better-women-study-finds
• Fördomsfri rekrytering ökar chansen att hitta rätt kandidater | SEB : https://sebgroup.com/sv/press/nyheter/2020/fordomsfri-rekrytering-okar-chansen-att-hitta-ratt-kandidater