If you were to ask a few people what they imagine it would be like to work for Google, you would most likely hear words such as innovative, collaborative, tech-savvy, and cool. Even individuals who have never been employed by Google hold this perception of the company. That's the remarkable aspect of employer branding – the reputation often precedes the actual experience. An employment brand represents the market's perception of what it's like to work for an organisation. It encompasses the image that prospective, current, and former employees have in their minds regarding the employment experience at your company. In fact, HRO Today states that positive employment branding can reduce employee turnover by nearly two-thirds.

The job interview plays a crucial role in employment branding and offers an excellent opportunity to promote your organisation as an outstanding place to work. The interview experience works both ways – while the candidate is being assessed for suitability, they are also evaluating if the organisation aligns with their career aspirations. Just think back to your own experiences during significant job interviews. How did the experience leave you feeling? The positive or negative encounter would have directly influenced your perception of the entire organisation. From the perspective of a recruitment agency, we often see candidates expressing their unwillingness to work for companies due to a negative perception, whether based on personal experiences or rumours. This perception then becomes their reality. Conversely, we also have candidates who request to be considered for positions within inspirational organisations where they feel a strong connection with the company's ethos.

It's essential to view every interview as a valuable marketing opportunity to showcase the greatness of working for your company. To achieve this, it truly pays off to put yourself in the interviewee's shoes. Help them imagine what it would be like to work there and how their specific skill set would be valued. Show respect for their time by recognising the significant effort they have already invested to reach this stage, potentially taking a day off work to attend the interview. Strive to provide prompt feedback, as the length of time potential employers take to respond is a common gripe among interviewees. Even if the candidate is not an immediate match, highlighting the positive attributes gained during the interview will leave them feeling valued. Who knows, perhaps they will fit into another role in the future as they gain more experience. They will walk away from the experience and share their thoughts about your organisation with an unknown number of people. What will they say?