How Content Marketing Helped Make Google the Most Attractive Employer in the World. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is eighth on the Fortune 500 list, which likely has a major influence. So how did Google build such a strong employer brand, and what can its competitors learn from its success? Social proof The employer brand doesn’t just live on site. Working at Google has become synonymous with the famed campus, which is important since Universum found millennials are more attracted by environmental factors than company reputation or compensation. On social media, willing employees make a lot of user-generated content. Get to the point Google has a fondness for slogans. (Its corporate motto used to be “Don’t be evil.”) That style is mirrored in the company’s employer branding. While many organizations just create a bland careers page and hope for the best, Google empowers employees and tells their stories. When Google likely takes the top spot for most attractive employer in the world for the fourth year running, you’ll know why.
For
three years in a row, Google has been the
most attractive employer in the world for business and computer
science graduates, according to research from advisory firm
Universum. In the U.S., Google is second only to NASA for
engineering graduates, and in 2015, it snuck into the top three for
humanities and reached number six for natural sciences.
But why?
Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is
eighth on the Fortune 500 list, which likely has a major
influence. But tech is a booming industry, and many of Google’s
competitors share those lofty echelons of commercial success.
Apple, for example, occupies the third spot on the Fortune 500, but
Google consistently ranks higher when it comes to employer
appeal.
A lot of Google’s success in attracting talent comes down to
employer brand—in other words, the company’s reputation among
potential recruits. Employer brand can be a tricky concept to
navigate, as every generation has a different idea of what an ideal
employer looks like. Millennials tend to be
more preoccupied with work/life balance, rapid progression, and
company values. Their parents, meanwhile, may have favored
stability and high salaries.
So how did Google build such a strong employer brand, and what
can its competitors learn from its success?
Don’t just say it, show it
Imagine your typical “Work for Us” page on a corporate
website. Your mind probably conjures up stock photographs of
grinning employees (or stock photo “employees”), accompanied by
several claims about a “culture of innovation” and
“commitment to personal development.”
That’s all well and fine, but this approach doesn’t exactly
differentiate companies from the crowd. There isn’t a tech company
in the world that wouldn’t claim to be innovative; that’s like a
car manufacturer lauding its ability to make objects with
wheels.
Google’s approach is more about showing how these ideals are
actually applied. Its careers page resembles the homepage of a tech
magazine, complete with stories about employees, professional tips,
and videos. Innovation is not just a vague…
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