Within a couple of decades, e-commerce has become a vital element of the international consumer landscape. In 2021, over 27.2% of the world’s 7+ billion people contributed to e-commerce retail sales of over 5 trillion dollars. In the coming years, these numbers are only going to increase as more people spend more time shopping online on the Amazons, eBays, and Etsys of the world.
To accommodate the needs of this expanding cohort of digital buyers, e-commerce companies need talented, skilled workers. And to attract these workers, they must position themselves as great employers to their target group of potential candidates. In short, they must build a strong employer brand.
Employer Branding in the E-commerce
With over 1 million employees in the U.S. alone, Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce employers in the world. In recent years, the company has been in talks about a number of issues. Even so, its consistent growth shows that the sector has a bright future with many work opportunities available for talented individuals.
At the same time, modern workers have certain expectations from e-commerce employers, particularly around work-life balance and workplace conditions. They want to associate with companies that respect them and compensate them fairly. In addition, they want to do meaningful work that gives them a sense of accomplishment and purpose. Not all e-commerce companies can satisfy these needs. As a result, they struggle to attract the right employees.
Fortunately, there is a way to fill the labor demand/supply gap in e-commerce: create a positive employer brand. A strong employer brand enables e-commerce firms to attract talented employees. This is because it gives these potential candidates a feel-good reaction about the company. They can better understand the organization’s heart and soul – what it stands for, what its character and personality are like, what its vision is, and what it is trying to accomplish in its industry and community. All of this makes it more likely that they would want to join its ranks.
In addition, the employer brand defines the firm’s unique employee value proposition (EVP) – the benefits current employees get – and future employees can expect in exchange for their skills, capabilities, and experiences. It also shows them how they can be a part of something meaningful and do purposeful, important work. Since today’s employees are looking for all these intangible benefits in addition to a salary, bonus, and other monetary payouts, e-commerce companies that offer these benefits stand out.
Benefits of Creating A Strong Employer Brand in E-commerce
As we have already seen, a strong employer brand enables e-commerce companies to compete effectively in the war for talent in order to find, attract, and hire the best candidates. But more than that, a great employer brand is seen as reliable and trustworthy. The company also earns a reputation as a business that puts people before profits. It, therefore, attracts people who see it as fitting with their own aspirations and hence apply to open positions. As a result, the company can close existing gaps faster while also reducing its cost-per-hire.
Employee retention is also linked to a strong employer brand. The most talented and skilled individuals want to associate with recognizable employer brands. These employees are highly motivated and more invested in their roles and the company’s success. In addition, they are enthusiastic brand ambassadors and create a positive impression about the company through word of mouth. All of this positively impacts the firm’s employee retention rates and also boosts its recruitment efforts.
Creating and Strengthening Your “Employer Brand”
Employer branding is all about making the firm stand out as an attractive workplace for current and future employees in an honest, authentic, and transparent way.
There are many ways for e-commerce companies to build their own employer brand. For one, they should ensure that their message is always clear and consistent at every touchpoint with candidates and employees. Thus, saying that “we value our people” while investing no effort in employees’ growth and development points to inconsistent messaging. It is also a sign of a weak employer brand that will demotivate employees and make it harder to build a reputation as a preferred employer.
Honesty in words and action can also create a strong employer brand. For example, if company leadership has decided to do away with remote work, they must be honest about the reasons for doing so. Even if employees don’t like the reasons, they will always appreciate that the company made an effort to answer their questions and address their concerns to the best possible extent.
Quality external communication also plays a part in employer brand-building. Some e-commerce companies and brand aggregators like Ergode regularly publish blogs on their websites. Others publish articles on LinkedIn and other reputed platforms to establish their thought leadership and contribute to community-based knowledge-sharing. Still, others spotlight their products in various channels, offer internships to students and young professionals, emphasize their employee benefits, and talk about their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in various forums.
Conclusion
An employer brand is one of the most valuable assets for e-commerce companies. And while developing and maintaining the brand requires a fair amount of work, the effort always pays off. As a well-known brand aggregator, Ergode is to empower e-commerce companies to develop their employer brands.
Dozens of firms have benefited from our expertise and advice – and so can you. Contact us if you need support building your own unique employer brand that spotlights you in the competitive e-commerce employment market.
