Embedded on the Careers page of the Arby’s website is a YouTube video that seeks to tell viewers what working for the chain is all about. “We don’t hesitate to push boundaries, challenge our comfort zones or even poke a little fun at ourselves—as long as our actions are uniquely Arby’s,” the narrator says as images of comedian Jon Stewart and the Vegetarian Support Hotline flash on the screen and orchestral music crescendos.
The video is just one small piece of the chain’s applicant-facing branding, aimed at improving the quick-service restaurant’s ability to find strong team members. “It showcases who we are as an employer and helps people self-select a culture that fits them,” says Melissa Strait, Arby’s chief people officer.
Most Americans are saying now is a good time to find a quality job for the first time since 2001, Gallup polling shows, but many companies aren’t effectively messaging to them. One problem, according to a report from the researcher, is that companies’ brand messaging efforts are focused toward customers—not potential employees.
Feeling the pinch of a tighter labor market, some restaurants are finding ways to translate what’s working in their consumer campaigns into job seeker-targeted messages. Here are some best practices of employer branding that can turn applicants’ heads.