Guerilla Employer Branding: A Startup's Secret Weapon

In the increasingly crowded market of talent acquisition, startups often find themselves in a David vs. Goliath scenario.

With every company boasting about their greatness, how can startups stand out to attract the same top-tier talent? I believe the answer lies in the art of guerrilla branding – an approach I think is not often discussed enough but is super effective!

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The Essence of Guerrilla Employer Branding

Guerilla branding is all about innovation, agility, and direct impact. It's unconventional, cost-effective, and speaks volumes about a startup's culture and spirit. This approach isn't new to the marketing world, but its application in the world of employer branding is less explored and holds immense potential for startups.

Guerilla Branding techniques can be: 

• Cost-Effectiveness: Startups often operate on limited budgets. Guerrilla approaches in employer branding can be highly cost-effective. Guesstimating here, but well over 90% of startups prioritize budget-friendly or Free marketing and branding strategies than eating into runway for over-priced, shiny mar-tech solutions.
• Innovation in Recruitment & ‍Cultural Impact: Employer branding that reflects a startup's culture can improve employee retention by up to 30%.‍
• Agility and Flexibility: Startups are known for their agility. Adopting guerrilla tactics in employer branding can showcase this, attracting like-minded talent that value a grassroots, out of the box approach.
• Direct Impact: Direct, unconventional employer branding methods can enhance a startup's visibility in a crowded market.

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Examples: From Search.io to Atlassian

Let's dive into some real-life examples.

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During my time with Search.io, a 30-person search-engine startup in Sydney, I attended BeerOps, Australia's largest DevOps and Data networking event. And I decided to distributed search.io stickers and (with their consent of course) stuck these on people. This simple act sparked a lot of light hearted conversations and a lot of laughs in the process. Of course, leading to a lot of "What is Search.io?" types of questions and fed a number of great candidates into our pipeline that weren't on LinkedIn.

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Side note: If you are looking for the best candidates, they are likely not on LinkedIn but at industry events they feel passionate about.

Another inspiring story comes from Atlassian's early days. I have heard multiple stories of the early Atlassian team distributing flyers at train stations during rush hour, in suburbs where big-tech have their offices, directly getting in the faces of their potential candidates and directing them to their careers page whilst also telling them about tools that help developer productivity. Another great example of Guerilla Branding.

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Why Traditional Methods Don't Cut It for Startups

Now, these exact tactics may not be as effective today, but they underline a crucial lesson for startups: Traditional branding strategies employed by established companies won't yield the same results for smaller, newer ventures.

Startups are unique – they're small, agile, and innovative. Their employer branding needs to mirror these qualities.

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As a startup, your employer branding should be a reflection of your agility, voice and innovative spirit. It's about being bold, taking risks, and connecting with potential talent in a way that big brands can't. Your branding strategy should be as dynamic and creative as the solutions your startup offers.

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Conclusion: Be Bold, Be Different

It's not about having the biggest budget; it's about being the most memorable and resonant. By aligning your employer branding with your startup's core values, you can make a significant impact in the talent market. Remember, in the world of startups, being different isn't just good – it's essential.

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Get out there, pound the pavement, have a laugh, share smiles and let the world know what makes your startup the place to be.

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For more tips on how to optimise your recruiting process and reduce costs, follow me or reach out directly — we'd be more than happy to help!

ankit@start2scale.net