The social services sector plays a critical role in strengthening communities, but recruiting and retaining the right people is becoming increasingly difficult.
With burnout high, a competitive talent market, and an aging workforce, it's no longer enough to post job listings and hope for the best. So what separates attractive employers from everyone else? A strong, clear, and human-centred employer branding strategy.
Below are 7 practical, evidence-backed employer branding strategies designed specifically for social services organizations - so let's get started!
1. Let Employees Do the Talking with Vouch
If you're looking to build trust and humanize your organization, video is your best friend. Vouch is an easy-to-use video tool that helps teams collect and share authentic employee stories in short-form clips.
Why Vouch works:
- Vouch gives potential employees a genuine look at your team and workplace culture
- Vouch is perfect for embedding in job posts, career pages, and across social media channels
- Vouch boosts candidate engagement and increases applications
Pro tip: Feature real employee testimonials about daily work life, personal stories, and the "why" behind their passion for helping others, and job listings with video content generate 12% more views and 34% higher application rates (CareerBuilder).
2. Develop and Share Your EVP, Loud and Clear
Your employee value proposition (EVP) is what sets you apart in a competitive job market. It tells potential candidates what they'll gain by joining you, not just in benefits, but in purpose, career development, and values.
Build your EVP around:
- Life balance and flexibility are especially important in high-stress roles
- Supportive company culture that values mental health and well-being
- Career development opportunities, internal training and structured mentorship
- Mission-driven work that makes a visible impact
Example: Organizations like United Way highlight their purpose-driven work and long-term development programs as core parts of their EVP on their careers page.
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3. Use Social Media to Bring Your Culture to Life
Social services is a deeply personal field. Your social media presence should reflect that through human-first content that brings your mission, team, and culture to life.
What to post:
- Short-form employee spotlight videos and employee achievements
- "A day in the life" reels or behind-the-scenes tours
- Stories from clients (with consent) to show your organization's real impact
Statistic: 79% of job seekers use social media platforms to assess company culture before applying (Glassdoor).
4. Build an Employee Advocacy Program
Nothing is more powerful than real voices. A structured employee advocacy program turns your team into brand ambassadors, helping you build trust and attract new talent organically.
How to do it:
- Encourage team members to share their stories on their own social channels
- Run employee takeovers on your organization's Instagram or Facebook accounts
- Provide branded templates for employee-generated content like videos using Vouch, blog posts, photos, or testimonials
Case study: Advocacy campaigns see 8x more engagement than corporate channels (PostBeyond).
5. Humanize the Recruitment Experience
In a field where empathy is everything, your recruitment process should feel human, not transactional. This helps you convert more passive candidates and leave a positive impression on prospective employees.
What matters in recruitment:
- Personalized outreach and effective communication during the hiring process
- Sharing clear details about employee benefits, development tracks, and what to expect
- Including team members in interviews to show off your team dynamic
Insight: A positive candidate experience improves your offer acceptance rates and boosts your reputation, even among those who don't accept the job for other reasons.
6. Leverage Social Media Campaigns to Target the Right Talent
Don't just post and pray. Create recruitment marketing campaigns that target specific roles, demographics, and interests using social media ads and custom audiences.
Campaign tips:
- Use short-form Vouch video testimonials for targeted social media content
- Align messaging with company values and job-specific missions, e.g., mental health, housing, foster care
- Optimize visual content for mobile to reach people actively using mobile phones and social apps
Example: Organizations like NHS Careers UK use emotionally engaging social campaigns to attract a wider, more diverse pool of applicants.
7. Measure and Optimize Your Branding Efforts
Employer branding isn't a one-and-done initiative. To stay relevant and compelling, you need to track what's working and tweak your strategy regularly.
What to track:
- Engagement rates on social media posts
- Candidate inquiries and conversion data from recruitment campaigns
- Feedback from current employees on internal culture
- Retention rates and hiring funnel performance
Use tools like Google Analytics, LinkedIn Talent Insights, and internal surveys like Vouch video to build your employer brand dashboard and refine your messaging.
FAQS
What is employer branding in social services?
It's how social organizations present themselves as a great place to work, internally and externally.
Why use video content like Vouch for hiring?
Because it brings authenticity and lets potential employees connect with real stories.
What makes a strong EVP in social services?
Mission-driven purpose, life balance, internal growth, and community impact.
How can social media improve hiring?
By showcasing your real culture, building trust, and reaching new talent pools.
What's the value of employee advocacy?
It builds trust and extends your reach far beyond corporate accounts.
How can we make recruitment more human?
Personalize communication, be transparent, and involve your actual team.
What tools help with employer branding?
Vouch, Facelift, social listening tools, ATS platforms, and analytics dashboards.
Summary
In social services, your mission matters, but so does how you communicate it to the people who'll help fulfil it. These strategies will help you shape a genuine, engaging employer brand - one that attracts people not just for a job, but for a cause they believe in.
See Why Employer Branding Managers Love Vouch!
Loved by companies like Canva, Nike, Cisco, Stryker, HubSpot, Amazon, and more, tools like Vouch make leveraging employer branding strategies in your business remarkably easy.
Book a Vouch demo today and chat with an employer branding expert about your business needs.
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