Online professional networks and social media are the most effective tools in employer branding amongst business leaders across different sectors in India, according to a survey from the Centre for Investment Education and Learning (CIEL).

The study captures latest trends in employer branding, talent acquisition and onboarding process.

According to the survey, 39% of the respondents see online professional networks to be the most effective channel for building the employer brand. Social networking media got 24% of the votes. Nearly half the respondents did not deploy any such methods into practice.

Hike in salary is still the most important factor of negotiation while accepting an offer across levels. Sixty-seven percent of the respondents salary hike is the most important factor for entry-level jobs. For mid-level jobs, 41% gave importance to salary hike. Designation came as the second-most important factor (30%). For senior roles, several factors got almost equal weight: designation (18%), variable pay (17%) and benefits (14%).

Other key insights

• Compensation and competing offers are the major hurdles in attracting the best talent.

• For mid- and senior-level hiring, there are other variables that are significant: job security, financial health, long-term vision and title.

• Mobility drivers across levels are different: At mid-level, it is career progression and compensation while for senior-level, it’s company performance and values of the firm.

• Recruitment firms are the best sources to find talent at the senior level. Employee referral is a powerful method across all levels. For mid-level hiring, LinkedIn works well while for entry-level hiring, job portals and company websites work the best.