Employer brand is just as important as pay in influencing career choices, according to a report from ManpowerGroup Solutions. The report finds one in four job seekers consider company reputation a driving factor when making career decisions.

“Employer brand is an increasingly powerful tool for creating competitive advantage in today’s marketplace,” said Lisa Schiller, VP of client delivery, ManpowerGroup Solutions RPO. “HR professionals that can draw out the uniqueness of their company’s brand and reinforce a compelling dialogue with candidates, but also current employees, will find top recruits heading straight to them — creating a robust talent pipeline for filling present and future positions within the organization.”

 Key findings of the survey include:

• 87% of candidates still use company websites as their primary source of information about a prospective employer. Search engine results and peers followed at 52% and 45%, respectively.
• Nearly one-third of candidates used social media networking to gather information about an organization or open position. The most popular websites for this activity included Facebook, Google+ and LinkedIn.
• Face-to-face interviews are still the preferred form (72%) of connection with potential employers, followed by phone screenings (16%), group interviews (8%) and Skype interviews (2%).
• Instagram also emerged as a new tool for 15% of job seekers — especially among respondents comfortable with video technology.

“At a time when 50% of US employees do not believe their employer to be open or honest, employers must understand the importance of building a brand based on trust and mutual respect,” Schiller said. “Employers must seize the opportunity to be bold, authentic and consistent across all platforms to attract and retain the best talent of tomorrow.”

The survey polled more than 200 US job seekers in 2014.