With the unemployment rate near its lowest level in five decades, employer branding has become the holy grail for organizations. We know it has a positive outcome for the company, but what does this mean for current employees?
The overall impact of the current employment climate is driving the need for employers to stand out, not just from other competitors in the industry, but also from other organizations. Employees and potential candidates are reassessing where they want to be, both in their careers and personal lives. Accordingly, the great reshuffle isn’t just a move across the industry, it really is a total realignment. Brand values need to meet core employee values, especially when it comes to wellbeing, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability.
Businesses wanting to attract and retain talent are starting to understand Employer Brand is the first step in this process. We can see this just by the sheer number of job vacancies being created, globally, for Employer Branding managers and teams in organizations of all sizes.
What does the Journey to Brand Success Look Like?
The first and most vital step for businesses is to understand where they actually are in relation to their strategic objectives, not where they want to be, or where they think they are. Basically, an overhaul of HR practices and strategies needs to be thorough and honest. This is the only way any business will be able to succeed in taking their employees on this new journey. Employee adoption of any new initiatives needs to begin at the earliest stage, and this can only be achieved by involving those employees through advocacy and fact-finding by utilizing people analytics and real data.
Businesses that choose to ignore how employees are representing the brand to the outside world through word of mouth, social media, and general conversation within the work environment are likely to fall at the first hurdle. Building trust through being honest about the business objectives and investing in internal relationships will drive the objectives forward and support employees by creating a sense of pride and engagement.
Your business has a story to tell and your employees are of vital chapter importance, so share the narrative with them. Try not to leave them as filler characters with no purpose or ability to contribute to the storyline.
What does this Journey Look Like for Employees?
Humans are hard-wired to resist change. It ignites the fight or flight reaction on a base level. By engaging employees in small steps towards change, as a result they will gradually evolve and become more involved. Advocacy levels will rise and the outward perception of your organizational culture and behaviours they share with co-workers, professional networks, and even friends and family will start to tell the story of a business that puts its people at the heart of its organization.
How do you Involve your Workforce?
- Make sure your leadership team is 100% onboard
- Share your objectives with your employees – Your vision and your goals
- Choose change leaders from across the organization
- Create a space that encourages input and ideas
- Involve people at all levels of the organization
- Choose project advocates
- Respond to information, don’t react to information
Just developing an incentive of rewards and benefits that don’t reinforce your organizational culture and behaviours won’t deliver long-term results. Finding the balance between well-being and productivity leads to increased employee engagement, higher customer satisfaction and a bigger market share. Creating the virtuous cycle every business wants to obtain. Then you know your Employer Brand is something to be proud of!
Further readings:
20 Best HR Podcasts You Should Add to Your List
Leave of Absence Process Flowchart
Managing Complex Change
