7 Rules for Effective Employer Branding
Your employer brand needs your attention.
Nearly 70% of employees believe it is extremely important to work for an employer they are proud to support. What’s more, over 90% of employees would consider changing jobs to support a company with an excellent reputation. Obviously, your “brand” is sending a message to more than just the customer and the client. In fact, it is increasingly clear to every executive that the personality your organization projects as an employer has a direct impact on the amount of desirable applicants you receive for every vacancy.
So, what attracts and retains talent? What drives it away? These are seven simple rules for defining your employer brand in a way that will make your organization a highly desirable place to call home.
1. Embrace your values.
Traveling by sea used to be a pretty terrifying thought. Before ancient societies adopted navigation strategies guided by the sun and the stars, anyone brave enough to sail into the ocean simply followed the shoreline. With land always in sight, they always knew where they were, but they could never venture very far. It wasn’t until the discovery of set star paths and constellations that sailors got up the gumption to follow some would-be captain into the unknown.
Leaders lead, but you can’t lead anyone unless you have a fixed and inspiring idea about where you’re going. Your organization’s values, such as its governing principles and corporate philosophy, are its guiding stars. If you do not understand them and respect your core values, you cannot hope to lead others or inspire support from top talent. Why? Because they are searching for a fixed point in the night sky to guide their efforts.
2. Be authentic.
A word of caution: your employer messaging can be as wide as an ocean yet still as shallow as a puddle. The difference is decided by authenticity.
No matter how detailed and extensive your employer messaging, if you do not express your brand with authenticity then your recruitment and retention will ultimately fail. Authenticity means expressing a real interest in team members and advocating for their success. It is a springboard for honest recruitment, the lifeblood of retention, and the only thing that really registers on social media these days. On top of that, since your top talent is just as likely to become dissatisfied with a specific leader as they are with the organization itself, at least part of this authenticity must come directly from every executive.
3. Be open.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Middle East became one of the most scientifically and technologically advanced societies in the world. This relative dominance lasted for nearly 800 years, and it is thanks in part to how much Muslim leaders promoted the translation and study of texts from the outside world, most especially Ancient Greece. In this singular sense, it was their comparatively open approach to the world of knowledge that kept them ahead of the curve.
Today’s talent pool is an amalgamation of five generations. On average, each generation brings its own unique skill sets, temperaments, and expectations to the workplace. As such, successful employer brands create an environment that allows room for every viewpoint while simultaneously cultivating the differing strengths of each cohort.
4. Keep it positive.
When delivering a speech at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in 1954, the aging Winston Churchill famously remarked that he was an optimist because “it [did] not seem to be much use being anything else.”
Applied unilaterally, this viewpoint is certainly overly simplistic, and Mr. Churchill was undoubtedly having a bit of fun with his audience. Still, this wisdom is quite applicable for those leaders who hope to attract the best employees and inspire them toward new heights by way of positivity. We experience more success by helping others expand their strengths than we do by attempting to eliminate their weaknesses. Challenges should always be addressed (never ignored), but they should never be your organization’s primary focus when finding and growing new talent.
5. Make the assist.
John Stockton is considered to be one of the greatest point guards and team leaders in NBA history. Yet, he only averaged around 13 points per game. So, what made him so special? In addition to his 13-point average, every time John Stockton appeared on court, he would also complete 10-11 passes that resulted in goals of their own. By the time the final buzzer sounded, Mr. Stockton was directly involved in an average of 30-45 points per game, and he led the NBA in assists for nine consecutive seasons.
For the best leaders, success only comes when your team members start to succeed themselves. This means you must take special care to ensure every team member is afforded the opportunity to shine. Personalized employee development plans are an excellent start. They provide a targeted outlet for the employee to continue to expand their knowledge and take on new responsibilities while also signaling your commitment toward their continued growth.
6. Protect your people.
Your organization is run by people. Its successes are won by people. Sentiment aside, people are unquestionably your most valuable asset as a company.
This means that a successful leader is highly attuned to employee morale, actively solicits employee feedback, and prioritizes any instances of disappointment or dissatisfaction. By and large, employee opinions are considered up to three times more credible and insightful than feedback from fellow CEOs, and those opinions need to feel valued. Consequently, an employer brand that is both protective of its own people and conscious of its own growth can be a powerful tool in both widening and deepening your pools of potential talent.
7. Celebrate everyone’s story.
It has long been an ancient Rwandan tradition to name a baby soon after its birth in the presence of friends and family. In 2005, in a gesture of environmental preservation, this tradition was extended to Kwita Izina, an annual ceremony in which names are given to the newborn gorillas living near Volcanoes National Park of northwestern Rwanda.
Your employee’s strengths and successes deserve a name — they deserve to be celebrated. These celebrations should be authentic to your organization’s voice, true to the individuals involved, and overflowing with positivity. Social media platforms, blogs, and certain sections of your company’s website are the ideal venues for humanizing your brand in a way that is targeted and cost-effective. Not only do these stories create another dimension of your employer brand, but they also engender a sense of goodwill to every level of your segmented audiences.
Start building a better employer brand.
Positive branding is fundamental to attracting and retaining top talent. If you aren’t actively engaged with it, then you aren’t doing it right. If you aren’t doing it right, then you aren’t allowing your organization to be supported by the very best professionals available. This is why your employer brand is increasingly becoming one of the most important components of your organization’s overall messaging.
Your employer brand is your organization’s message within its own industry. It goes beyond the mark you leave on your product. Rather, it is the mark you leave on each and every team member, as well as the signature you affix to both their successes and their failures. If your employer brand isn’t embracing its own values with authenticity and openness, while staying positive, setting up others for success, and protecting your own people, then it’s time to start building something better.
About Dr. Sam:
Atlanta-based Dr. Sam Adeyemi (SAY: Ah Day yeh me) is CEO of Sam Adeyemi, GLC, Inc. and founder and executive director of Daystar Leadership Academy (DLA). More than 45,000 alumni have graduated from DLA programs, and more than 3 million CEOs and high performing individuals follow him on top social media sites. Dr. Sam’s new book is “Dear Leader: Your Flagship Guide to Successful Leadership.” He holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership from Virginia’s Regent University and is a member of the International Leadership Association. He and his wife, Nike (say Nee keh) have three children. Learn more at SamAdeyemi.com.