Your brand is every aspect, every component of your business. Brand is identity delivered by experience.
A corporate brand is how a client/customer feels about your company.
It is your reputation as a business.
An employer brand is how your employees feel about your company.
It is your reputation as an employer.
Both are equally important but, more often than not, time and energy is put into a corporate brand and the employer brand becomes secondary. You can do a quick audit of your employer brand by asking yourself 2 simple questions:
“Do I receive many employee referrals?”
“Have most of my employees been here long-term?”
If you answered NO to both of these questions then consider the following tips to help you build your employer brand:
- Be clear and consistent – if your brand message is complicated or confusing then it becomes difficult for your employees to buy into it, let alone turn around and sell it to your customers.
- Share your story – this is an excellent way for staff to understand where your company comes from, the passion you have for it, and how your vision and values fit into that. Also, you can share the culture of your company through pictures, videos and stories on social media sites.
- Take the time – when hiring a new employee, be a part of it. No one knows your business like you do and if you can be a part of the on-boarding process from the beginning then you can ensure the right message is being conveyed.
- Choose the right fit – experience and education are important but you also need to ensure the person you are hiring fits in with your company culture and can be a brand ambassador.
- Value opinions – everyone has one so by allowing an open door for discussion and, taking into consideration what your employees think, can make them feel valued and will build internal loyalty.
- Grant trust – by allowing your staff responsibility they will feel accountable for their work and will put forth their best effort.
All of these tips should be implemented within your company each and every day. By building your employer brand you can attract and keep the best talent leading to saved time, energy, and money. Not only will it strengthen your internal brand but also your external!
by Renae Zurkan, blogger for Agilec
