“We rise by lifting others”

As more Unicorns come into being and startups receive more and more seed funding to challenge the established players in the tech market, employer branding is a key facet for companies of all sizes when looking to attract and retain the best employees.

It is an extremely competitive market. In my previous blog, I discussed how aligning your company with a cause to which your target employees would connect could be of benefit. Another key factor when looking to guide and mould your employer brand perception is celebrating the team and the people currently working in the company.

Your employees will be the ones who will carry and spread your employer brand to a larger community in an organic and trusted manner. Word of mouth has always been important but with the growth in social media and the development of platforms like Glassdoor, Comparably and other local job comparison sites eWOM has expanded the reach of employees and increased their impact on potential hires.

Companies cannot control what their employees will say about their company and job and can only focus on providing them with the best environment and challenges which will lead to positive employee advocacy.

Despite this, one step companies can take is exposing and recognising the individual stories of the people who work with them in order to humanise and personalise the brand.

1. Acknowledge their skills

People want to work with talented people. This is particularly evident in technology companies where the chance to learn from your peers is enhanced. By highlighting some of the projects and challenges that the people in the company have faced; people will be excited by the prospect of similar work and the opportunity to work with your current employees.

2. Recognise their personalities and interests

As much as people’s talents when working are a pull factor people also want to work with interesting and engaging people. People in tech can be often boxed into just being their job title but despite this, they often have a diverse range of hobbies, passions, and interests. Companies can expose these interests and celebrate their employees as people.

This can also help companies organise social events built around the particular hobbies of employees and strengthen their brand in this manner too.

3. Commemorate their personal achievements

By saluting the achievements of staff away from their work, companies can show that they are committed to the success of their employees as people and not just concerned about business interests. This can create a positive image of a company who cares about their employees and also encourage their current employees to take on the role of employee advocates given their positive experiences.

 

Through the celebration of the people currently in your company, there is a two-fold impact. Your current employees are engaged and motivated to become advocates and can thrive in the public recognition of who they are or what they have achieved. Of course, you need to have the environment that will leave your employees with a positive perception of your employer brand but this celebration can encourage employees to celebrate their success and the support of the company.

Secondly, potential employees can begin to understand the type of people in the company and the brand is humanised from being a strategic overarching mission statement or an EVP. People can be attracted by the opportunity to work with like-minded people, people with diverse and interesting passions and interests or people with exceptional talents and skills.

 

In a world where companies consistently say people are our greatest resource, companies should start realising that this is also true when building and guiding their employer brand. By celebrating the skills, passions and achievements of their current staff they can in turn improve their ability to attract and retain the top talent.

 

If you enjoyed this blog check out my previous:

Employer Branding and Podcasts: http://www.verifyrecruitment.com/blog/index.php/podcasting-recruitment/

Employer Branding and Championing a cause: http://www.verifyrecruitment.com/blog/index.php/championing-cause/