How do you foster a strong employer brand community and network among your employees and alumni?

One tip here: if your CEO or some consultant starts talking about ‘One culture’, stop it right there. No organisation has one culture. Pretending you do is silly. Trying to pinpoint one is pointless. And forcing homogeneity on your people can be damaging as heck. Unless you’re a tiny business, I’d wager that each of your teams has its own culture(s). And that’s fine. Culture is messy, moving and all the more magnificent for it.

Defining and living by organizational values and culture is the cornerstone of a strong employer brand. It's not just about stating these values but ensuring they permeate every aspect of the organization. A practical tip: Host regular workshops and/or town hall meetings where employees can discuss and reaffirm the company's values, ensuring everyone is aligned and feels a sense of ownership over the brand's identity. A living brand is also easier to communicate to new hires, so they can get a feeling of the companies identity early on. It helps you and them to find out if it's a cultural fit!

A strong employer brand is a company with an effective EVP (Employee Value Proposition). So what is EVP? EVP (Employee Value Proposition) is a core factor in operations Employer Branding. EVP is the combination of factors that attract candidates to an employer, bind current employees to that organization, and is the message that former employees say about the business they once accompanied.

Clearly articulate the core values and culture of your organization. These should resonate with both current employees and alumni, creating a shared sense of identity and purpose. Your values should be reflected in all interactions and communications, ensuring consistency and authenticity.

A strong employer brand community has a domino effect on an organization. When values and culture are clear and genuinely shared, employees turn into brand ambassadors, boosting the company's reputation. This harmony between employee values and company culture promotes engagement and productivity while attracting similar talent, creating a positive cycle. In essence, fostering an authentic employer brand community is a wise investment with exponential rewards, setting the stage for lasting organizational growth and triumph.

Often times your employees are your best asset when it comes to employer branding, yet they might not realize it or feel fully comfortable stepping into that role naturally. If you employ tactics that make it easier for them to do that, you'll start to notice them doing it more. For example, create a Slack Channel and invite those you think would be excellent brand ambassadors into it to share ideas and knowledge. And include inspirational social posts by employees in the weekly newsletters that go out internally to pique peoples interest and inspire them.

One of the worst things a company can do when an employee decides to leave: Cut them off completely and treat them like "traitors". One of the best things a company can do when an employee decides to leave: Support them in their next step and stay in touch with them. At AEB, we invite our former employees to our summer party every year ?? Treat your former employees like alumni, not like your Ex(-employee). They can be your biggest multipliers and ambassadors.

To foster a strong employer brand community, actively engage both current employees and alumni. Create platforms for open communication and collaboration, such as internal social networks and alumni groups. Recognize and celebrate achievements, both big and small, to build a sense of belonging. Encourage employees and alumni to share their stories and experiences, highlighting the positive aspects of your workplace. This approach not only strengthens internal connections but also enhances your brand’s reputation externally, attracting top talent and fostering a loyal community.

Establish Mentorship Ecosystems: -Pairing: Implement a mentorship program pairing employees with alumni based on career interests, skills, or industry focus. -Growth: Focus on professional development, networking opportunities, and personal growth. -Community: Use these relationships to build a strong, interconnected community that thrives on mutual success.

Supporting employees goes beyond just professional growth; it's about holistic development and well-being. Companies that prioritize this often see higher engagement and loyalty. A practical implementation can be the Introduction of a mentorship programs where seasoned employees can guide newer ones, fostering a culture of continuous learning and collaboration. Also add reverse mentoring to teach e.g. new technology and trends vice versa. Additionally, regular feedback sessions can help identify areas of improvement, ensuring the organization remains adaptive and responsive to employee needs.

Supporting employees and alumni in developing their professional networks could be as easy as giving them training and access to content on LinkedIn. Your employees and alumni are likely already using the platform to connect and engage with peers: help them expand their reach by providing fresh content and perspective they can share to bolster their professional image.

Recognize and reward employees who actively participate in advocacy efforts. This can motivate others to get involved and strengthen the sense of community.

Ultimately, it's about fostering a community where everyone feels valued and empowered to thrive. It’s essential to create an environment where employees and Alumni feel valued. Simple acts of recognition can go a long way in making them feel appreciated for their hard work and contributions. Make it a priority to listen to feedback. By actively seeking their input and acting on it, we can show that their opinions matter

For activating your community you need strategy and plan. Action-plan is a key to success of your work. Based on it your community members understand that do you expect, they stay engaged and can offer appropriate ideas. Mostly people not proactive, but they can be reactive and help you to boost your ideas, projects.

Remember that nothing feels better than recognition and featuring individual members of your team is a great way to show how much you appreciate their contributions to the company. It also shows other employees that you care about celebrating their milestones and want to celebrate together. Celebrating new hires, anniversaries, awards, and finding other ways to "spotlight" members of your team can do amazing things for morale.

Celebrating small and big wins makes a lot of impact. Recognizing employees work anniversary, key contributions, achievements, milestones, parenthood, etc can be celebrated in different ways like in one of my previous companies they provided vacation vouchers for 5 year work anniversary, sending gift hamper for new born, sending out promotion letters with "Thank you" message to family, etc. This brings a lot of connect and employee feel belongingness. For Alumni, I have seen few companies sending out some goodies during company anniversary also during Diwali/ New Year. This way alumni also feel connected and they will always reconsider the company when they decide to move.

Celebrating employees/ brand advocates has long been a cornerstone of corporate culture. However, it’s time to elevate these programs by offering unique, personalized experiences that genuinely appreciate employees’ contributions. As someone who has worked extensively on employee advocacy, I believe it’s crucial to foster strong connections through unique leadership interactions and a variety of experiential gifts. These initiatives not only recognize individual efforts but also cultivate a sense of belonging and loyalty with your employer brand. This helps us, the EB professionals to create a vibrant network among employees and alumni strengthening your brand’s reputation, making it a more attractive place for top talent.

Celebrate the accomplishments of alumni and employees, both within and outside the organization. Recognize their contributions and share their achievements with the community.

Celebrating your employees and alumni is essential to recognize and appreciate their contributions and achievements. Organize award and recognition events to highlight individual and team accomplishments, both in the workplace and in their careers after leaving the company. Use newsletters, social media, and internal platforms to share success stories and important milestones, creating a sense of pride and belonging. Encourage participation in celebration initiatives, such as birthdays, promotions, and work anniversaries, to reinforce the value of each person in the community and foster a positive and motivating environment.

To promote a strong employer brand community, actively hear from both your employees and alumni. Create regular touchpoints, such as surveys and feedback sessions, to understand their experiences and perspectives. Use this feedback to make informed decisions and show that their voices matter. Engage in meaningful conversations on social media and through alumni networks. Acknowledging and acting on their input builds trust and loyalty, demonstrating that your organization values its people. This inclusive approach strengthens your brand and enhances community engagement.

You can learn a lot by leveraging the wisdom of the crowd through surveys. One thing I like doing is asking members of the team to pick a few adjectives they'd use to describe the work environment. You'd be surprised how much you can glean from a simple exercise like that. Gives you plenty of qualitative date to synthesize.

Create avenues for feedback and actively listen to their suggestions, concerns, and ideas. Incorporate their input into decision-making processes to show that their voices matter.

Again, the obvious: we can only build a strong employer brand with the help of our people. They are the ones we want as ambassadors of our values and our culture. This tactic, fundamental in any employer branding strategy, can take place using surveys, interviews or enriching networking moments.

Listening to your employees and alumni is akin to tuning into a diverse and richly textured radio station, where every voice contributes to the broadcast. Utilizing a mix of tools to gather their feedback turns the volume up on their needs, preferences, and experiences, allowing you to fine-tune your employer brand to their frequencies. This process not only tunes into the current sentiment but also identifies the melodies of opportunity and the dissonances needing resolution. Acting on these insights orchestrates a harmonious employer brand that resonates with both current and past members of your community, ensuring the music of your organization continues to evolve and enchant.

Employer branding starts with internal branding—promoting company values, culture, and EVP to employees to help them connect with the organization’s mission. Once aligned with these principles, employees can serve as ambassadors, sharing the company’s message with friends, family, and on social media. Engaging initiatives like the 'Brand Ambassador Program' empower employees to authentically promote company's values and EVP, strengthening the community and building a strong, positive image.

Employer brand is not static. It should continuously evolve to remain compelling and attract top talent, So to innovate it you should start by conducting market research and bench marking which can provide valuable insights into industry trends and best practices. This information can help in identifying areas of improvement and discover innovative approaches to enhance your employer brand. plus exploring emerging technologies and experimenting with new ideas can give you a competitive edge. By staying up-to-date with the latest trends and implementing tools that streamline communication and collaboration, you can create a vibrant community that fosters engagement and connection.

Bei der Erneuerung der Arbeitgebermarke sehe ich ein ganz starkes / gro?es Potenzial, um auf ehemalige Mitarbeiter:innen zuzugehen. Einerseits, um sie als Teil der Analyse in das Projekt mit einzubeziehen und ihre Sichtweise auf die aktuellen St?rken und Schw?chen des Arbeitgebers einzuholen, andererseits um ihnen ggf. auch einen Ping zu geben und zu sagen: "Schaut mal, wir haben uns verbessert, euch zugeh?rt und die folgenden Dinge umgesetzt - wollt ihr nicht ggf. zu uns zurück kommen?" Auch, wenn das dann natürlich nicht zwangsweise hei?t, dass alle Ex-Mitarbeiter:innen zurückkehren, hat man sich zumindest ge?ffnet und diese wertvolle Anregung gegeben sowie auf m?gliche Fehler der Vergangenheit reagiert.

My favourite: ‘Innovating Your Employer Brand’ doesn’t come easy! Its a journey! Think outside the box and embrace creativity! Start by defining a unique EVP that resonates with both current employees and potential talent cohort, showcasing what makes your workplace special. Leverage social media not just for job postings but to tell engaging stories about your culture, using authenticity to connect with your potential pool. Consider incorporating elements like virtual reality tours of your office or employee-generated content that highlights daily life. Employee advocacy for the win! Stay ahead of trends by adapting to the preferences of the talent, focusing on flexibility, diversity, etc. Innovation thrives on adaptability!

To keep your employer brand vibrant and competitive, it's crucial to innovate continuously. This means exploring new ideas through market research and trends while involving employees and alumni in the process. By inviting their feedback and co-creating solutions, you foster collaboration and a sense of ownership, ensuring your employer brand remains relevant and appealing to current and future talent.

I am going to focus on Alumni here: 1. Not all alumni needs to be engaged with ( you can remove people who were involuntary separations) 2. Make it a two way street. Ensure alumni also get something in return for keeping a tab on your organization - a once in a quarter training program, a leadership interaction session or something of that nature. 3. Create sub communities within the larger alumni group - For instance, datascience community, operations community etc. This helps foster connection. 4. Green channel for returning: If someone is an alumni, make the return process easier for them, ofcourse without compromising on quality. 5. Merchandise for high performers: Once a year, send out branded merchandise to select people.

These strategies foster a strong employer brand community among employees and alumni: 1. Onboarding: Start with welcome videos featuring employee stories. 2. Brand Ambassadors: Highlight passionate employees on social media. 3. Networking: Host “Lunch & Learn” sessions for connection. 4. Social Media: Share “A Day in the Life” posts to showcase roles. 5. Feedback: Conduct monthly pulse surveys for employee insights. 6. Alumni Engagement: Send newsletters and host annual reunions. 7. Recognition: Celebrate achievements with monthly awards. 8. Volunteer Days: Organize community service to strengthen bonds. 9. Workshops: Offer employee-led webinars for skill development. 10. Testimonials: Share success stories reflecting your values.

Build a friendly work family by making online spaces to share stories, hosting virtual alumni meet-ups, highlighting employee achievements, encouraging teamwork on projects, and giving shout-outs for a strong bond between current and past team members

Fostering a Strong Employer Brand Community and Network 1. Create an Engaging Onboarding Experience Welcome new hires to foster a sense of belonging. 2. Encourage Employee Advocacy Motivate employees to share positive experiences on social media. 3. Develop Alumni Programs Establish a network for former employees with events and newsletters. 4. Host Regular Events Organize team-building and networking activities for employees and alumni. 5. Utilize Social Media Create dedicated groups for sharing updates and insights. 6. Share Success Stories Highlight employee and alumni achievements to strengthen community ties. 7. Solicit Feedback and Involvement Regularly ask for input to make employees and alumni feel valued.

Employee advocacy is a great engagement tool for colleagues and alumni and content is the backbone of your employee advocacy program. Understand your audience's preferences and your employees and alumni's comfort levels to create a mix of original and curated content such as blogs, videos, podcasts, and more.