Employer Branding: Enhancing Corporate Communications from Within

An interview with Lisa Tilt of Full Tilt Consulting by HR Tech Outlook Magazine

Communication is the pipeline that connects different aspects of an organization and the ‘bridge’ that leads a business from confusion to clarity. But how do you maintain a strong engagement and communication in an organization in the midst of ongoing pandemic?

According to Lisa Tilt, a well-known expert in communications and employer branding, no matter how complex a situation may seem, it ultimately comes down to the human element. Consistent, honest discourse between the leadership team and employees is essential to meaningful collaboration in an organization.

Although it may seem like a simple concept, effective communication in a workplace, especially between the management and its employees, can be incredibly nuanced—making it a difficult task to accomplish consistently. Employees may not always feel comfortable initiating a discourse with their employers. Or, management might be so focused on steering business growth they don’t prioritize time to fully reinforce employee engagement programs.

Bringing Clarity to Communications

To help such enterprises, Lisa founded Full Tilt Consulting—an agency that solves business challenges with innovative employer branding and communications programs. “Clarity and understanding, facilitated by honest communication, form the building blocks of employer branding,” says Lisa, CEO of Full Tilt. “In turn, employer branding is the ‘steel column’ that helps an organization withstand the storms both inside and outside its walls, whether those are a pandemic, major organizational change, social issues, really anything.”

Employer branding should begin the day an organization opens its doors and continue building block by block, over time adding strength to its values. How does Full Tilt Consulting come into this picture? The foundation of Lisa’s company is to be a strategic and approachable marketing communications firm—one that helps its clients align their internal and external strategies to both drive growth and sustain its focus on the workforce. Through deep knowledge of its clients’ business, Full Tilt helps determine their market position, identify goals, and design robust plans to help achieve them.

Through the partnership, clients realize new opportunities and solve employee engagement challenges through seamless communication and collaboration within their organizations.

Bringing Brand beyond Workplace Walls

As many companies adopt remote workflows, their ways of interacting and communicating face new challenges. It is even more critical to focus on employer branding, since it is ingrained in every aspect of the organization. It needs to not only ensure employee engagement but also to attract new talent—all remotely. “To make this possible, we rely on a proven philosophy, that employer branding is best seen through the lens of employee experience. So we follow the employees through every interaction, whether it is before, during, or after their employment,” says Lisa.

Full Tilt takes a unique approach, working closely with an internal task force that involves decision makers in HR, internal communications, external marketing, and talent acquisition. The result? Companies build bonds between these silos.

This cross-functional work group addresses disconnects and creates an effective strategy to showcase the culture and brand in the best light. Messaging does not come from one part of a single department, Full Tilt ensures that the brand is known and used consistently throughout the organization.

A Proven Process

The process begins with the consulting team developing an employer branding ‘playbook’ specific to that organization. It is based on the company culture, employee sentiment, employee experience, and the desired direction executives want the company to go. “We work with a broad spectrum of companies in various phases of the business lifecycle,” says Lisa. Some might be experiencing extremely rapid growth and can’t hire fast enough, while others might face rising employee turnover. The first step of developing the playbook is understanding where the organization is and where it wants to go.

“We help companies overcome that invisible wall of disconnect that can exist between employees and their managers and leadership,” explains Lisa. It is difficult for employees to be open and honest with management, but as a third party, the Full Tilt team brings a sympathetic ear and fresh insight to the table. The agency excels at discerning the thoughts and expectations of employees while also conducting a candid assessment from a company’s employer branding standpoint.

Once the assessments are done, the next step is to unite all behind a rallying cry to get everyone on the same page. This can be through workshops, employee surveys, or engagement programs. Full Tilt traces the various data points so the required programs are not only being implemented but also delivering the desired impact.

Taking this employer branding process further, the company’s Full Tilt Exec program provides training to the executive and leadership teams. It reconnects executives with the day-to- day culture of their organization and coaches management on their personal branding and the role they can play in the organization’s growth. “It is often the central node of our offering, as executives need to buy into the ideas and programs for them to work,” says Lisa. She believes organizational transparency is a critical part of employer branding.

This unique approach differentiates Full Tilt and makes a profound impact for its clients enabling them to pivot in the current crisis landscape and reinvent their communications and branding strategies. It addresses blind spots related to diversity, equity and inclusion – which helps employees feel secure and empowered in the workplace.

In upcoming months, Full Tilt will focus on harnessing the full value of data, bringing clients insights to deepen employee engagement. “Our approach is rooted in research. It is about empowering our clients to make the most impact and reach its audiences while maintaining strong relationships with all their stakeholders,” concludes Lisa.

As published in HR Tech Outlook Magazine. Link to the article here: https://bit.ly/39FiMXt