Trying Times Make or Break Employer Brand

These trying times put organizations to the test. Close or stay open? Keep people here or push them to work at home? Pay our employees who suddenly have no work or not? Pay them full or pay them half? I have my corporate job but also a job as a vice chair of the board for a non-profit service organization. No surprise, the service organization is taking the highest possible road to take care of employees, keeping them safe and keeping them whole financially. Time will tell, but I would bet good money that the path will pay off in the long run in higher-than-ever membership numbers and lower-than-ever turnover.

In corporate America, we now face a choice. For those of us who protect and build our companies' Employer Brand I cannot be the only one who feels like I'm standing on the edge of a cliff. Every company in the world produces content about how it values its people. Every. Single. One.

These past few days - weeks for companies in Europe - have become a test for those words. Are they true or are they false?

Is the Employer Brand going to survive and thrive because actions and behaviors are reinforcing those words? Or have we just incinerated the Employer Brand?

When your company matches its words and its actions, celebrate and reward that company with your longevity and loyalty. Are they prioritizing you while learning how to navigate this pandemic? Are they trusting and honoring your value? Write up a nice review on Glassdoor, Indeed, or Kununu. They deserve it. Broadcast your warmth and gratefulness through social media and pump up your Employer Brand by sharing with the world that your company did it: when faced with adversity, they stood by their words. People ARE important to us. They deserve our trust and respect. Kudos to your employer.

Time will tell. Again, I would bet good money that the rewards will be ten-fold for you and your employer. Companies that are now reinforcing what they say with their actions, well, there is no better way to strengthen an employer brand!