What is "Employer Brand" all about?

The term “employer brand” seems to be the new buzzword. As a matter of fact, the difficulties in finding and retaining the best talent are becoming huge problems for a company’s growth. 

For this reason, I suddenly hear more and more: “We look at our company as an employer brand. We make awesome videos, have great career pages, join every job fair in the area…!”

However, I do wonder if these tools are enough to place your company as an employer brand; or are they merely a way for your company to be perceived as an employer brand by the market?

Based on my experience, an “employer brand” is not achieved solely through company videos, job fairs, career pages or websites. It goes beyond your company or your ego. You are not the true hero of your story. It’s all about the guidance and culture you provide to your employees every single day, and how well you manage their journey (good and bad moments, successes and difficulties) through the organization. Employees are not looking for jobs or positions, but for life experiences; and you are solely responsible for guiding them and making them the heroes of your success story (if you are able to give them proper guidance, of course).

If you are seriously looking into positioning your company as an “employer brand”, keep in mind these five important calls-to-action. They’re not easy to follow, as they take time, money, persistence and, most of all, honest commitment to implement them in a consistent and coherent manner. 

#1. Create a genuine Organizational Environment – Commit daily to a strong culture and environment. Encourage diversity and inclusion with actions and behaviors that generate environments where employees feel involved, respected, valued and linked; choosing to bring their true self (ideas, perspectives, personal knowledge…) to the organization. Contributions that go beyond their daily projects. This type of environment is crucial to the development of an active leadership, emotionally linked to management and business. These actions also lead to better experiences; bring about future leaders, as they promote commitment and engagement; and are ultimately stronger and more powerful than simply giving employees goals to achieve on a monthly, quarterly or annual mission.

#2. Listen, listen and listen – Stop talking and just listen. Listen attentively, in as truthful a way as possible. Once again, it’s not about you or your organization, it’s about your employees’ journey through the organization. You are their guide. If you don′t listen to them, how can you improve their lives and provide them with a loving and successful experience, so they let others know about your wonderful company? 

#3. Inspire others with a heartfelt vision- Develop a vision that inspires others, set challenging but realistic goals, and articulate a clear purpose. The future HR personnel should not be concerned with developing traditional processes; instead they should be focused on promoting certain experiences in the company. Your current and future employees will be proud and genuinely happy to work for you and take care of your brand. Knowing their ideas are heard, they will feel secure (morally, psychologically, emotionally and financially), and as though they are part of a larger purpose!

#4. Give constant and real feedback – Everyone needs feedback. No matter what they do or what role they have in a company. Indifference is the worst feeling you can have towards someone. It means you have given up on them and lack interest in their activities. Even the best collaborators sometimes end up discouraging others. Practicing “tough love" is very common in big businesses. Getting feedback from someone who’s loving and caring. In the future, the employee will be thankful for the love and care the company has shown him, having pushed him to achieve his goals and fulfill his dreams. Make sure you provide clear, honest, and constructive feedback.

#5. Communicate clearly - Build transparent communication channels. A clear and honest communication with all collaborators shows strong leadership and a trustworthy company. Communicate real numbers and your strategy coherently. Deliver clear messages within the organization. Remember, you are your employees’ guide, and if they don′t trust you, you will ultimately lose them. You should commit daily to a clear and consistent communication with your employees. 

While there are other call-to-actions you can put into practice, these are by far the most valuable ones to apply when building an authentic “employer brand”. You will become a true “employer brand” in the market and your heroes will let their friends and families know just that. The videos, the workspace, the job fairs, the company website are merely ways to communicate these actions. On their own, they mean nothing and can actually work against you. The current and future employees will feel cheated and will jump ship sooner or later.

These calls-to-action provide, as immediate returns, the typical KPI′s, which define if you truly are an “employer brand” (as perceived). They represent the instant rise in internal references (more than 30% of your recruitment comes from inside referrals, i.e., actual collaborators that refer their friends and family members for jobs in the company) and the higher retain index (according to Great Places to Work surveys around the world, the best index is no more than 8% turnover a year). Together, these KPI’S will allow you to recruit and retain the best in the market.

You will not be able to achieve this by using “bing-bang” methods, as these calls-to-actions must be implemented in a consistent and coherent manner. In such a way, that they become like oxygen. If they disappear, your employees will miss them immediately and leave!

Sónia Jerónimo, CEO&World Explorer @ Growin - Know to Grow!