An impending wave of terminations? Build your (employer) brand

Employer brand

Where we often think of the word brand in terms of external users, employees experience the brand just as much. From beliefs to culture. All the tangible and emotional benefits of working for you determine how they feel about it as a whole. While each employee has their own individual reason for changing jobs, there are spotlighted common themes that companies across the board face. A disrupted culture. A lack of balance. So here are four focus points to remember why employer brand is so important.

1. It starts at the foundation. Always.

You want to assume that people want to put their energy, creativity and sweat into your organization. And it hurts when good employees quit. But remember, you now have access to a large talent pool of people. When you can confidently tell people who you are, what you care about and what it's like to work for you you can attract attention and find people who share these shared values and genuinely care about what you're building. This all starts with having a strong and clear foundation of your brand in place. 

2. Have a clear purpose.

People are not machines. Even though some marketeers are convinced they are. We have an innate need for community and emotional connection. To keep people engaged, you have to be interested and bring people together around themes they collectively believe in.  In recent years we have seen a huge paradigm shift in how people view their work. More and more employees yearn for work that is meaningful. The more people can unite around a shared vision the more they want to invest to stay with you.

3. Be a clear guide to follow

There are many studies that have highlighted the biggest reasons for leaving. Often this is because of uncertainty. While the past few years have been turbulent for the world, the problems often stem from internal lack of clarity. Without a clear unified vision, individuals view their work through different lenses. They operate from their own interpretations and assumptions and make choices to support their own ideas. So align not only hearts, but minds as well.

4. Toxicity kills.

Surveys also show that a toxic culture is one of the major reasons for leaving. From inconsistent and unfair feedback to abusive managers. There are plenty of things that can make for a toxic workplace. With a good employer brand comes a healthy culture - you can't have one without the other - and that's something employees quite often value more than money. This means that even if you can't match your competitors' salaries, a strong employer brand (good culture, work-life balance, etc.) can provide the kind of personal satisfaction people are looking for. 

You can't create a strong employer brand overnight, but if you want to survive the big retreat you need to invest time, energy and resources to strengthen every aspect. And that, like building a brand, starts with clarity. And we just happen to have a great process for creating that clarity!