If you’ve been losing more employees than usual, you definitely aren’t alone. According to Gallup, almost half of the American workforce is actively job hunting. That’s a lot of people looking to leave their current roles. So what can you do to stand out (and make sure you don’t lose any more people)?
Competitive salary, great benefits, and perks are a great place to start. But let’s get real. A lot of other companies can—and will—offer that too. The best way to differentiate from other companies is to elevate the thing that only your company can offer. And that is your authentic employer brand.
Your employer brand is that intangible but powerful story that expresses what’s really special about your culture. It’s something that can attract candidates, but it’s also key to reminding current employees why they chose your company and why they stay. But before you ask HR to start getting the word out, it’s best to start with an evaluation of your culture. Is it robust, inclusive, and authentic enough to work in your favor? Pulling some inspiration from Forbes, we’ve outlined your path to assessing and articulating your employer brand.
While leadership may have a shared vision of company culture, there’s often a difference between the “Our values” page on the website and what employees actually experience. This gap between vision and reality is actually very common. Creating a strong employer brand is about understanding both the vision and the reality, and doing the work to bring them closer together.
Start at the top
Evaluating and building a brand starts with the people at the top. We recommend interviewing the leadership team about what they believe the culture to be and what they want it to become. Why do they believe this is a great place to work? Why should people join and stick around? You’ll want to cover culture, values, their vision for company success, and how employees can benefit from and contribute to that success.
Go deep and wide
Next, you’ll want to gather the opinions of a wide range of employees. Consider function, location, tenure, seniority, and any other factors that might create different experiences for employees. Ask employees to describe the culture in their own words, why they chose the company, and how they contribute to the company’s success. Probe into career growth, their experience at the company, what they like about their job, and the company values they lean on in their day-to-day roles. Finally, ask them to describe a great day at work and what they would tell a friend who wanted to know if they should accept a job offer at their company. The answers to these questions can cut to what’s best about the company culture. Maybe it’s dynamic and challenging, or a great place for work-life balance. There’s no wrong answer—different cultures appeal to different people.
Make sure it’s authentic
Now you have all the ingredients you need to articulate your employer brand—both from the perspective of leadership and the people living it every day. There may be lots of ways to bring the brand to life, but the most important thing you can do is make sure it passes the “eye roll” test. Will employees roll their eyes at leadership’s take on culture? Representing the company in ways that don’t reflect the true experience won’t resonate with your current employees—and new hires don’t stick around long when they feel like they’ve been tricked. Ultimately, it’s the unique culture that’s keeping your current people around. This is your opportunity to elevate and share it.