By Tierra Madani, Associate HR Consultant, Chemistry Consulting Group
How can employers create a positive online brand by calling upon ambassadors within the organization for content?
Take a moment to think about what your Employer Brand is online today. How would you describe it? How do you measure it? How is it currently viewed by the general public or within the community? Is there any value given to it during strategic planning?
As with any strategy in your organization, it is always best practice to start with a vision. When it comes to employer branding, the ultimate goal and result is to have a positive reputation and one that is true to the employee experience.
But why is this important? Everyone is watching and they care to know how you treat people.
It is commonplace now (more than ever) that people are choosing more carefully which brands they want to associate with, whether they are your potential customers, partner organizations, or your current clientele. Our marketing teams are already onto this big shift and many organizations have already capitalized on the joint HR/Marketing strategy specifically focused on employee branding.
Not only do consumers have more choices, but job seekers also currently have the upper hand when it comes to seeking employment. Your employer brand attracts potential applicants in a unique and important way. It is beneficial to stay in the know on how your organization is being portrayed and to continuously improve upon your “go-to-market” strategy to ensure it is authentic and speaks to your actual culture and values.
4 Tips to Achieve a Positive Online Employer Brand
- Align your employer brand with your team’s core values.
The guiding light within your organization is your shared core values. These are collectively the glue that binds your team together and strengthens its culture. Let your values drive your decision on what stories to share with the outside world.
For example, if your team values community, then create a social media campaign to highlight your community partnerships. This perpetuates the awareness of those organizations as well, which further promotes their cause and need for support. Was there a recent event that can be shared on social media? Is there an opportunity to highlight hardworking team members who went above and beyond to support the event? Think of creative ways to share this type of content on your social media networks or even during the event itself.
- Team up with Marketing.
Are there ways that the employer brand, or visa versa can support the overall brand name? How should HR and Marketing collaborate on which social media channels to use and how can each measure success? Marketing teams hold the key to data-driven work and can provide support on how best to measure success when it comes to audience engagement and brand awareness. Set a recurring meeting for these two departments to collaborate, brainstorm and touch base.
- Leverage your employer brand to support functions within your organization.
Investing in your employer brand further supports several strategies and departments including HR, Marketing and Sales. Functions such as recruiting top talent, engaging with your community and/or your customers, and establishing new partnerships and collaborations. Include your employer branding strategy in your overall strategic plan and collaborate with other departments to achieve multiple objectives simultaneously.
- Invite your culture ambassadors to join in the conversation, authentically. Who best to speak to your culture and what it’s like to work for your organization than your own employees. Are there stories untold that should be brought to light? An employee or team that could be recognized for being a shining ambassador? A new partnership that creates a positive impact in the community?
This is an important step in validating your organization’s reputation as an employer. An employer brand must be true to who you actually are as a team and an organization, and this then invites your employees to shout out their company pride to others. Consider adding a section to your employee handbook that outlines what is encouraged through social media, for example. This is a direct invitation to engage with your organization’s social channels and further promote the stories waiting to be told that highlight your employer brand positively.
Revisit the things you are already doing to promote your employer brand and take it to the next level to ensure you’re sharing effectively and authentically!