Over the last few years Australian industry and commerce have started to embrace Employer Branding as a key tool in the development of their ‘Employer of Choice’ positioning and the subsequent recruitment and retention of the best possible talent.
While it has to be noted that no two organisations will have the same outcomes, the development and implementation of effective Employer Branding does not have to be arduous.
Approached as a series of incremental project stages, effective strategies can be in place within relatively short timeframes.
- Identify Key Stakeholder Needs
- What do your current employees want?
- What do your most talented employees want?
- What do potential candidates in your specific market segment want?
- What do potential candidates from your specific targeted demographics want?
- What do potential candidates from your specific targeted employment groups want?
- Understand completely to what extent are you delivering on those needs
Once existing/potential employee needs have been identified, the next step is to ascertain to what extent you are currently delivering on those needs.
Individual interviews, employee surveys and focus groups can all play key roles, but clear and honest feedback is essential.
- Identify to what extent (if any) does the current Employer Brand have to ‘change’
Strive to identify the organisational practices and policies that may represent barriers or challenges to the development of the required Employer Brand.
- Involve representatives from all key stakeholder groups in the ‘correction’ process
Nothing is more valuable than honest, constant feedback. Give stakeholders a sense of ownership of the process and let them see things are happening.
- Effectively communicate the new Employer Brand
Work with Employer Branding specialists to develop both the internal and external communication strategies that will promote your desired Employer Brand message to all relevant target audience groups.
After implementation, the most effective Employer Branding strategies invariably utilise continuous improvement mechanisms and techniques and are viewed as ‘works in progress’.
Regular stakeholder feedback and measurement are essential to ensure strategies maintain relevance and keep delivering corporate value.