Brand strategy . . .

. . . is a critical link to employee recruitment & retention

The effectiveness and importance of brand strategy on customer recruitment and retention is widely acknowledge.  Well regarded brands show up on the asset sheets of major corporations and are responsible for a significant percentage of sales based on name alone.

As organizations sort through new challenges in terms of staff recruitment and retention, it’s important to also acknowledge the role of branding and reputation management against this key goal, too.  In fact, branding your organization for internal “customer” acquisition has become an even bigger priority for many marketers versus external positioning.

As you think through your internal branding approach, the process should be similar to that of the external market:

• Planning and research to determine employee/recruit needs, perceptions, knowledge of your company, and expectations and insights on their career ladder.
• Determination of strategy to present your company in a unique and relevant manner based on research findings and internal vision, mission and values.
• A deep understanding of your employee prospects and what’s of main interest to them in both your company and their careers.
• Implementation plan across multiple platforms and channels that meet your prospects on their career journey.

In terms of brand platform and promise, there are key differences in messaging that are punctuated for employee recruitment and retention:

• Depth and breadth of the organization – if your company has multiple divisions or entities, it’s important to let all employees and prospects know of the whole universe. Many employees associate their employer as that of the division they work for, not the overarching company.  As such, they are often unaware of the many benefits and opportunities for career moves, transfers, etc., from the larger entity. Ironically, these are key reasons some employees choose to leave in the first place.
• Your mission, vision, values – as you seek to attract or retain new staff, one of the key determinants of their decision is what your company stands for. This is especially true among younger recruits and employees.
• Corporate social responsibility – the causes and social movements that your company supports are of high interest to your staff. Studies support that employees, especially younger, value the CSR initiatives their employer undertake and tend to stick around longer when they are well known and meaningful.
• DEI, Diversity, equality, inclusivity are also key determinants of retention and recruitment. Let your employees know what you stand for and support.  Similarly, who you reflect in your promotional materials should mirror the kind of workforce you have.  It’s important that your workplace look responsible, progressive, and forward-thinking.

Partnering with HR to incorporate your brand platform into recruitment efforts:

• One of the latest considerations among best practices for recruitment and retention is to partner with your HR counterparts to ensure that the brand messaging incorporates into internal communications.  Working closely in this regard will help appeal to employees and prospects who will eventually become brand ambassadors for your organization.

To learn more more about how the brand strategy is a critical link to employee recruitment and retention visit www.springboardbrand.com or email me at rob@springboardbrand.com.