The Next Normal Of Employer Brand
Welcome to this new weekly video series on “The Next Normal” of employer brand, by Bryan Adams and Dave Hazlehurst of employer brand agency, Ph. Creative. We’ll be sharing some cool content that we as an agency are interested in, and also some content that you guys as a community are driving. We hope you find our views and take on the industry just as interesting - and unusual - as we do.
In our first episode, Dave goes into detail on some of Bryan’s most recent articles, connecting the key points to some current trends.
Here’s a summary of the various topics of Episode 1. Enjoy!
1. A Sense Of Belonging, Purpose, And Impact That We’re All Trying To Satisfy.
Throughout the Star Wars movie franchise, we see Luke repeatedly tackling the question: “Do I have what it takes to become a Jedi?”.
Candidates now, more than ever, are asking that fundamental question of themselves: “Do I have what it takes to thrive in this new environment?”. And it’s the same issue for employees faced with new challenges, looking to change their horizons (okay, maybe they’re not eyeing up a galaxy far far away as their place of work, but you get the sentiment!!).
Check out Bryan’s article on Why Thinking Like A Jedi Can Help You Design A Purpose-Built EVP here.
2. Being Honest About The Harsh Realities And Adversities Of Your Employee Experience.
As we work through the COVID-19 landscape, companies are getting a real, honest feel for the employee experience - whether they like it or not. It’s a flexing, changing world and every staff member feels compelled to share their opinion in response to the uncertain environment we’re living in. The smartest thing you can do as a business right now is to open your ears to the narratives this new world is exposing.
The truth about your employee experience has never been more important. Lean into the harsh realities, and give candidates what they need to make an educated decision on whether you’re for them, and they’re for you. Some will eat your offering right up - and some will say: “That’s great, but it’s not for me.”
“We need to be brave and confident enough to accept that we’re not for everybody, and that’s okay.”- Bryan Adams.
3. Truth Builds Trust
The important thing here is the opportunity that organizations have suddenly been presented with to learn from what’s happening around them. The landscape right now hasn’t been intentional or engineered - it is reactive in the truest sense. There are plenty of good learnings from this, particularly when you realize that the learnings aren’t actually brand-led, but they’re people-led.
Organizations need to resist the temptation to brag, simply leading their messaging with strengths, benefits, and opportunities to attract people to them without mentioning the harsh truths of their working culture. Be more honest, and have a two-way conversation to see if there’s a good match.
People want to know what it’s REALLY like in there. That’s the question they want answered.
Read Bryan’s article on how Employer Branding Is Closer To Online Dating Than Online Selling here.
4. Barriers Are Coming Down And Cultures Are Shining Through.
The smartest marketing dollars from a consumer-marketing perspective for the foreseeable future aren’t well-spent on talking about features, or benefits of products, or services. The best investment in that sense is to showcase the people behind the brand, and how we care about them - that’s the best marketing in the world right now.
“The winds of change are here.” - Dave Hazlehurst
There’s an opportunity for organizations to be rewarded for doing the right thing, because the general public only sees a company acting with integrity and ethics. Clear conscious choices made by the consumer when hearing of a company’s integrity makes them feel good about themselves, and, because of this, everything you’re doing internally impacts and imprints externally.
See Bryan’s article, A Lesson From This Hollywood Icon Could Help You Nail Your Employer Brand Headline, here.
5. It’s About Empathy, Compassion And Honesty.
Companies need to listen to their employees; their needs and wants. We can all guess at what the next normal will look like, but companies need to communicate internally and commit to this idea of consistent feedback and change. During this unprecedented time, there have been some amazing examples of what it’s possible to achieve as an employer. Now could be a dangerous time to move away from that, and you throw away all that you’ve achieved.
Remember, loyalty can be strengthened. It’s not the complaint that people remember; it’s how you deal with it.
For those companies who didn’t move with speed and agility during these times - all is not lost. There’s an opportunity to embrace humility. Come out and say: “This is what we learned; this is where we believe we went wrong; and here’s how we’re taking the next steps forward to become better.”
Like what you see? Watch the full episode below, and don’t forget to sign-up to our newsletter to receive notifications on our live monthly discussion.
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