Recently I gave a presentation in Kansas City about elevating your organization’s brand in an effort to recruit and retain the best talent. The feedback and enthusiasm for the topic from the audience mirrored that of many of my clients. Many of our clients are struggling to recruit talent and retain talent. As we see the economy picking up, this will continue to present a challenge, especially as Baby Boomers start to exit the workforce. What do I recommend to counter this pervasive trend? When is the last time you completed an employer brand assessment?
Usually this question catches organizations off guard. Often most organizations constantly evaluate and adapt their brand in order to attract new clients by updating case studies, customer testimonials, client win press releases and other marketing means. However, when it comes to attracting new employees, their measures fall short or leverage antiquated models.
One may say that elevating your brand for clients and talent conjures up the old cart before the horse or the chicken before the egg analogies. Without new clients you can’t hire new employees, or, without quality employees you can’t win new clients. The dichotomy is true, however, it’s certainly something that can be done in tandem with each other.
So what are some steps that your organization can take to concurrently elevate your brand for recruitment and retention of employees?
Many organizations have great marketing departments, set up a meeting and ask for some feedback on ways that you can elevate your brand the same way they elevate the organization’s brand to potential clients. Leverage their expertise and experience.
Most organizations have a career page on their website, use this opportunity to not simply post open or available positions about your firm, use it to “market” your firm, its employees and culture. Collect employee testimonials and put them on the career page along with pictures and videos of your employees and executives describing and sharing the organizational culture. This provides a face to go along with the testimonials.
Leverage social media! Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and your corporate blog – all are incredibly powerful platforms to articulate your organization’s brand. Post pictures of your employee outings, volunteer or community work, or create video testimonials about the “experience” of working at your firm.
Some great examples of recruitment videos can be found HERE, HERE and HERE
Give your organization an identity! Prospective employees, especially Millennials, are actively using these resources to seek new opportunities, you’ll be remiss to not take advantage of these platforms. Remember, sometimes the horse pulls the cart, and sometimes the horse rides in the cart. Elevating and marketing your organizations brand is something you can do in tandem with marketing to prospective clients.
