How To Build Excitement Around Your Brand
The holidays are here and we are excited‑but are you as excited about your brand? It could be that you’ve been putting off investing time and resources into building an employer brand — that is, your organization’s mission, vision, values and culture. But it’s absolutely vital to know who you are, shout it from the rooftops and get people excited about it so they’d want to work for you. Fortunately, we’ve got a few tips that could help you start to build or elevate your branding game.
Maintain A Vibrant Social Media Presence
Yes, having company-owned social media channels is almost a must these days. After all, how will potential candidates learn about your company and get excited about the prospect of working for you? Just remember: Whatever you do, be authentic and transparent; don’t pretend to be something you’re not because people will see right through it.
Encourage Employees To Post Online
It’s one thing to hire a professional or agency to run your social media accounts, but it’s another for some of the buzz to come directly from your own employees. Say you’ve arranged a meeting with innovative leaders or tech entrepreneurs or host cool guest speakers, invite employees to participate and make some noise about it. Are there corporate marathons, walks or charity events in town? Sign up to participate — and make sure your employees can join in the fun. Leverage your best people as cheerleaders for your company.
Spice Up Your Career Site
Are your job descriptions “safe?” That’s a code word for “stale.” Dust off your old templates that may have worked well a long time ago, and instead make your descriptions more descriptive. What does your career site look like? What does it say about your culture? Make it about your employees — and show how they embody your values and culture. Skip the boring corporate jargon and instead tell stories, showcase journeys and give potential candidates a sense for why they would want to work for you and not one of your competitors. Make your career site a tool where you show off who you are and make the right connection with your future employees.
Give People The Opportunity To Give Back
An important consideration for many employees, particularly millennials, is to be able to give back to their communities in a tangible way. Show them you care by giving them designated time to pursue volunteering opportunities in the community. Better yet, make it a team effort. Form teams to serve at local shelters, schools, community centers, hospitals, etc. and watch them exude a passion to serve others, which ought to be the foundation for any leader you hope to develop.
Celebrate Employees
This is the most simple but important suggestion of all. If your rock star employees don’t feel acknowledged or appreciated, you lower the chances of them spreading the word about working for your company. Whether it’s compensation, benefits, recognition, work-life balance, etc., make sure that your people feel taken care of.
Deanna Hartley is a writer and editor, and has spent 10+ years publishing articles on job search advice, career development, recruitment, HR and human capital management. Deanna has a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, was formerly a senior editor at award-winning publisher Human Capital Media and a senior copywriter at CareerBuilder. She currently works as a content manager at Aon. Her articles have appeared in publications including Gannett, Business Insider, the Chicago Tribune and Workforce Magazine.