For any brand that aims to be successful, they have to create a niche for themselves and a brand name that one can recall. Anything that comes under the umbrella of this brand name should radiate the same vision, the same mission, and all the short term goals must be aligned to serve the long term goals of the brand.
However, not all of the brand functions unanimously and does the same task. The brand is a collaborative effort of all the various departments that function in an organisation. If we were to largely categorise all the departments, then they would fall under the category of – employers and employees.
In this article, we will learn how branding can also be categorised into two parts: employer branding and employer branding. For both of these types of branding, there are significant perks in it for the brand. To begin with, we would first look at employer branding. The employers are the front-liners of the brand, so the primary mantle of branding falls upon the employers of a brand.
To start with, an employer who is branded in the right light has the advantage of a good reputation in the market. What this means is that more acclaimed employers could get a better team of workers at lesser prices. For most talented freshers who are just starting out, the money involved in the job does not matter, but the name they are going to be associated with matters more. This is also the case with more experienced people, who seek out reputed names instead of more money.
So, if an employer has been branded properly, they have the advantage of winning over the hearts of not just their clients but also their business’ most valuable assets, the people who work for them. An employee who is already branded in a clear way would have lesser trouble and would need lesser time in acquainting the new members of the business to the brand’s vision. Most of the people joining the company would already be aware of the brand and the messages it stands for, thanks to the good branding strategies!
Research says that over 75% of people looking for a job prefer a good brand name over a lucrative offer. Shocking as it may be, 69% of job seekers confirm that they would not work with the brand that has a negative reputation in the market.
Lately, a lot of emphases has been put on how companies treat their workforce. In a very competitive environment, if your company is still treating its resources in a humane and respectable way, your image as an employer gets better. What this means is that, in the long run, the market perceives you as a friendly brand. This has an indirect effect on the masses as well, and they may develop a liking towards your brand. What this means is simple, growth!
Your employer branding should comply with your corporate branding as well. For example, if you are a company that operates in the sector of mental health awareness, but you insist that your employees work a 10-hour long day on low wages, your employer branding and your corporate branding does not coincide. This leads to a clash, and also a potential loss of business when your clients call out your hypocrisy.
Now we look at the advantages that you could get if you do your employee branding right, for employee branding is not just about throwing your logo and tagline on every employee’s uniform. Employee branding also extends to the behaviour that your employees put out for your consumers/clients. For instance, all the actors who are signed in for Marvel movies are not allowed to exhibit any controversial or publicly unacceptable behaviour. Simply because Marvel understands that the audience may withdraw from the brand if its employees do not behave the way they are presented onscreen.
It is crucial that you get your employee branding done right, and for the same purpose, we recommend you consult professionals such as BrandMatters, who not only specialises in employee branding but also employer branding campaigns. Another advantage of a good employer branding strategy is that your employees would need much less time getting inducted into the system. You would already have branded your existing employees and the new employees could just take a look and understand how the system works.
Employee branding also brings a structure to your organization and establishes to the outsiders and also to the new insiders that there is a specific way of doing things around here. It has been found that a proper employee branding strategy could help boost productivity at your workplace. Moreover, an employee brand is a sample for the rest of the world to get a taste of how it’s like to work with you. In a world that is quickly getting more focused on the incentives of a job, an employer branding strategy reflects that you are not just about your commercial value but also the value that you can add to the life of your employees.
We hope you take your employer-employee branding very seriously, as it can have a major role to play in the fruition of your goals.