How to build an employer’s brand?

When I joined ANZ Grindlays Bank in the mid-eighties from a local bank, it was more to do with the social prestige the British legacy bank commanded in this part of the world. When I joined Standard Chartered in mid-1993, it was repositioning an erstwhile lousy bank. 

I moved to Citibank N.A in 2001 and it had more to do with joining the investment banking 'guru'. My joining the Brac business school in 2011 had more to do with refocusing a business school under the leadership of nobody less than Sir Fazle Hasan Abed. My joining PwC in mid-2015 had all to do with my learning mind.

In this evolving hybrid world, organisations are struggling to attract, hire, and retain their best people. Building and maintaining employer brand has become the biggest issue facing HR and organisational leaders today.

Introduced in 1990 by Simon Barrow (chairman of People in Business), the term employer brand is the image of the company as a potential employer. It's everything from how they conduct themselves in the market to what people think it would be like to work for their organisation.

Eighty-four per cent of job seekers say the reputation of a company is crucial when making decision on where to apply for a job, and 96 per cent of companies agree that employer brand and reputation can positively or negatively impact revenue. With so much focus on employer brand, the question remains as to why organisations are still struggling to implement the best practices that result in higher return on investments.

Employer brand is never entirely under organisation's control, and perceptions are shaped by multiple circumstances. However, organisations can take simple measures to make sure that they are doing their best to create a positive image for their brand.

START FROM WITHIN

Keep the employees happy. Happy and engaged employees result in a better employer brand for two reasons: lower turnover rate and positive word of mouth. They will make the company a positive place to work and become the evangelists representing the brand they work for to the outside.

ADAPT

Your branding is not a "set it and forget it" option. Change is the only constant. This is a good notion to bear in mind when monitoring the employer brand. It's crucial to be able to perceive the employer brand considering changes that might be taking place and adjusting actions accordingly. Flexible working hours, remote working setups and rewarding result culture are just a few aspects of the new work era.

GIVE BACK

Along with higher salaries, better benefits and advancement opportunities and work-life balance, job seekers and career changers cite purpose-driven work as a top priority. When people see their company cares about social upliftment and when the company allows them to participate in volunteer projects during work hours, they feel more engaged.

Engaged workers feel more fulfilled in their jobs and this radiates outward from the team, thereby, reinforcing the organisation's brand as an employer.

The ability to mix work and pleasure, aided by technology, will be a key factor in shaping people's lives in future. If employers don't keep up with this trend, they are likely to lose their best people, either to more agile organisations or to some form of self-employment.

The author is an economic analyst.