Did you know companies that invest in building their employer brand can reduce employee turnover by 28%, thereby increasing retention?
Your organization’s employer brand is its strongest currency in the talent market. And also one of the crucial factors that makes an employee stay with the employer.
Yes, your employer brand can be the key to cracking higher retention.
Even as this knowledge gains attention, many organizations still fail to leverage it. They create an attractive Employee Value Proposition (EVP) and brand story but forget to communicate the same to their workforce.
This is why we advocate ‘activating’ an organization’s employer brand internally. So your employees can make the decision to stay irrespective of the external noise.
How can you activate your employer brand within your organization? Here are a few steps to keep in mind:
1. Communicate the ‘What’s in it for me?’
An employer brand story is there to answer the question, ‘What can we as an employer give to our employees?’. So why must this communication stay restricted only to potential employees?
Every touchpoint of the employee lifecycle – from onboarding to training, appraisals, and beyond – becomes an opportunity to showcase the organization’s employer brand, purpose, and workplace culture.
This also helps your employees find reasons to stay and not lose sight of the ‘why’.
Employees are more likely to identify with the brand when they consistently experience the organization’s purpose and culture at various stages of their journey. As a result, they are motivated to contribute their best, feel proud of their affiliation with the organization, and become advocates for the employer brand.
2. Craft experiences that align with your EVP
There is no worth to your internal brand communications unless they are matched in action. This is where Employee Experience comes into play.
You can bring your employer brand to life by crafting experiences that align with your EVP, and playing them out during ‘moments that matter’.
Moreover, creating the right experiences can be a powerful way to foster a culture where the employees’ voices are heard, valued, and included. So they become an integral part of the employer branding itself.
Because when their voices are listened to and acted upon, it boosts employee morale and engagement. Thereby strengthening the organization’s reputation as an employer of choice.
3. Drive retention with the help of brand champions
Your employees can be the biggest fans of your brand. But only when they are happy and engaged.
By conducting an employee audit, you can identify individuals who can become your ‘brand champions’.
They can be the drivers of initiatives that consistently communicate your brand story internally. And encourage the other employees with information about policies, opportunities, and initiatives.
Since these employees have direct access to the pulse of the organization, your brand champions can also bring you recommendations that can help you realign your efforts for the better.
4. Build a culture that brings your employer brand to life
At the core of it, your organizational culture and organizational identity are precursors to your employer brand. The experiences your employees have within the workplace become their reality.
This is why it is essential to align your culture with the brand story you are trying to bring to life. This means taking active steps to understand the company values and brand image. And aligning culture communication and experiences with the same.
These efforts can be strengthened by creating resources like a ‘culture book’ or an ‘employer brand guidebook’. That can provide your team with information on what they need to focus on creating.
The HR team must also look into creating opportunities that help measure, recognize, and reward the employees that live out the values of your employer brand. So your culture truly empowers your employer brand story to come to life.
5. Seek regular employee feedback
At the end of the day, it all comes back to the employees.
What they want and expect from their employer can keep changing with time. Organizations that wish to achieve limitless growth listen to their employees and make changes accordingly. To keep them motivated and committed to the overall brand identity.
Regularly monitoring and implementing employee feedback allows organizations to refine their employer branding strategy. Thus ensuring it remains authentic, engaging, and capable of attracting and retaining top talent.
And as a dynamic and responsive metric, employee feedback can play a pivotal role in driving continuous enhancement.
Winning over the best of talent is only half the battle. The real challenge is convincing them to stay with your organization. Where they feel motivated to bring their best selves to work every day. And it all starts with having a strong Employer Branding Strategy in place.
Have you activated your employer brand internally, and used it to enhance your retention efforts?
If you wish to transform your employee retention initiatives, get in touch with our team at talktous@dfrens.com.
