A new year calls for a fresh start.
Employer branding has experienced some monumental shifts in the last year. A cultural movement in the workplace is happening and the following must-haves will help you build your employer brand in 2021.
Re-evaluate your values and EVP
A crisis like COVID-19 will be a decisive test for an organisation’s purpose, values and Employer Value Proposition. A lot has changed for companies in the last year, from where their employees are working to the work they are doing – it’s a new working world. More than ever your values and your EVP matter.
2021 is the perfect start for companies to review their values and EVP and ask themselves ‘Is there anywhere we can improve on or evolve on?’. Values breath through your employees so it’s important to communicate and get people inspired and involved in any changes. It’s time for HR leaders to take a step back and identify what employees now value.
Takeaway: Revisit, refresh or re-energise your values and EVP’s – and make sure your people are involved.
Showcase your culture and values through your people
As we previously mentioned, values and EVPs are important however bullet point values can often be overlooked on a careers page or job spec by talent. How do you share this information effectively? By telling stories.
Stories are the most powerful tool to engage the human brain so the best and most effective way to attract top talent is to showcase your culture, values and EVPs through employee stories. If you’re recruiting, share the story of someone in a similar role. If you want people to really understand your values, showcase the moments when employees live and breathe them in their working lives.
Your best employer brand ambassadors are your employees. They are the most trusted source of truth about how your company works. If you want to tell the story of your company, they are your best storytellers.
Takeaway: Potential candidates care about your people and their journeys. Prioritise creating meaningful content to tell your employee stories in 2021.
Remote Culture
The global pandemic saw entire work forces switching to remote working at a moments notice. Businesses went from boardroom meetings, town halls and lunches together in the office to virtual meetings and reliance on communications platforms. Everyone did what they could to make the new world of work succeed. However, company culture was a victim in this shift to remote working. The energy and daily social interactions we all once had became online experiences and virtual connections.
This switch has caused engagement to be at an all time low. Many employers and HR leaders can agree that employee engagement and retention are at the top of their priority list. Maintaining a highly engaged & enthusiastic workforce is a critical part of keeping company culture alive and retaining top talent.
2021 will see people wanting to strike the balance of home life and work commitments so companies need to focus much more on improving employee experience. Investing in internal engagement and culture programs, mentoring programs and reward programmes should take priority for any company wishing to improve engagement, retention and employee happiness.
Takeaway: As remote work is here to stay, expect culture and organisational programmes to take priority in improving employee experience and keeping employees engaged.
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