Trends in employer branding (second part)
In the first text we defined what the employer branding was, while in the previous one we made an introduction to the tendencies in this same sphere, emphasizing the relevance of the employees as brand ambassadors and equalizing the employee value proposition (EVP) with the employee experience (EX)
We will now explain them in more detail.
Employee engagement – the accent goes from the company to people
Authenticity and personalized campaigns are the way to distinguish yourself from the others in digital era. Therefore, employee’s stories are used as one of the key tactics in employer branding strategy. These stories can be presented in the form of photo or video testimonials. These are some of the examples we have done for Philip Morris and Coca-Cola Hellenic.
The results are:
– Gaining the trust of the community based on personal shared experience of an employee;
– Humanizing the image of the company, because every organization is after all consisted of people;
– Additional engagement and employee integration. This is a win-win situation: the company gets ambassadors and employees feel as its important part.
Employee engagement – mechanisms
How to motivate employees to get involved? These are some of our recommendations:
– Form a team within a company which would deal with creating and collecting contents from employees
– Through focus groups and workshops – find out what company values are most appreciated by your employees, and collect ideas from them
– Engaging employees in interesting projects or socially responsible campaigns – in order for them to be a part of bigger goal
– Encourage them to tell their story – to be come, as David Bowie said “Heroes for one day”. We talked about this when we mentioned testimonials.
– Organizing contests and competitions
– Setting up the so –called Instagram traps (props, interesting places for photographing)
From words…
Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is supposed to be the beginning of employer branding strategy and the content source that we will place.
Among other things, the EVP contains a set of tangible and intangibles values and benefits that the employer offers to employees (salary, compensations, benefits, promotion opportunities…). It would be ideal if this document represents the organization’s uniqueness in relation to the competition. This document is distributed to employees in different forms (as a video, printed document, presentation, even in the form of a game) in order for them to get to know the company better, and some parts of the EVP should also be communicated through the official channels of the employer.
Photo 1: The example of Baby benefit program that has been promoted through official Facebook page of the company
To actions…
Employee Experience (EX) is the sum of the employee’s entire experience through his interaction with organization in which he is working. It is every employee’s interaction, from the moment of his first contact with the recruiter, to the last interaction after the termination of employment. In other words, as (potential) employee would see it: coming from home to work and back, how he experiences the place in which he works, whether he is comfortable with working atmosphere, etc.
The employer can design it and in some ways control it, and it should be in accordance with the EVP. In practice this means that if your company practices family-friendly culture, you will not organize happy hour on weekends or after working hours, but you will for example, organize Family day.
Ideally, EX is displayed through User Generated Content (UGC) or through campaigns in which a company displays what it looks like to work in it. Here you can see one EX campaign that we have conducted for the needs of the Coca-Cola Hellenic company.
Photo 2: The example of UGC created by the member of organization.
Do not be discouraged, this does not mean that the company should provide dream working conditions – but that the promises listed in the EVP are reduced to relevant and valid.
Continue to follow us, next is the branding of an employer on social networks, and at any moment, you can write us for potential cooperation.
