A good employer brand is like Rome: It can’t be built in a day. It’s a long but rewarding journey from the whiteboard to the hearts of your employees. In the following steps we’ll give you an overview of how we can help you to develop an employer brand. Each step sounds simple and logical, but believe us, it also takes courage to walk this path. We promise it’ll pay off in the end.
Developing a strong brand image begins with a careful analysis of the market and your firm’s initial position. We start by examining the self-image of a company and comparing it to the desired market perceptions and associations. To gather this information we like to meet with our clients in-person, free-of-charge, discussing different ideas and ultimately defining a common vision.
After our initial meeting we’ll send you a positioning questionnaire with detailed questions. These can be answered individually or in your management team (It could even be beneficial for everyone to fill out their own sheet). Then we’ll evaluate every detail of your responses and compare them to the statements made in our introductory meeting. This allows us to prepare for our branding workshop and introduces you to some of the topics we’ll discuss, even if only superficially.
To clearly define where and how you will appear as an employer brand requires extensive research. We’ll compare facts and figures, define target groups and analyze their habits, needs, motivations, customs, etc. We’ll also look at your competitors, analyze their strengths and weaknesses and your relationship vis-à-vis them.
Once we’ve assembled the necessary background knowledge of your company and industry we’ll hold a workshop to define your brand’s core values. To do this we’ll dive deep into the company’s internal makeup: the working atmosphere and leadership relationships; the work-life balance and the compatibility of family and career; the overall working conditions and social benefits; the development and training opportunities for employees. We’ll look at where we can improve and which USP’s we find that we can take with us in this process.
We’ve been to class and listened to the lecture but we still have to do our homework and study for the test. It’s the same after a good workshop. We have good ideas but they need to be evaluated and checked for feasibility. They must be precisely tailored to the our target groups. And what about your market companions? What are they particularly good at? Does anyone have the same USP’s? (If so, they’re no longer unique) And what weaknesses do your competitors possess that we can exploit with our solutions?
By this stage we’ve identified an approach that can be long-lasting, emotionally impactful and appealing to each of our target groups. We’ve identified your Unique Selling Propositions and clarified them to be easily perceptible. We’ll meet to clarify and/or adjust any necessary points of the plan because successful implementation is only possible if you and your management team are fully committed. We’re not blindly implementing some kind of marketing hocus-pocus, but positioning your company with a strong employer brand and successfully counteracting the shortage of skilled workers in the long term.
Now that the fundamentals for employer branding have been established we’ll work with you to develop internal and external process descriptions, core messages, slogans and unique selling points for a strong, active and enduring employer brand. Your brand values will be described more clearly in greater detail and translated into concrete competencies, behaviours and skills. We’ll help you define the emotions associated with your company as an employer and ensure they meet the basic needs of potential employees. Together we’ll craft the promises future employees will receive from you as an employer.
No plan, no matter how great, will not work if it is not implemented. This is a common pitfall. We know what challenges to expect and, together with your management team, will get your employees on board. It’s not enough for employees to understand the vision and values of the company cognitively, they must feel it emotionally. Suitable employees will be selected to become Brand Ambassadors, given additional training in brand-compliant behavior and, if necessary, in technical aids. Good PR will accompany the adjustment of internal communication methods and recruitment efforts will be converted to the new strategy.
We all recognize the tendency to fall into old patterns. New diet plans, workout regimens, sleep routines... After a few weeks it’s easy to revert to previous routines. It’s no different with building an employer brand. Luckily there are processes that can help us continue on the path to creating a strong employer brand. We’ll help you oversee the process by monitoring clear outcomes. Has the number of qualitatively satisfactory applications for a position increased? Were more employees taken on after the probationary period? Has turnover been reduced? What are we doing particularly well? And where do we need to make adjustments?
What does a successful employer brand look like? We can measure the success of employer branding by looking at developments in the workplace atmosphere: Declining numbers of sick days; Good employees not only staying with the firm but bringing other good employees with them; The number of unsolicited applications increasing and the company image growing; The company becoming as important a place for your workforce as it is for you; Your employees working together as a team for the good of the company.. That’s what we call success.
Regardless of whether you’re just beginning to build your employer brand or looking to fine-tune your existing employer brand, we’re here to help. Take the opportunity to get to know us.
Tel.: +4964392299078
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