HOW STRONG IS YOUR "GREAT EMPLOYER" BRAND?
In 1994, Microsoft decidedto do a brand awareness study. Specifically, the company wanted to know how many consumers knew Microsoft was the developer of Windows. As a Microsoft employee at that time, I remember thinking to myself what an incredible waste of money that was; I couldn’t imagine anyone not knowing Microsoft was the maker of Windows. It was, after all, our company’s flagship product. Well, I will tell you, the results surprised us all. First, less than 50 percent (a good amount less) knew that Microsoft was the maker of Windows. Not only that, one of our competitors scored almost as high in the question, “Who was the maker of Windows.”
I share this with you because everyone says Microsoft has an incredible brand, but the truth is, they too struggle in brand recognition. This month I want to talk about something that I believe is incredibly important to every HR professional: the need to build a great employer brand. A great employer brand sends a message to the masses that your company, above all others, is a great place to work.
Over the next five to seven years, there will be an immense struggle to attract and keep great people. Baby boomers will be retiring, and the upcoming wave of professionals is becoming less and less committed to long-term employment opportunities. The challenge won’t necessarily be in finding great people, but in finding great people who want to work for you.
In case you haven’t noticed, there is phenomenal fight for human attention today. Our world is getting faster, the information we need to keep up with is growing exponentially, and our traditional tools for communication (i.e. mail, phone, fax and e-mail) are being used and abused. On top of this, every employer says they are a “people” company, and you and I both know that some of these companies are lying! Employees don’t know what to listen to or where to find the truth. A great employer brand creates distinction. It creates a “pull” towards your business.
What are you doing to get your company to stand out and build your great employer brand? Do you have a strategy? Have you given it any thought? Let me share a few ideas that I feel are essential to building your brand.
Number one: Ask yourself why you like you. What is it that makes your business unique? What is it that makes your business distinctive? Write down your answers and then test them with others. Are these the kinds of things that people are looking for in employer? Ask others within the organization for their input. You need to build your company’s “eight second elevator pitch.” What are the characteristics of your business and how can you articulate them in a manner that strikes attention and hits the message home? Share your message with others within the organization. Start having everyone, from the CEO down, singing the same “great employer” tune. In my mind, this is a critical step, because if you don’t know why you like you, nobody else will either.
Number two: Create Employee “wow”! I am sure I will come back and write an entire column on this issue, but I also wanted to mention it now. Every employee has a set of core expectations when they are considering another company. Employees expect decent pay, honesty and integrity and to work for a company that cares. You don’t get any points for delivering in these areas because they are all basic expectations. Where you do get value, where you do create attention, where you do build brand is in delivering “wow” Giving employees the things they least expected. You likely have had a “wow” experience somewhere in your life, an experience where someone (or some company) did something you never expected and it made an immediate, life-long impression. When someone “wows” you, two things happen: you tell every one of your terrific experience, and you build immense loyalty to keeping that person or company in your life. Take a look around your business. What are you doing to “wow” your employees? What could you be doing? “Wow” makes an impression. It builds brand.
Number three: Armed with the knowledge you have built, get out and connect with people. Far too often, I see HR professionals taking a more reactive approach to marketing themselves and their companies (i.e. they are only out there when they absolutely need to be). Starting today you need to be out there building your brand, sharing your vision and creating a long list of future candidates. Whenever I speak to groups, I make a very powerful assertion that says, “I believe every great person I ever want to know is connected somewhere within my circle of influence.” I believe the same holds true for you. When you get out there to mix and mingle, however, be prepared to add value in every relationship you touch. You see, it is the value that you bring that will get others to open up and give value back to you. Ask yourself, who do you know that others might want to meet? What great lessons have you learned that others would like to learn too? What great expertise do you have that others want access to? Making a connection with others is a great way to build brand, so do it with the words you speak and the actions you take.
I opened this article talking about the incredible challenge that comes with building a brand. If it is a struggle at Microsoft, I can only imagine how difficult it must be for other organizations, including yours. Every one of us needs to find ways to stand out and create attention. We need to know why we like ourselves, we need to deliver a “wow” experience, and, finally we need to connect and communicate, not just with the employees we want today but, even more importantly, the ones we will need tomorrow.
