Businesses that have a great employer brand can attract and retain the best talent and generally have a positive working culture. For larger organisations and companies, great employer brands can translate fiscally. Looking at Channel 7 as an example, not only has the company suffered from a weak employer brand and unsavoury culture, it’s also been battered in the share market over the last 12 months. From claims of a masochistic and toxic culture to inappropriate relationships at the most senior levels of the company, it has a long way to go to creating a strong employer brand.

So what are the steps that should be followed to create a great employer brand?

1. The first step is to gauge how your current employees feel about the culture. The best way to do this is to design a confidential online survey (through a medium such as Mailchimp). Gill Buchanan from theundercoverrecruiter.com suggests that employees should be asked questions related to what they like about working for the business, what they would do to improve it and how it compares to other businesses they have worked for. This type of feedback is invaluable in trying to gauge the strengths and weaknesses of the culture and how to shape the key messages for both internal and external purposes.
2. The next step is using the survey information to try and hone in on areas to improve within the business. Results can be ranked and rated in terms of complexity to address and significance to change. Most importantly, keep your employees abreast of the results of the survey and your plans to improve areas of weakness. This will do wonders for your employer brand internally (it will give you credibility) and your employees will love that you are taking their feedback seriously. Then make the changes and re-assess how your employees feel about the business in 12 months – has the dial moved?
3. Buchanan suggests finding and telling great employee stories. What are employee stories? Find the ways that you have helped employees develop as a person, how you have supported and grown their career and the value they provide to the business. It’s important to celebrate great employee stories internally and externally, as required. This might mean adding strong employee stories to your newsletter or intranet or to your company LinkedIn page or social media channels.

Want more support on how to create a great employer brand? Speak to the HR Consulting team at Flexi Personnel.