Extract from “How Employer BrandingCan Foster Trust and Loyalty”

A brand is made up of intangibles – perceptions, feelings and associations that exist in one’s state of mind. The ultimate goal of any branding effort is to create a loyal customer. In the case of employer branding, that customer is the employee.

A brand is not a product, service, factory or corporate entity. These are tangible. A brand should promise not just a functional benefit, but a proposition of intrinsic value. A good brand definition should represent the essence of a company or product, what makes it special to all people who are somehow involved in its business – external and internal customers.

It is human nature to want to belong, to feel part of the big picture at work. The key to successful branding is to establish this bond of trust with the customer. Workers want this emotional relationship, to perceive and feel that their company means something really special to them, something to be proud of, to trust, to remain an enthusiastic participant for a long time. A recent Harris poll indicated that 77% of respondents aged 21-35 defined success as “finding a company where you want to work for a long time”.

The brand essence should summarize what the brand stands for, becoming the nucleus for product development, all communications and even HR initiatives for employees. Its definition should also be consistent with the corporate vision/mission and values. A good example of a brand description is Volvo: “style, driving pleasure and superior ownership experience while celebrating human values and respecting the environment.” Volvo’s values and associations reflecting this brand identity are what are considered to be typically Scandinavian – e.g. “nature, security and health, human values, elegant simplicity, creative engineering and the spirit of stylish/innovative functionality”.

For Volvo, this description not only mirrors the psycho-graphic profile of the ideal customer for their cars, but also summarizes what Volvo as a company means to all its workers -- its employer brand. These are intrinsic values that Volvo workers can relate to, what they believe in and why they feel comfortable making a commitment to their jobs. One can easily visualize the types of HR programs that would inspire a sense of pride and re-enforce these intangibles – e.g. nature, health, security and other meaningful human values.

The company/product brand essence becomes the core of the employer brand, which is then embellished for its immediate target audience of the internal workforce. It should contain values and promises that are especially pertinent to the interests of employees. Simon Barrow, who is president of a successful consulting firm in London that specializes in employer branding services, People in Business Ltd., created this concept in 1990 when he switched from brand marketing at Colgate to the HR world. He uses the definition for the employer brand from the Ambler and Barrow London Business School: “the package of benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company - in effect, the combination of factors that will differentiate you as an employer and shape the perceptions of past, present and future employees”.

The particular promise that distinguishes this relatively new employer branding approach is the last, the psychological or emotional benefits. Employees should be able to identify with their company’s reputation, believe that they can empower its values, and interpret the company brand’s promises as an expectation of performance. These feelings will reinforce a sense of trust and integrity for both sides. In short, employees and management must all “live the brand”.

Pre-requisites for Successful Employer Branding

Employer branding can significantly enhance the pride, trust and loyalty of a work force, which will pay dividends with a greater performance, but only if this discipline is developed and implemented prudently:

1. Core Brand Definition – it starts with a clear statement of the brand essence for a company which reflects the corporate vision and values. At the same time, a careful evaluation of what matters most to employees, their perception of what the core brand stands for, the values associated with it, and their expectations will help create an employer brand description that is relevant and inspirational.

2. Senior Management Involvement – employer branding simply won’t work without the genuine, visible support of the CEO. They should “live the brand” as well, and become credible role models for the same values.

3. Alignment with Corporate Strategy – loyalty based relationships formed with employees should be shaped to deliver on brand promises that are consistent with overall corporate goals, and are uniform across all departments and subsidiaries.

4. Empowerment of the Workers – a detailed employer branding blueprint for new HR and communications initiatives, including recruitment and retention programs, should specify responsibilities and accountabilities of key employees.

5. Ongoing Measurement and Recognition – clear milestones, performance standards, incentives, and channels for feedback are essential for success.

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