For HR Directors, leading a successful employer brand project is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent. An initiative like this involves not just a change in visual identity but a strategic transformation of how the company is perceived by current and potential employees.
This article outlines the key leadership behaviors, strategic problem-solving, and internal communication tactics needed to execute an effective employer branding project.1. Ideal Leadership Behaviors
Planning on leading an employer branding project? Take a moment to reflect on the important behaviors necessary to lead the brand transformation and emerge with a higher level of personal influence.
- Engagement: Leaders must fully commit to the branding initiative. This includes actively participating in defining the organization's employment identity and ensuring this vision is consistently applied across all touchpoints of the employee experience. It is going to take time and all the internal influence you have to see this through.
- Facilitating Healthy Dialogue: Transparent and inclusive communication is essential, especially when it involves feedback from employees. Prepare now to share insights and opportunities gleaned from qualitative and quantitative research. Successful leaders foster an environment of trust through active listening and intentional responding.
- Decisiveness: Leaders should efficiently synthesize feedback and make informed decisions assuring they align with the overarching goals of the project. Quick and clear feedback and decisions will be the number one factor in project success.
2. Solve the Right Problem
Identifying the core issues that an employer brand project needs to address is critical. This could involve enhancing the company's reputation as an employer, aligning the employer brand with the corporate brand, or addressing specific challenges in attracting and retaining talent. Aligning the project outcomes with the needs of key stakeholders can be accomplished through one-on-one meetings with operations, marketing, finance, and executive leaders. The HR Leaders Employer Branding Toolkit has some helpful resources to prep for those meetings.
3. Brand from the Top to the Bottom and the Inside Out
One employer did a survey after a rebrand and reported “75% of employees felt more proud of their brand than they did before.” That kind of impact comes from maximizing the communication and launch of the new employer brand. First getting it launched well internally and then externally.
Internal launch starts with the leaders.
- Executive Leadership: The CEO and his staff must be fully on board and participating in the communication. Careful involvement throughout the process will give them a good understanding of the strategic reasons behind the initiative, making it easier to champion where they have influence.
- HR and Recruiting Teams: These teams need a detailed understanding and training on the new employer brand. Workshops with your brand consultant are efficient ways to get the team educated and excited to ensure consistency in all their efforts. Teams will need updated recruitment materials, brand messaging guidelines, and reinforcing training sessions to align their efforts with the new brand strategy.
- All Staff: Communication of the new employer brand to all employees is where the new brand comes to life. This can be facilitated through internal presentations, workshops, and branded swag that help employees feel connected to the new brand identity.
After completing brand work and launching it internally, one client shared this with Matchstic: “Employees are even paying their own money to have the logo on various items like shirts, vests, jackets etc. We’re proud of the results so far!”
Key Takeaways
For HR Directors, leading an employer branding project is about much more than changing a logo or company colors. It’s about creating a renewed and compelling brand identity that resonates deeply with current and future employees. It can also be a stressful time in your career. Finding a partner to help you navigate the pitfalls and experience project efficiencies can make a transformative brand easier to obtain.
It’s time to take action.
- Set aside 15 minutes to self-assess your strengths and weaknesses going into an employer rebrand process.
- Write down what you personally want to achieve by successfully accomplishing a project like this.
- Request a copy of your corporate brand guidelines, if you don’t already have it and review.
- Write a list of internal stakeholders from the CEO to the Shipping Coordinator. What knowledge or encouragement will each of them need to fully embrace a new and more meaningful employer brand?
- Start a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) for finding a Brand Consultancy partner. Here is a generic RFP you can modify.
