Archive for human resources
Employment Branding and being different
I have read countless articles and blogs about employment branding and although many of them address definition and support very few actually talk about real solutions. The challenges that most companies face today is creating that image of stability and security all while trying to grow their business, and attract the best talent.
Is there a right approach? What can you do to truly separate your company from the rest and define yourself as the employer of choice? These are the questions you should be asking right now. Research is the key and no matter what you offer if it is the same as the next guy are you really different, or just along for the ride? I have always recommended that no matter what you do to establish your employer brand make sure that you are not doing the same thing as everyone else, your just wasting your time. This is a special time in our economy and whether you like it or not, now is the time to break free from the pact and make your mark.
The only rules are the ones that you create for you and your employees. Be different, be innovative, and be bold. If you are going against the grain that may be just what the doctor ordered. Today people get bored with the same old thing so why provide it. You can be different in many ways to establish your employment brand through changes in the perceived work psychology, remember you can be different. These differences attract the best people to work for you. Just look at Google! My advice for you today is simple stop making excuses because you think it should be a certain way it shouldn’t, don’t limit yourself, and don’t assume it will not work because nobody else is doing it. The creative ideas to define yourself as the employer of choice are endless but you have to put those thoughts into action.
Employment Branding now is the time
Branding your image as the best place to work right now can be a powerful weapon in the war for talent. You have to be bold and innovative but with the right approach you can seize market share now.
The absolute best time to get the best people is now but you need to define yourself and I am not talking about just words, I am talking action. Any recruiter or human resources manager can type up a compelling statement that reflects your company as a great place to work but once that transaction has taken place if you are not ready to reflect those statements you are just wasting your time and possibly damaging your reputation. To truly come up with a plan of action during an economic slow down you must be willing to make investments in shaping a recruiting model that provides excellent employer value propositions and a workforce plan that incorporates it.
Employer value propositions are a tough sell unless they have value to the employee or candidate. The best EVP has choices not limitations gaining popularity based on you’re flexibility as an employer of choice. A good example would be professional development. If you are offering tuition reimbursement for continuing education in a related field, than add tuition assistance for any undergraduate and graduate program. This can guarantee long term employment with your company. A high attrition rate and vacancies can impact productivity which costs money, the investment is worth it. The value of a few good EVP’s can go along way in attracting the people that you want, especially during an economic slowdown.
The problem right now is a lot of companies are risking loosing talent by freezing any hiring and limiting valuable benefits. Is this the right move? Yes and no, of course some companies cannot make those large investments, so what are they to do? The answer is good leadership and relationships with their employees. A good employment branding plan always incorporates good management that fosters positive relationships. In other words you have a good boss. The value of flexibility has gained a lot of popularity over the past few years as well, allowing employees the benefit of controlling their schedules. A performance based model judges your employees based on results, not time spent sitting at their desk looking like they are working. The future of our workforce will be spending more time away from the office and for those industries that can provide this option to their employees will see increased productivity, which will have a far reaching impact on business as a whole. My point is simple, be bold, be daring, and pave the way for the future of your company by giving what is not being given, listening when nobody is listening, and providing certainty when nothing seems certain. They will come!
Employer Value Propositions That Have Value, PART II
In part II of this blog post I wanted to discuss some tips and trends to give your employer value proposition value. In my previous post I mentioned the importance of getting to know what your employees want through communication. I am willing to bet that the preponderance of your employees would agree that quality of life issues are high on their list.
Here is a short list of ideas that would qualify as valuable EVP’s
ROWE (results only work environment) judging you on performance not attendance.
Telecommuting for non-essential office personnel, this coincides with ROWE.
Recognition and rewards programs for superior performance
CEO open door policy and senior management
Career Counseling, (find out what your employees goals are and help them get there)
Most of these programs that I mentioned are fairly common but how many are you using? Are you promoting them to your employees, recruiting tools? The best way to get feedback on a specific EVP is to monitor its participation. If they are not using it get rid of it and replace it with something better. I have never been a fan of web based assessments or surveys, put a team together and get involved. Attitude is everything when you are putting together an EVP system and when you show your employees how important it is they will feel the value it immediately.
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