The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that over 47 million employees left their positions last year – a record breaking number. Deemed the “Great Resignation”, this phenomenon has altered the way employers must attract and retain employees forever.
In particular, the Great Resignation highlights the importance of employer branding. Employer branding is how organizations portray themselves to the world around them including the community, clients, customers and potential employees.
Though some employees switched careers completely, many were simply looking for positions that fit better with their personal goals, needs, and values – such as jobs with greater work/life balance or that have less toxicity (see this article).
As job candidates do their research on your company, you face the challenge of exemplifying company culture and other attractive attributes to an external audience – that is, developing and maintaining your employer brand. Given the internet rules the world, it’s vital to have at least a webpage that showcases current employees; a clear organizational vision, mission and core values; and a sneak peak of what the company culture is really like.
Of course, employer branding is much more than that, but this is a great place to start. To show you what I’m talking about, below are three organizations rocking the employer branding game.
Hubspot
It’s clear via Hubspot’s website that company culture is important to them. They have a dedicated career page with statements about the work environment and even took it a step further by developing a “Culture Code”. This 128 page culture code not only details the approach Hubspot takes to the work environment, it also sets expectations for current and future employees by acting as an employee handbook. Plus, the tagline at the top of the page reads “Let’s grow together” – who wouldn’t like that!
Home Depot
Did you know that they go above and beyond to meet the needs of employees? According to their website, “ From support for you, your family and your pets, to performance bonuses and discounts on things from cellphones to childcare, taking care of our people is a job we do well.” Small statements dedicated to treating employees well and providing value go a long way. Plus, they showcase real employees on their website, which adds a ton of authenticity and insight into their hiring practices.
Netflix
The first statement on Netflix’s careers page is “Our core philosophy is people over process.” It’s simple but impactful. From there you can go to a page dedicated entirely to their vision, mission, values and goals for the culture. Though the page is a bit lengthy, it does send the message that Netflix has put deep thought into defining how they want the work environment to be. Their page communicates autonomy, empowerment, and innovation, amongst other things.
Once you’ve got your webpage up, follow through on your promises. This means ingraining company culture into your organizational systems so culture bleeds into everything you do. By doing so, you’ll increase engagement, productivity and retention.
To help you on your journey, we’re hosting a Culture Forward webinar series. We’ll showcase all of our tips and tricks for creating an awesome company culture. The first webinar is on September 14th at 11am PST and we’ll focus on your recruiting and hiring strategy, which will of course include some employer branding tips.
We’d love to see you there. Click here to register.
For now, start thinking about how you want potential – and current – employees to see your organization!
Onward,
Rebecca & The Civility Partners Team
