Do you consider your workforce the living, physical, representation of your brand? Your clients are likely to first interact with your people before they gain a sense of loyalty to the company’s brand. This means brand establishment, through the development of a strong company culture, is in fact of utmost importance.
Some companies are faced with a situation where there is a disconnect between the organisation’s brand and the key players who promote and develop that brand. The company’s culture, values and practices are all people based, as should the brand be viewed. The way employees are treated and considered greatly affect not only their perspective of the organisation but other stakeholders as well.
How can your brand affect the recruitment and selection process? From a recruitment and selection perspective this becomes exceedingly important. The role of a recruitment agency is not only to satisfy the needs of clients but also to satisfy the needs of potential employees. When a prospective employee comes into contact with your organisation they should feel that your company is the one they would like to work for.
It is important to define what you want out of an employee. Figure out what your company stands for and how you would like your organisation to be represented through your employees. The mere design of your interview process creates an impact on interviewees. This is likely to then be translated to others- think of how quickly news travels via word of mouth! The interviewer’s questions, mannerisms and interactions should be a demonstration of the company’s culture. For example, a formal interview process would reflect just that, the sense of a more structured organisational design. Conversely, a less formal interview process could indicate an organisational design which is more “relaxed”.
Proper practices and healthy engagements secure your reputation and image. Using recruitment as a tool for brand promotion can work to your benefit once properly managed, designed and implemented. This brand investment goes beyond the recruitment process and, as mentioned earlier, it is your workforce that embodies that meaningful brand. As such, investing in brand programmes throughout the employee’s life cycle is worth it. Recent global study by Havas Media1 on meaningful brands highlighted that companies with strong brands outperform the market by 120%. With this in mind, investing in your company culture and developing a meaningful employer brand programme will not only reduce your risk of employees misrepresenting your company but also attract and retain the best suited talent to drive your business. 1 Havas Media Meaningful Brands study 2013. Research on 700 brands, over 134,000 consumers in 23 countries; the study outlines the direct relationship between the level of consumer attachment and a brand’s Meaningful Brand Index (MBi) score.
By Karen Lee Yuen
Client Relationship Manager, Eve Anderson Recruitment Limited