Have you ever considered that a brand not only communicates externally, but also within the company?

The best minds go for the strongest brand

For many companies, a strong brand is an important tool for implementing necessary changes with both management and the organization. Employees are often concerned with their own position and status, and therefore the company they work for and the position they hold become part of their own identity. It can be said that the company's brand means a lot to the employee's social status and position. The brand of one's own employer thus becomes part of one's own identity. Therefore, one refers to oneself with pride in the connection one has with the company.

In fact, employees who identify with their employer are four times more loyal than those who are less positive about their employer, according to a study conducted for MetLife, one of the largest insurance companies in the United States.

But what is it that makes companies where employees strongly identify with the brand also perform better than other companies in terms of business goals such as top-line growth, profitability and also the development of value on the stock exchange?

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It's about creating a clear organizational culture. The 2020 Career Barometer shows that Norwegian students are looking for employers with a strong reputation, a clear culture and an inspiring personality.

Let's use the brand as a benchmark for what is expected of employees. What is our common level of ambition, what is expected of me? Most people like to work in companies that do well. But it's too much too far if it's the employees who have to define what's good enough. Here, management must be skilled at communicating goals and visions for the company to employees. Those who manage to communicate the brand message all the way to part-time employees and temporary workers are the ones who win. It doesn't help that owners and management know the values, culture and identity if the employees don't also work with this in mind in their everyday lives.

If a brand communicates at a world-class level, this is a clear signal that most people understand. Such a brand also attracts the very sharpest minds among us. If you as a person do not have the same ambition or cannot show equally good results, you usually do not fit into this work culture. The chance of employment is also small. We can say that the brand helps to define what our level of ambition is and therefore plays an important role as a benchmark for the work that is done. Pride in your own work and the company's brand stimulates the individual to stretch a little further.

For many businesses, it will be crucial to be able to evaluate the branding work and highlight the values that are created. Measuring the effort of the work with employer branding can in some cases be challenging. But simple measures such as the number of applicants for positions and how long employees have been working in the business are classic and good methods that are often used. We think that the best ways to measure how successful the business is in the labor market are something that makes it all more personal. Something that reveals not only history, but also the future. Therefore, an important question can be whether you would recommend one of your friends to apply for a job in the company you work for.

"Would you recommend one of your friends to apply for a job at the company you work for?"

Many companies would probably be worried about the results if all employees were asked this question. The fact is that only 2 out of 5 would say that their workplace is a great place to work. The question is still so important and simple that it should be asked regularly. That doesn't mean that everyone should have a great time at work every day. As you know, there will be periods that are demanding and difficult for many throughout the year. That's part of the job. But it is precisely during such periods that it is important that employees benefit from belonging to a strong corporate culture that communicates the value of effort, problem-solving and the employee's will to continue and achieve goals. And not least, a corporate culture that has a strategy for retaining and cultivating talent in employees.

Checklist

When was the last time you consciously worked on employer branding to attract the most attractive employees?
How do you ensure that all employees know the vision, values, and goals of the business?
When was the last time you surveyed how many of your employees would actually recommend your business to their friends and acquaintances?