Take a leaf out of this employer branding strategy!

Today, every child in the Netherlands is walking around with insect stickers on their arms, and tomorrow, their mothers will be back to collecting tiny stamps to scrape together a special dinner set. By collecting and sticking, we all remain loyal customers to that one retail chain, and that was exactly the point.

But what about your employees? Are you pulling out all the stops to ensure your employees stay loyal to you? If not, it’s probably a good idea to develop and implement an employer branding strategy.

What is employer branding?

Have you heard of employer branding? Not yet? Here is the definition!

Employer branding refers to the way you position your company or organization in the market. And not for potential customers, but for potential employees!

What are the benefits of employer branding?

Right now, a lot of money is being poured into recruiting new employees. ‍Flashy media campaigns, job fairs, full-page ads—the list goes on. We are genuinely thinking about onboarding to help brand-new employees settle in well. This is very smart in the current labor market, where applicants have to be searched for with a magnifying glass.

But be careful not to put all your energy into bringing in new talent while your existing employees quietly drift away. Instead, come up with interesting "loyalty stamps" to make your experienced, long-term staff fans of your company—and keep them that way. Because that is the real foundation of rock-solid employer branding!

In this blog, we discuss our employer branding roadmap, a strategy to help you attract and retain employees.

Employer branding roadmap

1. Step 1 - Vitamin A

The roadmap for any employer branding strategy starts quite simply with one thing: attention. Let’s call it Vitamin A. A sincere conversation about how someone is doing does more than a few extra bucks on their salary. Human attention, that is. If there is enough of that in your company, you are already well on your way.

‍It is important, however, that these shots of Vitamin A are administered regularly and in generous doses—not just when they join, but throughout their employment and even when they leave.

That first checkmark isn't actually that exciting. After all, applicants are welcomed with fanfare, hugged, and well-informed these days. The real trick is to pay attention to the people who keep your business running during the other two phases of their employment as well. Make your company such a great place to work that they wouldn't even dream of applying elsewhere.

2. Step 2 - Take your time

During their employment, it is essential to make time to get to know your employees. ‍It sounds obvious, but it too often falls by the wayside due to the daily grind. Do it anyway: regularly grabbing a coffee with an employee for half an hour is often enough, and it yields great results.

If you engage in conversation with attention and trust, you will know what drives, motivates, and makes the other person happy.

A great foundation for a long and successful career within the company. The employee feels heard and seen. In fact, they actually are heard and seen.

3. Step 3 - Surprise them every now and then

‍‍Every now and then, go the extra mile for your employees to show them that you truly value and see them. This only strengthens your employer branding strategy.

Below are some typical employer branding examples that will always be well-received:

• Successfully completed a project? Bring in cake and say out loud that you are proud of your team!
• Survived an office move? Put a small plant on every desk with a personal note attached.
• Is someone going through a tough time at home? Send flowers with a heartfelt message.
• Had a period of high workload due to understaffing? A sauna voucher for everyone!
• Earned a degree after a lot of hard work? Put up some streamers and chill a bottle of bubbly.

Honestly, it doesn't have to be grand or dramatic. As long as there is a positive element of surprise.

It does wonders for the work atmosphere and loyalty. These kinds of gems get talked about at networking events or pop up spontaneously on Facebook with enthusiastic reactions. Top-tier employer branding!

3. Step 4 - Think about growth opportunities

Just because an employee has been with you for a while doesn't mean you can slack off. Quite the opposite! Ensure that the work is and remains interesting, and provide the necessary support. Think along with your employees regarding growth opportunities and training needs.‍‍

This could be a multi-year training program, but online e-learning can also work very well and be deployed flexibly. Don't be afraid to look beyond job-specific skills. A course on mindfulness or personal effectiveness can give an employee just the boost they need to stay balanced and make the right choices.

Also, don't forget to invest in a good workspace: quality furniture, proper lighting, and a quiet work environment are excellent ways to reduce absenteeism.

Read here how you can invest in the right workspace when hybrid working is the norm. ‍

4. Step 5 - Be flexible

Step five is about a personal approach. Be mindful of the life stage your employee is in. A young family requires attention at different times than the standard nine-to-five pattern. A caregiver may sometimes need to accompany a loved one to the hospital at short notice or might need a breather. And someone who has just returned from long-term illness may need more time to get back up to speed.

Make it a topic of conversation and be a little flexible; it will pay for itself tenfold later. Of course, you don't need to be as flexible as a contortionist; we are still talking about an employment relationship. When you make agreements, you can expect the other party to keep them.

5. Step 6 - Say goodbye properly

If it does come to the point where employees leave, don't view the exit interview as a waste of time. If you have a good, professional conversation with your departing employee, you will often gain a wealth of information in return.

Aside from unresolved old grievances that can no longer be addressed, frustrations, criticism, and questions can be brought to the table in an open atmosphere and turned into learning points for the organization. Also, see an exit interview as an opportunity to part ways with dignity. Wrap it up with flowers and a warm dinner with colleagues so that the person leaves the building with a good feeling.

Read more offboarding tips here!

Employer branding in a nutshell

‍In short: with enough vitamin A, your employees become more productive, more creative, and above all, enthusiastic about their work. By following this step-by-step plan, you will almost naturally create an organization that buzzes with job satisfaction. An organization where employees head to work every day full of energy. And where there is no longer a shortage of new talent.

Want to know more about social media & employer branding? Read more here.