For most business owners, recruiting the right people and implementing good HR practices is all about the bottom line and about how these new employees will perform. And while remains the main reason why you want to do great recruitment and HR, in the modern world, being a smart employer is also a way to build a brand and promote it.
Consider this, many job seekers often have a list of companies that they would like to work for. This is driven by the brand’s reputation which makes it attractive to job seekers and customers. Employees are brand ambassadors so, when you treat them right, they will be proud to work for you and sell your brand.
Here is how you can build a great brand through great recruitment and HR practices.
Skills and Great Performance
At the core of every great brand is the performance. Brands need to deliver on their promises in order to become something more than just a fleeting phenomenon.
In order to deliver, every company will need as many great employees, and the way to get them is through recruiting. This is really the most obvious and direct way in which good recruiting builds a brand – through an employee base which will do great work and stay with the company. Of course, it is the job of the HR to keep such great employees happy to contribute to the brand, as well as stay with the company. Grow your brand by recruiting the right people and keeping them happy and you will never have to worry about your brand’s growth. Like Richard Branson always says “Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers.”
Here is how to get the best talent in the market.
At the same time, create growth opportunities and help employees achieve their goals. They will stay motivated and keep performing well. It is not enough to bring on board the best if you are not willing to create growth opportunities. Motivated employees constantly improve their performance and are proud of the brand.
Brand Ambassadors
Everywhere you look these days, you will hear and read about brand ambassadors being an essential part of the brand experience and there is definitely something to it. Brand ambassadors are people who are so engaged with a company’s brand that they cannot help but do everything in their power to spread the good word about it.
In the beginning, brand ambassadors were genuine, “natural” ones who promoted certain brands because they liked them and because they wanted the world to know about them. Over time, like everything else, brand ambassadors turned into a profession, with people effectively selling their (mainly online) influence to promote a certain brand.
Today, as most leading brand developers will agree, the best brand ambassadors for any company will be its employees. Since most people are online 24/7 these days, it is highly likely that they will talk about their jobs too. If they work for someone who they like and if their jobs are enjoyable, they will present such a company in a positive light to other people.
If you do your recruitment the smart way and identify the people who will not only be perfect for the position but also involved with the brand, you will be hiring yourself more than just workers. They will be people who will promote your brand too. Their passion and commitment to the brand will endear your brand to clients and help you grow. Your employees represent your brand so if they are not happy, your customers will not be happy and you are headed for bad days.
The Importance of Doing Good
Millennials have long become the most important market for most companies and their brands. One of the things millennials are really serious about is the wish to make the world a better place, either through charity or social programs that are envisioned to help the less fortunate.
As a result, every brand that wishes to become successful with millennials needs to convey a message that they are involved too. In recruitment, this should entail hiring a diverse staff or getting involved in equal employment programs. In addition, this might include making social and environment awareness one of the subjects that are touched upon during the interview process.
When HR is in question, it is a well-known fact that the HR people are usually responsible for organizing various charity events and initiatives in their companies. With a bit of marketing savvy, these initiatives can become another way of promoting your brand. The catch is, your brand must sincerely want to do good otherwise, insincerity can bring you down and millennials will not want to be associated with you.
Listen to Your Employees
When recruiting, the HR asks potential a set of questions to ascertain how well the candidate’s skills match the job and how well the person fits within the company’s culture. The recruitment process should help you get the best employees who will not only do a good job but also fit within the organization’s culture so that they can work comfortably.
In the same breadth, the management must be willing to listen to employees. A listening employer comes across as being caring and approachable, something that makes employees not feel like robots. They want to contribute to the company’s growth and this gives them ownership of the brand. When employees take ownership, they will most likely promote the brand and drive growth through personal efforts.
In short, one must never forget about their brand when recruiting or handling human resources within their company. In fact, these might become branding tools that will help a company rise above the competition. It will also cut your recruitment budget as you will be able to keep the best on board.
All it takes is a bit of care.
