Human resource branding can make or break an organization's brand. Involving HR in creating the organizational brand sends the right message to employees, who become part of the brand delivery process. Read on to discover how human resource branding works and its impact on your business's internal branding.
What Role Does HR Play In Internal Branding?
Internal branding aims to influence employees to think and behave in alignment with the organization's brand. Once employees embrace the organization's brand and values, they will carry on the brand's message through their interactions with visitors, customers, and the outside world.
The journey begins with human resources. HR kickstarts the brand process by recruiting the right people for every role within the company and retaining a high-performing workforce. Therefore, it's impossible for an organization to drive positive brand awareness without human resources.
Indeed, the marketing department can do a lot to advertise an organization's unique products and services. Still, employee engagement will provide the authenticity and vote of confidence that encourages customers to buy into the company's offer.
This supports the idea that employees are a business's biggest asset, so it's not surprising that human resource branding is the driving force behind every organization's brand.
Developing An HR Branding Strategy
There are several steps to keep in mind when developing the right HR branding strategy:
- Determine the goal. There are many reasons why companies want to establish HR branding, including attracting more talent and increasing employee engagement. Knowing the goal beforehand helps you stay on-brand throughout.
- Create a value proposition. An employee value proposition should sound attractive to potential and existing employees. A good employee value proposition considers compensation, benefits, work culture, training, and development, plus more.
- Evaluate the results. You can evaluate the results of your HR branding efforts by measuring them against your key performance indicators (KPIs). This lets you know if you're on track or if the approach needs improvement.
Implementing the right HR branding strategy helps with organizational branding in many ways. For instance, it enhances employee engagement, which encourages employees to be productive and spread the word about what makes the company such a good employer.
Earning a reputation of being the employer of choice comes with additional benefits, such as low turnover. High employee retention greatly supports growth as it's easier to attract talented candidates to fill in new roles instead of continuously filling the same roles. Ultimately, this increases profitability through better job performance and lower recruitment costs.
Three Human Resource Branding Examples
The following human resource branding examples help explain the different ways companies can establish a better brand name through their employees and by creating the perfect work environment.
Attracting and Onboarding The Right People
HR plays a crucial role in brand development by recruiting and attracting the right people. The right people blend well with the company culture and embrace the company's core values.
Employees with this trait will have no problem staying on brand when dealing with customers because they genuinely believe in the company's brand message. In addition, they are not only interested in the compensation and benefits, but they also value the overall work experience and feel connected to their job.
Retaining the Right People
Another instance where HR drives internal brand messaging is by retaining a talented workforce. So, it's not enough to recruit and hire talented candidates, but it's also about getting those people to stay. This is usually done through employee reward programs and training and development programs.
Top performers want to be recognized and rewarded, and all employees want the opportunity for growth. This reduces voluntary turnover rates and helps create a compelling and engaging employment brand.
Training and Coaching Employees
Attracting and onboarding employees who are in perfect tune with the organization's brand isn't always feasible, and that's where training and coaching come in.
Training and coaching will help employees adapt their behavior to match the company's mission, vision, values, and brand promise. That way, they can market the company's brand spontaneously when interacting with customers.
How Internal Human Resource Branding Can Be Used to Communicate The Right Message
There are many HR branding ideas that help organizations develop a reputable brand name. One of the most effective HR branding ideas is implementing employer branding, which is an indirect way of branding that involves employees at every stage. Through employment branding, HR can send the right signals and messages in the following ways.
Highlight How Unique Your Business Is
The HR department has the perfect opportunity to make the company outshine the competition by drafting an employee value proposition that entices and connects with potential employees while remaining true to the corporate and customer brand.
Your EVP is your best bet for defining your organization as a unique employer. It should focus not only on compensation but also on the overall work experience. To attract a younger and vibrant workforce, be sure to use engaging media, such as eye-catching slideshows and high-quality promotional video production.
Communicate Company Values
HR should never drop the ball when communicating company values to employees. So, words or phrases that align with the company's values should be used constantly in meetings, social media accounts, and job postings.
Using the right language consistently conveys the organization's mission, vision, and values so that employees know exactly what is expected of them. They will act accordingly, which creates a stronger brand value.
Advertises Exceptional Working Experience
HR has the power to provide employees with an exceptional working experience by establishing a smooth and employee-friendly onboarding process.
Creating a great employee experience also involves offering skills training and advancement opportunities. Overall, this sends the right message to employees, which fuels brand delivery from within.
Proves That Employees Are Valued
How does human resource branding send the message that employees are valued? This can be achieved by simply advertising your employees through attractive employee profiles on the company website.
Alternatively, you can also include employees in the company's narratives. This extends your brand's reach by bringing positive attention to your employer brand.
The Importance of Human Resource Internal Branding
In a nutshell, human resource branding is one of the best ways to stay afloat in a competitive market. It benefits organizations by helping attract and retain top talent. It also boosts employee motivation and engagement.
By working hard to become an "employer of choice," organizations enjoy the most significant benefit of them all, which is improved financial performance.
