With more competition for employees, how your company is perceived as an employer is more important than ever. Businesses become employers of choice through solid leadership, comprehensive total rewards, engaged workers, and a company culture that employees believe in and are excited to be part of.
Three actionable tactics can help your organization to strategically build your employer brand, so you can attract and retain workers.
- Invest in your employees’ professional and personal growth. Research shows that job opportunity and job security are major drivers of retention. Additionally, productivity increases and stress is reduced for workers with higher job security. Strive to create a great work environment that responds to fundamental employee needs. Linking a person’s professional and personal growth to company performance and customer satisfaction will also drive employee engagement.
- Pair job security with comprehensive benefits to strengthen your employer brand. Your company will be viewed more favorably when you help employees manage life’s challenges. You may consider benefits like flexible schedules, childcare, medical insurance, housing needs, and financial benefits. Your team may need to design unique tactics to pay livable wages and tap into these intangibles that motivate workers, but the investment will prove worthwhile.
- Build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture evidenced in company policies, management philosophies, and procedures. Employee well-being takes priority in your inclusive environment where all individuals feel welcome, respected, and valued. Train your leadership to actively pursue employee feedback about the company using employee surveys, focus groups, and one-on-one conversations to improve their workplace experience.
When successful organizations create workforce competence strategies, it also motivates investments in continuous improvement and technology. This helps the organization to remove barriers for potential employees, and it ultimately reduces turnover and attracts more job applicants.
Implementing the actionable items above must be done in a way that resonates with your employees and doesn’t just ”check the box.” Start today to strengthen your workforce competitive advantage, employer brand, and growth potential.
For more information, contact Brenda Martin at bkmartin@iastate.edu or 515-570-5282.