Research shows a staggering 85% of employees are not engaged in the workplace. Whether it’s due to boredom, a lack of incentive or insufficient communication, these workers are unengaged and assumably unsatisfied. What can organizations do to improve the employee experience? It can start with enriching the company’s internal brand.
Developing a trustworthy and reputable brand is a serious challenge, to say the least. It takes time, money and often ingenuity. Companies can’t afford to let that work go to waste by neglecting how the brand is communicated and connected to employees, otherwise known as internal branding. To do this, all team members should be shown the company cares about them. They need to know the brand’s values, what sets it apart and how invested it is in its purpose. The result can be a stronger brand built from the inside out, as well as a more appealing company culture.
Good branding can also increase employee loyalty and retention. When individuals feel connected to their work, they are more devoted to the company. Such loyal employees are up to 300% more productive. What’s more, organizations with engaged personnel experience 50% higher customer loyalty when compared to ones with disengaged workers.
Internal branding plays a big part not only in how current employees feel about a company, but how potential ones do as well. In fact, 60% of job seekers are looking to choose a company based on their own personal beliefs and values. If the company is out of tune with them, they are likely to turn away. A lack of insight into the organization’s values is also detrimental. A top obstacle applicants report in the process is not knowing what it’s like to work at the organization they are looking to join.
What can recruiters do to overcome these challenges? Believe it or not, a lot of it comes down to improving internal branding. When employees feel they’re a part of something they hold in high regard, they do more to promote it. Organizations could use this to their benefit and mold team members into brand ambassadors through strong internal brand campaigning. With a great reputation and satisfied employees advocating the company to others, recruitment efforts could be boosted and new talent brought in.
It’s important to keep in mind that internal branding encompasses every aspect of the employee experience. What’s more, the process of improving this experience is ongoing. Higher ups and marketing professionals need to do all they can to continuously connect the employees to the brand purpose if they are to create true brand ambassadors.
For further information on how boosting internal branding efforts can have a positive impact on recruitment, please see the accompanying resource.