4 min
We are constantly bombarded with advertisements, product placements, branded social posts, etc. However, not all of them are done with the intent of selling us a product or service. Many marketing efforts are intended to project a positive brand image.
A positive brand image does more than just drive sales, it creates a culture and identity that surpasses the realms of social media followers and “add to cart” button clicks.
This culture and identity defines not only your customer experience but also creates a sense of belonging between the brand and the public.
This sense of belonging is incredibly important for hiring efforts. The image and personality your brand project into the world helps potential employees know who you are, so they can determine if working for you will be a good fit or not.
Brand Positivity Index
Every year Hired provides businesses all over the world with a brand positivity index, otherwise known as their BIP. In theory, the higher their BPI is, the more candidates are interested in working with them.
Obviously, not all of us have the pleasure of having Hired measure our BIP, but there are still actionable steps you can take to make sure that your brand reflects your culture effectively and positively.
Here’s how you can improve your brand positivity index, whether it’s measured by Hired or not.
Show Them What They Are Missing Out On
Like we mentioned before, not all advertising efforts are aimed at increasing sales.
In fact, many successful companies that are known for their company culture let their audience peek behind the curtain, with ads that highlight who they are instead of what they offer. They want employees to think “that’s awesome; I wish I could be a part of that!”
For example, Zappos—a name that comes to mind when you think about employee engagement brands—utilized advertising efforts to promote their culture and give their audience a peek into what life with them is like. Guess what? It worked.
Instead of simply talking about their products or highlighting wage or benefits offers, they gave an honest glimpse into what their employees were up to.
They posted videos and photos on social media of their team having fun at work and in their personal lives, so their audience could associate a positive and engaging working atmosphere with their brand.
Beyond highlighting their work environment, Zappos shed a lot of light on their team giving back to their community through their outreach effort, Zappos for Good. All these engagements helped to position Zappos as a fun, engaged employer that really cares about making the world a better place.
Consider how your brand can do this in your own unique way. Think about what makes your culture special. How can you make your company feel like a fun “club” that prospective employees want to join for the work—and just as importantly—the fulfillment?
Don’t try to imitate a successful company’s culture, though. Look internally and find what makes you stand out authentically.
What Do You Stand For?
In this day and age, it is important for business owners to realize that their companies are more than just businesses. Their organizations have a voice and a story to tell.
Recent social movements surrounding sustainability, social justice, human rights, and other important issues have shown us that brands are more than just a business. They’re a source of influence that can bring attention to important issues if they so choose.
Accordingly, consumers and employees want to engage with brands that support their values and beliefs in the real world. They want to know that the company they work for will help make the world a better place.
That’s why it’s so important for your business to identify what it stands for, what it stands against, defining what its values are.
What you do and say as a brand really does matter. So, be mindful of how you carry yourself.
Show Them You Care
When hiring employees, you need to show them that you care about them. They want to know they won’t be exploited or treated as an asset.
Amazon is one of the most well-known companies in the world. However, despite everyone loving what they do, not everyone loves how they do it.
Amazon faces some of the highest turnover rates in the industry with an almost 150% turnover rate for their hourly associates.
Employees often voice concerns that Amazon’s work environment prioritizes productivity over everything else. They note that this leads to everything they do being tracked, monitored, and analyzed, which they say creates a hostile atmosphere.
This could definitely make potential employees feel that they won’t feel cared for when they’re considering applying to Amazon.
A company that shows potential employees it DOES care would be Costco. Costco starts all employees—even part-timers—off with competitive wages and benefits.
Other companies such as Microsoft are also known for caring for their employees in a way that goes beyond their good reputation in the industry. In 2018, Microsoft was called an “old-school tech company [with] a decidedly new-school approach to employee benefits” by Fatherly Magazine, thanks to its adoption benefits, daycare services, and assistance to parents with children who have disabilities.
Again, this ties back to how your brand is perceived.
If you continually strive to make your employees’ working and personal lives better, you’ll build a reputation that reflects that. This will make you magnetic to potential employees.
We Practice what We Preach.
Deksia recognizes the importance of brand positivity, great work environments, clear values, and employee engagement. That’s why we focus a significant portion of our efforts on making sure what we just discussed actually occurs in our daily operations and work environments.
Our culture is vital to the success of our business. We couldn’t do what we do without the people on our team, so we ensure that our business practices let them know just how appreciated and important they are.
From company transparency and unlimited PTO to community engagement and a fun work atmosphere, Deksia invests in our people.
This empowers our team to do the best work possible, so our clients can get the ROI they deserve.
To peek behind our company curtain and learn more about who we are, visit our about us page!