People managers play a critical role in activating your employer brand strategy. They own the employer-employee relationship and influence every stage of the employee lifecycle. Are they executing in alignment with your employee value proposition?
One of the most common employer brand challenges for organizations is ensuring their entire management team understands, believes in and acts in accordance with the employee value proposition. Their role in employer brand activation cannot be understated – nothing can erode your employer brand faster or more effectively than inconsistent management behaviour.
Your employer brand is so much more than words and imagery – it is the way your organization lives day-to-day and the way that experience makes people feel. So what can you do to ensure your managers are singing from the same song sheet and providing an employee experience aligned with your EVP?
- Define the behaviours that you want to see from your leaders. Develop an Employer Brand Playbook where you can define the 3 to 5 key behaviours that all managers within your organization need to consistently demonstrate to move the organization closer to an aligned employee experience. The Playbook provides a roadmap to support your leadership team in delivering on-brand employee experiences and communications.
- Train your leaders on employer brand management. Invest the necessary time and resources to engage your managers in understanding your employer brand and employee value proposition, including the leadership behaviours you need to see from them. Make sure they understand how important their role is as a brand ambassador for the organization, what the leadership behaviours look like, and best practices to enhance the employer brand experience.
- What gets measured gets done. Once you have articulated the behaviours you need to demonstrate as an organization, don’t forget to assess how well your managers are demonstrating those behaviours. Provide employees with the opportunity to share ongoing feedback with respect to their work experience, and ensure that at least one management Key Performance Indicator is tied to driving an employee experience that is aligned with the EVP. Your managers are compensated for delivering on their operational goals, it is equally important that they are delivering an employee experience that positions your organization as a great place to work.
People managers are important partners in helping you develop a top employer brand, take the time to ensure your entire management team is on the same page. If you want to sustain your employer brand position to drive business results in the long term, everyone needs to fully understand and express your EVP consistently.
About Blu Ivy Group
Blu Ivy Group is a leading employer branding and employee engagement consultancy that aligns your organization with contemporary workplace paradigms. Our mission is to help client’s build award-winning people practices, inspire extraordinary employee engagement, and cultivate unique and desirable workplaces. We provide integrated solutions in employer brand and engagement research, strategic consulting, employer brand integration, creative and talent communications.
Blu Ivy Group is a trusted partner to many of North America’s most respected employer brands. For more information, visit us online at bluivygroup.com or contact us at info@bluivygroup.com.