November 11 – Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 to commemorate the end of the First World War. The armistice agreement was signed the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. As an organization, the Armed Forces can also teach us a lot about developing a top Employer Brand.
Their mission is clear.
Having a mission that is clearly communicated to all employees is a critical part of building your employee engagement. According to studies by Gallup, “A clear mission inspires employee engagement, fosters customer engagement, and helps boost company performance — among other benefits”. When all employees are connected to the mission, it makes aligning the goals of the organization that much easier.
Without a clear mission, it’s impossible to harness all the efforts of employees to move the company forward. When a large organization like the Armed Forces is focused on a mission, all employees, in all teams can concentrate on what is most important and will contribute most to that mission. Each person participates in their most effective way.
They are great at educating job seekers about career opportunities.
The Armed Forces uses a number of different avenues to help people understand what different opportunities are available and to dispel some of the myths that might prevent someone from exploring career options. They’ve made use of a YouTube channel to post different videos and interviews with some of their members. They spend time in person at schools, job fairs, and at trade shows, like the National Women’ Show to reach out to different audiences. They’ve made great use of gamification by introducing this interactive quiz to help educate prospective employees on job opportunities, the perks and benefits of becoming a part of their team. They “tweet” – a lot – which brings us to…
They post varied employer branding content on Twitter.
Under the Twitter Handle: Twitter @Forcesjobs, they post a lot of interesting and varied content on Twitter that you can follow. They keep their community updated on events they will be attending, so you can come down and ask questions in person. They tweet interesting historical facts “On this Day” about events, or individuals, with links to a longer article for those who are interested in more information.
They know what employees look for.
The Armed Forces, as an employer, is in tune with what employees find attractive. They understand the different motivators behind someone selecting a particular environment or organization. There are messages, targeting women who are looking for new challenges. There are messages targeting new graduates who are looking for opportunities that incorporate travel, or working with cutting edge technologies.
They give back.
Today’s job seekers are looking for more than something to pay the bills. More and more, job seekers and employees want to belong to an organization that gives back to their local communities. The Armed Forces places a lot of focus on humanitarian missions as well as helping those in need here in Canada. That message is one that has been reinforced through different avenues; whether it’s video or print advertising, or interviews, as a central part of their own Employee Value Proposition.
Today, on Remembrance Day, Blu Ivy Group would like to join arms with our fellow Canadians to recognize the contributions of the Canadian Armed Forces to communities around the world. We honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Canada. Thank You.