Often when we speak with tech start-ups about their employer brand, leadership will voice the strength of their culture and values, the amazing team and how successful they have been in securing the funding and advisors required to get off the ground.  In these early days there is a tremendous excitement and commitment to the business concept and its potential. The purpose is clear and the early team is aligned.

The true challenge hits home few years post launch, as the company begins to face changing demands on talent management, culture, communications and leadership. It is during this transitional time that it becomes critical to understand employer branding as more than a great careers page and a foosball table. This is when real leadership takes the time to understand what employees actually value, what they see as the brand and explore the sentiment around the unique secret sauce that will attract, retain and align the best talent available. A strategic employer brand and engagement plan is critical to the long term growth and success of an organization.

We chatted this week with one of our fabulous clients, Katie Lutes, Chief Culture Officer at Career Cruising to hear about her journey, challenges and many successes that the organization faces as a result of their growth and focus on the employer brand.

What have been the most appealing aspects of your employee value proposition to external talent?

The two aspects of our EVP that resonate most with candidates are that we are a purpose driven organization and that we hire awesome talent that we encourage to be uniquely themselves.

Our purpose and mission are so important to our success, and as a team we are doing truly impactful work. Being a part of a workplace that is serving an important purpose in the world is a priority to our employees in their decision to join us.  When candidates learn about the work we do to help people reach their full potential at school, work and life, they feel a compelling connection to our purpose. When you layer on top of that purpose the opportunity to work alongside amazing colleagues who are encouraged to be themselves, well that tends to seal the deal!

This sounds fairly simple but portraying this brand message in a genuine way can be a challenge. We have found ways to help candidates get a feel for who we are early on by providing tours of our office so they can see the culture first-hand. We also invite team members in to the interview process so that candidates can meet the people they would be working with, hear their passion for the purpose, experience how we interact with each other, and witness the individuality on the teams.

At the end of the day it we feel it is always work the extra effort to let candidates see and feel first hand what our employee value proposition offers. When they get this opportunity, we know our brand will emotionally connect with our ideal future talent.  This great interview experience also helps us get future candidate referrals as talent really connect emotionally to us as an employer.

A lot of tech start ups can find it challenging to hold their fantastic culture during times of rapid growth. What have been your biggest challenges as an HR leader as Career Cruising has grown?

When I joined Career Cruising in July 2010 we had around 35 staff.  This past week we hit the 100 employees mark!  Over the last couple of years our rapid growth has definitely challenged us to work much harder to protect our culture. We really emphasize the importance of all Career Cruisers responsibility to build this a great workplace. Recently I was promoted to Chief Culture Officer as our leadership team really believes a great culture will help us ensure we continue on the path to great success.

The biggest challenges faced in this last year of growth has been the need to formalize policies around our culture and our people. When we were smaller, it was okay to be a bit more casual about culture and talent policies.  With our growth it has become critical to start formalizing some aspects of the culture to ensure that they are deeply engrained in the business rather than allowing them to become lost in the shuffle of new people, projects and markets.

These changes alone have demanded a lot of communication, and leadership alignment.  Yes, we will have bumps in the road when we get a bit off track or revert back to how things were done before, but as long as we constantly look to our Employee Value Proposition and purpose, we will be true to who we are and ensure that despite change we will get to where we want to be as an engaged team.

If you could offer other HR leaders in tech start ups advice, what would be two tips you would offer?

My first piece of advice would be to empower your people and remain diligently focused on your employer brand. Your culture is your people so give them the reins as much as possible. That means getting their feedback and really listening to what they are seeing and hearing. We do this by having monthly Town Halls, having casual moments with team members to hear what they have to say, and creating committees where staff can be hands on in a specific activity. The excitement and engagement we get from staff who join committees is outstanding.

My second piece of advice would be to seek out and try new ways of doing things. The connectivity of today’s world means we as HR/Culture leaders can help each other by sharing our ideas and best practices. Everyone deserves to spend their day in a great workplace, so as a community share and help each other and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

What have been your biggest wins since beginning your employer branding journey/since taking on the HR leadership role for Career Cruising? What steps have you taken to support your success in the role?

The biggest win has been watching so many candidates fall in love with Career Cruising. I fall more in love with this place and its people each and every day. When I hear from candidates that they want more than anything to be a part of our team that feels awesome! It reminds me that we are getting our message across. And that extends to our existing Career Cruisers as well. When you walk through the office and see them working together, helping each other, sharing their ideas and running with those ideas, that puts a huge smile on my face.

The steps I have taken to support my success are ongoing. In the early times of my transition in to this new role the support of an external Employer Brand Mentor and Advisor, was key to getting me off the ground quickly. I continue to value the time spent with my Employer Brand Mentor and Advisor and also seek out additional resources to pull from. The new re:Work site from Google is one great resource that I was really excited to see. I also try to seek advice internally. Our staff have all worked for other organization and have seen things that work and maybe don’t work as well so getting their feedback is key to our ongoing success.

About Career Cruising

Career Cruising is a global leader in career development software for people of all ages. Founded over 15 years ago, it provides age-appropriate career development, assessments, planners and other resources for students, schools, adults and communities. It is Career Cruising’s ongoing mission to engage and inspire individuals to achieve their full potential in school, career and life

For more information go to careercruising.com

About Blu Ivy Group

Blu Ivy Group is a leading employer branding and employee engagement consultancy that aligns your organization with contemporary workplace paradigms. Blu Ivy Group’s mission is to help client’s build award-winning people practices, inspire extraordinary employee engagement, and cultivate unique and desirable workplaces.

We providesintegrated 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, go towww.bluivygroup.com