An important step in developing a leading, authentic and sustainable employer brand, that is often overlooked, is a GAP analysis of all touch points within the employee life cycle.
While developing an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) should be one of the first steps in your employer branding journey, it is critical that you ensure that it is experienced at all touch points throughout your organization. By conducting a GAP analysis this allows you to look for opportunities to enhance your employer brand, ensuring greater sustainability and authenticity.
Please find below a guide to assist you with conducting a GAP analysis within your organization:
There are basically four phases within the employee life cycle – attract, engage, develop & retain and transition. When conducting your GAP analysis within each of the stages ensure to document your EVP, employer brand aspirations and your current state. The below questions will offer you insight on how well integrated the Employer Brand is in the culture and strategy of your organization, and should highlight where you need to focus the greatest energy.
1. Attract
Attraction – When you review your current attraction practices do they reflect your EVP and employer brand? When was the last time you updated your job descriptions? Is your website and job descriptions compelling and engaging? How effective is your employee referral program (Employee referrals are still rated as the number 1 recruitment channel!)?
Recruitment – When a candidate applies for a job via your social media channels and/or website what is the experience like? Is it reflective of your employer brand? Do you collect feedback from candidates on their recruitment experience with your company? Is your EVP a component of the offer letter or is just a legal document?
2. Engage
Onboarding – When does the onboarding process start for new hires – after they sign the offer letter or when they come in for their first day? Is your EVP and employer brand reflected in all training materials and throughout the onboarding process? When was the last time you experienced, from a new hire’s perspective, your onboarding program? Is this a program that is engaging for all new hires or only core segments in the company?
Compensation, Rewards and KPIs – To shift the focus away from dollars, which is difficult for some organizations to compete on, how is your EVP communicated? Is your EVP posted on your intranet? Do employees receive frequent internal communications on the EVP? Are your leaders incented to deliver on your employer brand promise? Are there rewards and incentives for employee brand ambassadors?
Policies and HR Programs – When was the last time you reviewed your HR policies and programs? Are they current? Engaging? Do they reflect the image you are trying to convey or are they counter to what your employer brand platform states? Do you have a policy on outsourcing that is reflective of your Employer Brand?
CSR Strategy – Do you have a CSR strategy and is it reflective of your brand? Are employees aware of your CSR initiatives? Do you share your stories internally? Externally?
3. Develop & Retain
Learning and Development – Have you trained your employees and leaders on how to deliver on your brand promise? If there are gaps, do you have a plan to develop your talent? Do your learning and development programs support your brand?
Succession, Growth and Enablement – Do your leaders have the skills, experience and capabilities to deliver on your employer brand strategy?
4. Transition
Discipline and Performance Management – Is your performance management process aligned with your employer brand and EVP? Is the process effective?
Exit Process – When employees leave your organization what is their experience? What would they say about your organization after they leave? Would they support your employer brand?
Alumni – Do you keep in contact with great talent that has left your organization?
Once you have documented current state and brand aspirations, you can then identify the gaps, and put together a plan.
We understand why this stage is often overlooked because it does take time (we can help!) but it is an important stage for companies to ensure that the brand is authentic and fully entrenched in the overall strategy. More and more companies realize that this step is far more critical in the life of the strategy. It is in this step, that a company realizes the full potential of the employer brand on the total company culture.