How to Become an Employer of Choice
How well do you treat your employees? Or are you only concerned about communicating the company’s message of being a sales-oriented entity, service or product provider amongst others? Whether you run a company with a large number of employees or just a handful of people, your company’s attitude toward employees is critical to success.
A simple scenario is a fast-growing company with so many success stories to its credit. Shareholders couldn’t be happier as everything seems to be falling into place. And the bank is making a profit as the existing conditions favor them. Competition is triggered to keep this trend going; every company wants the best staff, and the search for more competent hands begins which may mean paying more than what your competitor is offering.
But you can be different about this approach. Why not adopt a strategy that positions your company as an “employer of choice” and gets loads of potential candidates begging to work for you? I’m sure you want to be in that position, where the choices are literally in your hands.
Some big brands have made a name for themselves in the different spheres of endeavor, examples of such companies include Andersen Consulting and Pepsi; and so many things readily come to mind when they are mentioned—like intellectual creativity, youthfulness, etc. People will always want to work for these companies, and for the companies, going for the best will be a standard, as they get thousands of job requests every year.
How to Position as an Employer of Choice
You may not have so much to throw around regarding a marketing budget as the big companies do in building their reputations, but there are things you can readily do to enhance your reputation as an employer as well.
What message does your company send to the outside world? Assume you’re a potential employee. Pick the brochure and review the content. Do you think your company is sending the right message one that supports the development of the staff? Or perhaps the message sounds aggressive in its approach to recruiting? Well, some people might argue that such an attitude only brings the best hands to the table. In reality, it only brings people who function in such an environment.
As an employer of labor, always let your customers know you place so much value on your staff. These are people who market your product or service, and it can only be an added advantage if they see you in a good light as their employer.
Yes, you can go out and announce yourself as an employer. Although this strategy may not work for all businesses (computers or sales will be perfect), but if it does for you, use it. Visit the universities, attend career fairs and exhibitions, and announce yourself as an employer.
Using the offer rounds day (a day when companies go to universities to present job offers to undergraduates) to market yourself as an employer puts you in a good position as an “employer of choice.” But watch it! You could get lost in the midst of it all, as the purpose of being at the venue can quickly be forgotten. Some graduates have decided not to work for a couple of big brands out there because of the hostile treatment they received at these kinds of events. These companies were looking for a certain class of graduates, and those not in that category were ignored. Imagine one of those graduates holding a key position in a major public company. He may have a massive influence on the people.
It is important that companies develop a unique communication strategy to stay ahead in their industry. As expected, the CEO or Managing Director determines what happens in an organization, and by so doing, he or she creates the “tone” for the company. It is far from the usual mission statement or corporate values that we know. It is merely a working document that is often referred to and can be used in any circumstance as regards the company. It could be a letter to a customer that carries your logo, one that passes information to the employees—a pay slip in this case—or even a document for suppliers. All of them must have a consistent message that defines your company or brand.
It’s recommended that you take the right approach toward employing competent workers by doing things that would genuinely attract them to work for your establishment, and help build an excellent reputation as well as foster the growth of your company.