In a world of cut-throat competition and consistent noise, a company must distinguish itself from the rest or face the possibility of extinction.
While creative minds come up with innovative ideas to promote your products and create a distinction in the market, how do you as a company stand out as an employer? It is a well-established fact that without the right people, no company can create or sustain success. Having the correct ‘Employer Brand’ is not just about the employees though, it is about creating aspirations and ambition amongst people. It is an investment that makes you identifiable in a crowd and lets you be a brand beyond the product.
The benefits of actively working on your employer brand include better application rates, distinctive identity, enhanced employee engagement, and motivation amongst the employees. Showcasing your company’s culture, vision and values can increase the possibility of finding employees who are aligned to these factors. With increasing attrition rates, a slow economy and a widespread hire-and-fire policy, a positive employer brand can instill a level of assurance and confidence in the present and future employees.
Thought Leadership: A powerful tool to build an influential Employer Brand
The vision of the company, industrial expertise, goals for the future, unique culture, and many more elements of the company hold more value and earn more respect when heard from credible sources. It is no myth that word of mouth, testimonials and even news is more powerful when it comes from a source that is associated with trust, honesty, and worthiness.
As a leader of the company, you can help drive employer branding efforts and ensure that these reach the relevant people. Providing a personalized insight into the inner workings of your company will let the world know the company’s strengths and make them believe it. Thought Leadership activities enhance the company’s image and give validity to the company’s expertise in its field. Moreover, it addresses the questions of probable employees, giving them an assurance of knowing an employer before joining the company.
Market your industry and product
If the objective is to enhance your employer brand, ensure that you speak about your vision for the company, the culture, best practices, roadmaps, and the how-tos. Here, the goal is to showcase the potential and positivity that your company can bring to its people. It is essential that content reflects the uniqueness and a fresh perspective that provokes thinking. The tonality of this content should be educative and distinctive, with a dash of authority. What you, as a leader say cannot simply be a rehash of popular concepts, or echo the popular opinions. The thoughts and ideas should serve as a cue for people to think and innovate.
While LinkedIn is the most popular platform to host your professional thoughts and opinions, there are also other platforms that can aid your Thought Leadership efforts. Quora gives you an opportunity to connect with people directly as you answer their queries about your company or yourself. Medium is a strong platform to host your personal opinions or blog about your life beyond work. If you are the founder or a CXO, the company’s website can also prove to be a worthy platform. Indulge in those invitations that you receive to contribute to industry magazines and digital platforms, as they provide a neutral ground to voice your opinions and expertise.
Irrespective of your choice of a medium, one thing that should stay constant is individuality and openness. As a Thought Leader, lead your audience to be a loyal follower. Nurture their existing requirements and build an image of an expert guide, rather than coming forth as an authoritative entity. Whether it is employees or customers, interactive engagement is a must and Thought Leadership is the way to go!