The Internal employer brand is the reputation an employer has with its employees. Internal branding is the process of highlighting the activities and strategies designed to improve overall organizational health. The focus is on the three primary motivational and engagement factors that lead to a good employee experience and high performance. They are firstly contractional, which is what an employee receives in the form of compensation and benefits, secondly, psychological, which is related to what an employee experiences through their work, and emotional, which is what an employee feels in relation to their connection to the organization. These three factors relate to internal branding as they intersect with motivations to retain employees and create a meaningful work environment that attracts potential employees and retain good performers.

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External Branding is focused on outside marketing related activity designed to communicate and promote all that is good about working for an organization. The key elements of External Branding are: 
 

• A firm understanding of the employee value proposition (EVP) related to working for the organization. This includes an understanding of what is good about an organization and the promotion of it. It’s important to do an honest assessment. Overstating the brand will do long term damage, but if perception matches reality, an organization’s reputation as a premier employer will grow as they grow in that organization grows in their ability to create a healthy culture.

• Get noticed in the community. This will look a little different for every organization, depending on their culture, but the basic idea is to place employees in front of the public and highlight them doing good things. People want to work for an organization that does good work. This can be associated with a company’s product or service, or it can be a volunteer activity. A public-facing company that does exceptional work can create unique uniforms or designs on their service vehicles so that the public can readily see the work they do and easily relate it to the employees doing the work. Organizations that support volunteerism will be attractive to many potential employees. Sponsoring community service activities results in doing good work for others and has the added benefit of demonstrating good will. 

• Use social media to highlight the brand. A 2022 Harris Pole demonstrated that half of Gen Z and Millennials utilize social media to find work and evaluate potential employers. Social media can be leveraged very effectively to promote the value of working for an organization. Techniques can include things like a video or article highlighting a current employee, a team that has made a significant achievement, or pictures of employees doing community volunteer work. 

• Spread the word through networking. The HR team might do an educational presentation at a school or industry event. University job fairs are also a good way to create a long-term reputation among future potential talent.
   

Considering the competitive nature of attracting good talent, an organization needs to leverage every opportunity they can to promote their employer brand. The workforce is increasing looking for an employer that will provide them with a good experience, and that good experience, integrated with other factors, can lead to high performance. It’s important that organizations can provide that experience and promote it to the outside world so they can attract the best talent that is available.

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Solutions 

S. Miller Consulting can help create and manage strategies to improve an employer’s brand.