90 days ago, most employers were tackling the challenge of attracting talent at all levels in their organizations. Oh, what a difference a few weeks can make. With business challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic pressuring clients in unprecedented ways, many are facing difficult decisions that were inconceivable just a few short weeks ago—furloughs, layoffs, and pay cuts are all in play. Uncertainty about a return to “normalcy” is now shifting into a longer-term realization that a new normal is upon us. While your employment brand may be the last thing you are thinking about right now, you may want to consider bumping it up on your list. After all, an employment brand is far more than clever tag lines and eye-catching graphics; it’s the sum of the actions you take and how that influences how customers, employees, and potential recruits perceive your organization. An employment brand isn't just what you say about yourself: it's who people think you are. Therefore, the actions companies take now are redefining their employment brands whether we fully realize it or not.
An employment brand isn’t just what you say about yourself: it’s who people think you are.
In the midst of this, we’re seeing some great examples of companies using this time to rally around their people and stay true to and even move their employment brand forward. Here are a few who have caught our eye:
1. Venti Values
Starbucks is known for making “above and beyond” investments in their people. So their approach to the pandemic is no surprise. By offering free coffee to first responders and continuing to serve the public with drive-through service, they’re giving us all hope that we are going to come out of this. But it’s not about the coffee and Starbucks knows it. Their decisions are rooted in what is best for their partners and the communities they serve. Further, they’ve rooted their decisions in their values. When the chips are down, they are not deviating from understanding that their brand is in large part their people, and the decisions they make reflect that.
2. Prioritizing People
Starbucks is known for making “above and beyond” investments in their people. So their approach to the pandemic is no surprise. By offering free coffee to first responders and continuing to serve the public with drive-through service, they’re giving us all hope that we are going to come out of this. But it’s not about the coffee and Starbucks knows it. Their decisions are rooted in what is best for their partners and the communities they serve. Further, they’ve rooted their decisions in their values. When the chips are down, they are not deviating from understanding that their brand is in large part their people, and the decisions they make reflect that.
3. The Creative Fight
Whiskey Cake Kitchen & Bar is a SimplyConnect fave for many reasons. Not only do they serve a great meal, but they repurpose–furnishing their establishments with second-hand sofas and garage sale coffee mugs. We also love their farm to table concept and commitment to sourcing locally. Now, we're falling in love with them all over again because of the way they’ve pivoted with creativity during this crisis, leveraging local providers and setting up varying daily “Quarantine Kits” (many with rolls of toilet paper and an adult beverage included). They are fighting hard to stay open, largely for their people, with all tips going towards furloughed workers. Like SimplyConnect, their definition of their tribe is wide and extends to suppliers and partners they work with, who are also trying to keep the lights on.
Examples of organizations doing good and doing the right thing are all around us. The question we ask is, how is your response to the impact of the coronavirus morphing, forming, or dismantling your employment brand? How can you spotlight to your leaders and current and future employees (as well as those of us sitting on the sidelines ready to visit your business) what your employment brand stands for?
The question we ask is, how is your response to the impact of the coronavirus morphing, forming, or dismantling your employment brand?
In our next blog, we’ll talk about how saying goodbye to valued workers is as much a part of your employment brand as everything you are doing with workers you retain.
Photo credits: Maggie Markel on Unsplash, Asael Peña on Unsplash, Texas Roadhouse Facebook page, Whiskey Cake Plano Facebook page
