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Posted By: jbaloun / |
The average full-time employee works 40 hours a week, which is equal to 1,960 hours per year. A person who works from the age of 21 to 65 will have spent a staggering 91,250 hours of their lifetime at work. I can’t help but ask myself, if we spend THIS much time at work, why shouldn’t we place more emphasis on company culture? Think about it…you are spending almost 1/3 of your life at work. Shouldn’t we have the opportunity to enjoy all aspects of our lives…including our jobs?
Studies have shown that a company’s culture is becoming increasingly more important to job seekers and many apply not just because of a vacancy, but because of the reputation of a company’s culture. Although creating a good company culture is a great place to start, it’s simply not enough to make an impact. You must go a step further and brand your company’s culture with the external image that you want the market to portray. We are all familiar with the term “branding,” but what most don’t realize is that branding internal culture is just as
important to your company’s success as advertising, marketing and building positive customer relationships. Here are some tips on how you can positively enhance your company’s culture through strategic branding.
1. Hire Employees Who Embody Your Brand
It all starts with your employees. Ensure the people you hire are truly passionate about your vision and have goals that align with your brand. It is almost impossible to integrate an employee into your corporate culture if they are opposed to the type of atmosphere that you
promote. Seek employees who are like-minded, talented and respect and share your vision for the company brand and culture.
2. Utilize Social Media
Social media is a great tool for recruiting and an even better tool for advertising about life in your organization. Post about your company’s social events, business successes, team lunches, new staff, fun office get-togethers and anything that gives an ongoing impression of life at your
company.
3. Get Creative
Develop brainstorming sessions with your coworkers and come up with creative content ideas for your website that can convey your culture in an engaging way. This can take the form of
videos, podcasts, infographics, quizzes, blogs — anything that helps prospective job seekers understand your culture without it feeling too forced.
4. Turn Your Employees Into Brand Advocates
Give your employees incentives to put the word out amongst their networks about your great culture and job openings. Establish an employee referral program where employees receive rewards for recommending talented candidates to the business. This is one of the most effective ways to transmit your company culture message as countless studies show that employee referrals are the number one source of hire.
A good company culture is one of the most significant branding tools that a company has. Companies must not only focus on building a company culture, but also putting strategies into place to effectively communicate and brand their company’s personality to potential job seekers.