The Value Of An Employee-Centric Brand

Companies set the course and employees help shape the brand

Employee branding has existed for years. Simply put, it reflects how outsiders view your company, largely through the lens of your employees. Today, it’s one measure of whether your company is a desirable place to work.
 

An employee-centric brand, however, is a little more subtle. It isn’t just about making your company attractive from a recruiting perspective. Rather, it’s about how your organization’s core values mesh with those of your employees.
 
Companies whose employees share a passion for its products or services are ones that have potential to create strong employee-centric brands. You see this with many growing small businesses. After all, the earliest employees of smaller companies often join because they are attracted to what the company does, how they do it, and eager to be a meaningful part of that company’s success.
 
Companies that can develop and maintain this passion among their employees have a great competitive advantage in building an employee-centric brand. We’ve seen it with many of the internet companies, whether Facebook, Google, or Salesforce, for example. These companies set the course and the employees helped shape the brand.

Who doesn’t want to get great PR? Glassdoor is a website that solicits anonymous reviews of companies and their management. It’s become a badge of honor to be a Glassdoor “best company” or “top CEO”. In addition to the accolades, the company is a great resource to learn more about what different companies do to be successful employee brands.
 
One of those companies is Bain & Company. Its web site states that its strategy has been to “create a high-impact, supportive culture where immensely talented people are encouraged to be brilliant at what they do.” Employee reviews on Glassdoor support that these are not just platitudes, but the embodiment of the firm’s culture.
 
Another example is In-N-Out Burger, “the cool place to be since 1948.” Its strategy has been to pay higher starting wages than comparable companies, allow flex time to accommodate going to school, and a focus on a team culture. From the web site, “Since 1948, we have maintained a simple philosophy – serve only the highest quality product, prepare it in a clean and sparkling environment, and serve it in a warm and friendly manner. We have built a reputation for fresh, made-to-order foods prepared and served by friendly, well-trained Associates.”

Another reason to consider is the market value of companies that are employee-centric. Fortune magazine has published its “Best Companies to Work For” list since 1998. These are companies with greater than 1,000 employees, so employee experience is the variable. As reported in the magazine, Parnassus Investments has found that as a group, the stocks of these companies consistently beat the market.
 
Although this is a consideration for publicly traded companies, privately held businesses benefit from higher market value as well. Your customers or clients and vendors know when they are dealing with high value companies, and this measure will solidify your reputation in the market.

Whether business to business or business to consumer, people like doing business with companies whose employees feel connected to their mission. Do some informal research: ask people why they like working for their employers. You’ll know immediately if it’s a good place to work. If you hear a resounding, enthusiastic response, you’ll feel good doing business there.
 
You’ll also be curious as to what’s going on in the company that its employees are so enthusiastic. Would you hear the same response from your employees? If not, it behooves you to gain a better understanding as to what management does to make it such a great place to work. (Hint: it’s not having a pool table.)

When your company values bond with your employees’ values, your company will become a talent magnet. The best and the brightest want to work with companies that value their people and make serious overtures to showcase this to their clients or vendors.

You will attract employees who want to work at your company for more than the perks. They want to work there because of an appreciation of your products or services, how you do it, and wanting to be a meaningful part of something bigger. Affiliation or a sense of belonging are strong personal motivators and can help take your company from a B to an A player.
 
Think about whether your organization could benefit from an employee-centric focus. Whether it’s for the PR you can generate, a higher market value, becoming a talent magnet, or simply because people like doing business with you, these are solid reasons to consider this direction. It won’t happen overnight, particularly if you’re currently far from employee-centric. If you make this a strategy, though, and not just a passing thought, you can shift your culture and over time become an overall more successful company.

Lisa Aldisert, EdD is an NYC-based executive advisor, trend expert, speaker and author. She is president of Pharos Alliance, Inc. Her most recent book is Leadership Reflections. Connect Lisa Aldisert