When it comes to brands, we have more options than ever before, but the way that we make decisions on who we use, what we buy and who we work for, have changed considerably over the last few years.
Although statistics vary across the globe, it seems pretty consistent that roughly only a third of people trust the brands they use. That is so low when you consider the services we use and things we buy... and then in our world of recruitment how does that translate to people making decisions on where and who they want to work for?
Take a moment to think about the brands that you trust the most. And ask yourself whether they tell good stories? Telling good stories is what builds confidence and trust in brands. Every brand has many stories to tell but it’s the way you tell them to your audience, your customers, your advocates.
My trusted brands sometimes change, and that’s expected, but the common theme with all of them is that they talk to me, they resonate with me, they do good things, and I genuinely believe they will do the right thing.
When I started in recruitment, I feel like the number one motivator for people making decisions on where they wanted to work was money, closely followed by job title. But in my experience, we have seen a shift in motivators. Growing trends talk to an increase in flexible working patterns whether it be flexible working hours, increased annual leave, and more recently to individuals’ wellbeing and social responsibility of businesses. And it’s not just with one group that we’re seeing this trend, we’re talking about a shift among all groups about what is important to them. It’s not enough for companies to have a policy document about what matters, candidates want to understand that they genuinely care about the things that are important to them.
We’re seeing this trend at Tribe; our conversations have evolved with our partners and now we are asking them to tell their brand story. Why do they work there? What are their values? What matters to your brand? Some find it easy to answer, and some don’t. The ones that find it easy to articulate may find it easier to attract people, and the ‘right' people because it's from a more genuine place, and the ones who don’t know how to answer that question (without a script) may need to search a little deeper to be able to engage people looking for new opportunities.
Have you thought about your brand this way? How do you tell the broad story to people? Which essentially means how do you tell a story to talent that you would want to attract? To your next customer, to your next staff member, your next hire?
Here are some questions that are a good starting point for you to work out your pitch to attract your future talent to your brand.
Values really matter to people – how do you articulate yours?
Can you remember your values? Can you genuinely tell stories about each value and what they mean to you? If you can’t, practice how you articulate your values and ensure you have relatable story for each one that brings them to life.
We have four simple values “Be yourself, Be Brave, Be there for others, Be first”. We created our values as a team over a four-month process and therefore the stories that sit behind these values have been authentically created.
It matters to people what you care about - who is in your work community?
Do you just say you care about things or do you do something about it? What is your contribution to your community? Or how is your contributing to your community measured? Whether it’s the environment, charities, not for profits, think about what your business does differently that makes you feel proud to work there.
We talk about our wider tribe of organisations with most people we meet, they are a very special part of us. Contributing doesn’t always have to involve big things, small changes can make an impact too. For example, earlier this year we switched our candidate gift provider to The Cookie Project, a social enterprise that hires people with disabilities to make delicious cookies. A simple but positive change and we love telling their story and being part of their community.
Crisis management – how would your brand act in bad times?
Hand on heart, what would your business do and how would your leaders react if you become the centre of a crisis in the public eye? Would you be prepared?
This may or may not be something you have the capability to develop in house. If it’s not, then reach out to the experts. We recently spoke with Ziena Jalil a Partner at Senate and an International Speaker about how to make sure your business is ready, what the video now
Service - what does service mean to your brand and therefore staff?
How do you articulate what good service looks like to you when meeting new talent and why is your proposition different to your competitors? How do you know that everybody puts the same value on service?
What service means to one person could mean a totally different thing to your organisation. Again, going back to purpose, people want to work at a business that they are proud to say they work at. After a yoga class you want to feel comfortable telling people where you work because you are confident with the service your business is offering. At Tribe, we measure consultants’ NPS score which gives us an indication of whether people understand how important it is to us.
All I guess I’m saying is take some time to ask yourself these questions. We all know trust in brands is something important for all of us, so make sure you understand a) why you trust the brand/company/organisation you work for and b) how to articulate that. It matters to all of us...
