Culture wars
The war for talent persists, especially when certain skills are highly sought and there is competition for certain roles and experience. However, with the pressure on pay packets and employers striving to deliver meaningful pay awards within affordable budgets, having a strong employer brand can achieve differentiation beyond the question of pay and benefits.
This starts with understanding the culture of the organisation. Taking stock of what the reality of the culture and working environment is should be the starting point to really understand if there is any discrepancy between what a firm promises its people and what it is delivering.
Organisations that can define what they stand for and what they offer people, and where the leadership team sets the tone around the culture they are intentionally creating, truly build a brand that has a shared vision. Organisations must be consistent with the message and the behaviours they want to reinforce. Employee advocates are crucial to building a strong employer brand. Social media should echo and amplify practices that are already rife internally. Recognition of colleagues who have been recognised for their expertise or values-led work, such as pro bono/charity, being an LGBTQ+ or social mobility advocate in the sector, show the culture in action from an external perspective.
Values-led strategy
Environmental, social and governance issues are increasingly prominent issues for all stakeholders who want to scrutinise their record. Therefore, any disconnect between the values espoused by an organisation and the reality of working there can be easily exposed by social media and platforms such as Glassdoor. Understanding the motivations of people is integral to building strong cultures. Employee opinion surveys can be essential tools to uncover the shared ambitions, values and feedback that can help inform total reward strategies.
Part of being intentional about the culture an organisation is creating is defining what it will and will not tolerate. If wellbeing is important to the organisation in terms of what it prides itself on offering its people, how is it committing to reimagining working practices of its employees? Employee opinion surveys can also help to overcome accusations of ‘wellbeing washing’ that can face organisations, as a recent report warns that there is a disconnect between what employers and staff view as valuable when it comes to promoting workplace wellness.
If the focus is on driving greater efficiency and productivity, how is this being defined and why is it integral to the organisation? For those that are prioritising productivity, ambition and growth, opportunities will be the key recruitment and retention message for motivated individuals who have a shared vision for success.
Every organisation is tasked with defining what flexible working looks like for their employees. While there are some roles where this is untenable, particularly in roles and sectors where you have to be in the workplace in front-line jobs, flexibility is increasingly expected in some capacity. This question will be crucial to the culture that the organisation wants to be known for. For those prioritising equity, diversity and inclusion, flexibility can tap into talent pools who often face barriers to work, geographically and physically, so being values-led in policy making can also inform the culture.
