It’s no secret, COVID-19 is top of mind for most people, regardless of political affinity or employment status. In fact, the most common question our clients are seeing right now during job interviews is ‘What is your company doing to protect its employees from COVID-19?’
And that question is completely understandable. Nobody wants to feel unsafe in their place of work.
So what does this mean for employers from a recruitment marketing standpoint? How your organization plans to and actively works to protect your employees can make or break your talent brand. The protective measures and safety protocols you put in place today will have lasting effects on your employer brand going forward.
In fact, appropriately marketing a leading-edge employee protection program could be a strategic advantage, especially for organization’s who have traditionally lagged in the employer branding category.
So what can your organization do to stand out?
Stand up a committee tasked with revamping onboarding
If you are still hiring new team members, stand up a stakeholder team focused on revamping your onboarding experience. Remember, nearly 70% of employees typically stay at a company for 3+ years when they have been impressed by an onboarding experience.
If your company has employed a remote working arrangement for the near future, aspects of onboarding such as showcasing culture and impressing with company perks and offices are no longer viable.
As a result, new measures need to be taken during the employee onboarding period to ensure you are still ‘wowing’ your new hires. Establishing a committee tasked with building out new, fun, and interesting initiatives that are on-brand and assist with onboarding can be invaluable.
Highlight all safety protocols your company is implementing on company assets
New hires and candidates will do their due diligence on your organization whether they ask you upfront or not. Make sure you have a centralized location where candidates and employees can see all the thoughtful measures you have put in place to protect your staff from COVID-19.
Link to this page wherever possible throughout the candidate application experience, making sure that your hiring committee is unified in getting the message out.
Showcasing the measures you have put in place is key, as other firms (who may have fewer tactics in place) can use their protective measures to stand out if you are not standing at the top of the hill shouting about your work too. This is not the time for modesty – shout loud and proud about the health measures you have put in place now.
Remember, your organization’s response to COVID-19 will make or break your talent brand. You do not want to be externally branded as the firm that didn’t care enough to implement thoughtful protective measures for your current and future staff.