According to a study by Bernard Hodes Group, 94% of candidates are more likely to apply for a position listed by a company that actively manages its employer brand.
Not only that, but companies with a strong employer brand see 50% more qualified applicants, hire employees faster, and are able to reduce their cost per hire by 50%. Approaching your employee branding in the right way is a necessity amidst the Great Resignation headlines.
Many companies are mindful of how they create the best benefits, showcase their stances on political issues, and even how their job descriptions sound. However, most are missing a focus on the technology they provide their employees and how it can help promote purpose, connection and collaboration.
Ensuring positive digital experiences for your employees
Rapid digitisation has taken many industries by storm, as businesses grapple to find a bespoke mixture of tech that works for them – whether it be document collaboration tools, video conferencing software or project management programmes.
However, when introducing new digital tools without a clear foundation of knowledge, it can clutter existing technology infrastructure and overwhelm staff – with devastating outcomes. According to research, 26% of employees revealed that they would consider quitting their jobs because of lack of suitable technology and 65% saying they would be more productive if their employer provided better tools.
Making tech work around you
Revising your tech stack is easier said than done. But one key focus of this process should be to follow the core purpose of each technology. Often, we find ourselves forcing compatibility with our technology, when it is the technology that should be adapting to fit us and our goals.
Gaining employee feedback on how their existing tech tools benefit or hinder their day-to-day workload, is invaluable to achieving this compatibility. This is especially important for crafting a smoother and more manageable onboarding transition for new joiners.
This feedback also makes it easier to identify the limitations of their current technology stack and what they can do to proactively revise it. For example, do employees spend time looking for documents? Do they all work in separate documents to edit work that ends up in duplicates of un-synced feedback? If you do not understand the ways in which your employees use technology, it will be even harder to understand the best way to approach changing it.
Technology is your human touchpoint
Good employer brand isn’t about creating a seemingly utopian workplace that candidates are only attracted to from the outside, it is also about acting on the promise to maintain an environment that new and existing employees love.
Some things you might consider:
Survey your current teams on how happy they are with the tools that help them to be productive. Listening to your team may unlock new opportunities for greater productivity and automation.
Think about your device strategy. You’d be surprised at how wedded individuals are to operating systems or ways of working on the move. Think about what flexibility you can offer your teams to use the hardware that helps them to be productive. They’ll return that back in spades (JAMF research – https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/technology/pages/letting-workers-choose-their-own-technology-boosts-engagement.aspx)
Put simplicity at the centre of your technology tool choices. If you offer overly complex systems your teams won’t thank you. Make it easy to get work done, and you’ll grow your business faster.
The most important thing in all of this is that employers establish specific goals in creating an employee brand that they are proud of inside and out. This way, they can not only attract their talent, but benefit from their ability to foster and support their career progression for years to come.
