Canadian HR Reporter Weekly

October 24, 2018 Published weekly by Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd. CUSTOMER SERVICE Tel: (416) 609-3800 (Toronto) (800) 387-5164 (outside Toronto) Fax: (416) 298-5106 customersupport.legaltaxcanada@tr.com www.thomsonreuters.ca One Corporate Plaza 2075 Kennedy Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1T 3V4 Director, Media Solutions, Canada: Karen Lorimer Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: Todd Humber todd.humber@thomsonreuters.com (416) 298-5196 Editor/Supervisor: Sarah Dobson sarah.dobson@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-7896 News Editor: Marcel Vander Wier marcel.vanderwier@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-7837 Sales Manager: Paul Burton paul.burton@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-9928 Circulation Co-ordinator: Keith Fulford keith.fulford@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-9585 Art Director: Dave Escuadro david.escuadro@thomsonreuters.com (416) 649-9358 ©2018 Thomson Reuters Canada Ltd All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the written permission of the publisher (Thomson Reuters, Media Solutions, Canada). Unlocking the power of your brand 5 ways for employers to boost their reputation with employees BY JEFF ROMAN Disruption is forcing Canadian HR leaders to re- think how they will achieve their objectives for the remainder of the year. Instead of longing for simpler times, forward-thinking leaders should focus on an area that is squarely in their control and one that can drive growth and promote employee engage- ment more than any other — strengthening their organization's employer brand. e employer brand refers to an organization's reputation as an employer, but it's quite a bit more than that. In addition to salary and benefits, oppor- tunity for advancement, the financial health of the business and workplace culture, employer brand is about the entire employee experience — from at- traction and recruitment through to how employ- ees live an organization's values and deliver on the brand promise for customers every day. Employer branding was once the sole domain of HR, but as the war for talent escalates, other areas of business are starting to take interest and share responsibility. However, many organizations fail when it comes to driving engagement and developing a strong em- ployer brand. After all, employee and organization- al communication is a chronically misunderstood channel and most chief marketing officers ignore employee and organizational communications en- tirely, leaving out some of their brand's most vocal and authentic advocates, according to a 2018 sur- vey of 100 Canadian chief marketing officers and senior-level marketing officers by APEX Public Relations, ruckus Digital and Maru/Blue. So, what can communicators do to address these challenges and grow the reputation o their orga- nization's employer brand, while driving growth? Here are some best practices to consider: Prioritize face-to-face communication: ough face-to-face communication is widely un- derstood as the best form of communication, it is seldom used consistently across an organization, nor is it prioritized by executive management. Face-to-face communication typically dies from an executive's best intentions to get out of their office to meet with and listen to employees. While listen- ing tours and office visits for executives can be met with eye rolls, the fact is they are important — and they work. It takes more than email to develop a meaningful relationship with employees, and face- to-face communication is critical. Drive real engagement: Whether in an office or on a factory floor, employees don't need managers to give them all the answers. What they need are goalposts and a clear understanding of what the optimal outcome is. Employees want to know how they can leverage their experience and contribute to the business. ey want to be involved in the problem-solving process. When they are tapped for their expertise and involved in planning, employees are engaged and feel pride in what they do. Create understanding: When rewards are fo- cused on the outcome and not on the process, there is a strong tendency to emphasize the "do" and not the "why." As a result, priorities are often poorly communicated and, more often than not, decisions lack explanation. Leadership needs to promote understanding and rationale for decisions among employees — oth- erwise the decisions can be perceived as poorly planned and ill-conceived. Maintain consistency: In the absence of com- munication, a vacuum is created, and employees are left to fill in the gaps and reach their own con- clusions about their employer's aims and motiva- tions. Rumour, speculation and uncertainty about organizational priorities and intentions thrive in this environment. Even in the best cases, this can be perceived as lack of planning and ignorance on behalf of management. As a result, engagement gaps can become accentuated. Generally, there needs to be greater consistency in how information is shared across an organiza- tion. Fractures emerge when one location has in- formation that others don't, and this is true also for employee hierarchies. Communicating with clarity and consistency is key, and there are many digital tools to help organizations prioritize and distribute their information. Recognize contributions: Employees seek rec- ognition for their training, skills, experience and contribution to the business. ey feel engaged when they use their experience and collaborate on special projects that contribute to business goals. Organizations should focus on creating more op- portunities for collaboration and enable manage- ment to recognize initiative. Even in this environment of disruption, execu- tives have an important opportunity to continue strengthening their employer brands and promot- ing real engagement with employees. By focusing on best practices and devising a deliberate communication plan and strategy, C- suite leaders get closer to achieving their growth ambitions. Jeff Roman is senior vice-president of integrated commu- nications at APEX PR in Toronto.

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