"If your employees love working for your company and buy into your employer brand, they will be your best advertising." Nigel Barcham. So, you know that your employer brand is important, and you’ve committed to understanding more about it, developing yours and appealing to the great candidates who are out there (while also raising retention rates), but how do you find out where you currently stand on employer branding? And how do you work on changing yours? You could have your staff help you to find the core of your brand by bringing together a small group of employees, focusing on those with skills that are difficult to recruit for. Facilitate open discussion and brainstorming with ideal and scarce candidates.

One idea is to pass out Butcher paper and marker pens. Ask them to write and draw what your brand means to them, what the key elements are, and what they would like to see in the brand.

One idea, not as crazy as it sounds, is to ask them what their company would be if it was an animal or an automobile.

This group work should be a fun activity, and it will provide some revealing, interesting results. If the activity is too ‘radical’ for you, ask employees to prepare a few paragraphs on what kind of work they love or their favourite activities on the job, or just have a structured discussion.

For example, ask them:

“What do you like about working here?”

“What would you like changed to make the company a better place to work?”

Get to know your employees and what they want. Also, find out what they think needs fixing. Employee committees focused on retention strategies are often effective. Creating an online feedback forum can help employees communicate with one another. Most important, act on the feedback you receive. Make you’re your staff realise that feedback is important and that everyone’s voice is heard.

Such exercises are an excellent starting point for a discussion, which ultimately allows employees to speak more clearly about what they want from work, in both the short and the long runs.