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Your people, your brand
Differentiation starts with your employees
November 30, 2008
When it debuted in the 1970s, "Saturday Night Live" boasted that it gave people "a reason to stay home on Saturday night." It was with this line that the SNL brand was born. Likewise, when it comes to your company, you should strive to provide your employees with a reason to go to work every day — and a reason to shout it from the rooftops!
It's no mystery why the most innovative companies have seen their sales increase exponentially over the past couple of years while others have stagnated. When you attract and retain employees who are passionate about their work, success is inevitable. Creating the "it" employee brand goes far deeper than a clever ad campaign or slick marketing materials. Sustainable brands are acutely aware of who their company is and the values it represents — and they use them to their advantage.
Let's face reality: Your employees can get a paycheck just about anywhere. The same likely applies to the benefits package your company is offering. And while competitive compensation and benefits are necessary, the best companies offer more than a good paycheck.
It starts with the realization that employees do not live their lives in a vacuum, and that work doesn't have to be fundamentally different from the rest of life. You can't be everything to everyone, but knowing who you are as an organization and projecting those values allows HR to become a proactive force in attracting and retaining talented employees who share those values.
Successful companies create an ethos all their own and perpetuate it to the extent that employees choose to work there for that very reason. Authenticity is impossible to fake, but for these brands, corporate directives are not just policies, it's who they are! As a result, the work is more than just a job.
There are five ways companies can connect with employees on a personal level while differentiating themselves from their competitors at the same time.
Be crazy — How does your company let employees be themselves? At Chipotle's headquarters, employees are encouraged to bring their dogs to their animal-friendly office and proudly post pictures of their pets on the corporate Web site. What makes your workplace fun and just a little bit crazy?
Be unique — What makes you different? Hard Rock Cafe blended rock 'n' roll with its "Love All, Serve All" mentality and created a workplace "cool" that is unmatched. This gives the company access to a whole new set of potential employees. How do you hire rock stars?
Be real — How does working for you make your employees' lives better? Del Taco and Jack in the Box have embraced the Leapfrog-like computer device Sed de Saber, which helps non-English-speaking employees learn the language, not only fostering improved communication within their units, but also providing employees and families with an invaluable life skill.
Be kind — How does your company give back? Chili's Create-A-Pepper campaign raised more than $6 million dollars for St. Jude's Children Research Hospital in 2008 and, since its inception in 2003, has provided the funding for a seven-story cancer center at the hospital. Think larger than the local softball team.
Be just — What values are important to your company, and how do you communicate them to your employees? Despite it's being a prime day for sales, all Chick-fil-A stores are closed on Sunday. The company proudly notes, "Our founder, Truett Cathy, wanted to ensure that every Chick-fil-A employee and restaurant operator had an opportunity to worship, spend time with family and friends or just plain rest from the work week. Made sense then, still makes sense now."
These are just a few examples of how companies have made work meaningful for their employees. Creating an employee brand of your own starts with asking yourself who you are and why your employees would want to work for you. And always remember, the best employees don't work where they have to, they work where they want to. Forget Saturday night — the comedians have that covered — just give your people a reason to go to work Monday morning.
Joni Thomas Doolin is CEO and founder of People Report, a Dallas-based provider of human capital metrics, benchmarks, trends and best people-practices for the foodservice industry.
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