Employee branding is embraced in the private sector but given the need for local government to attract and retain top talent, especially for those in a rural environment, creating a brand which resonates becomes increasingly important in the public sector.
The aim of Weskus Distrik’s brand development programme is primarily to attract interest from investors while also resonating with migrants looking to uproot for a better or changed lifestyle.
To fulfil its promise to investors, the municipality needs employees who can deliver on the brand’s promise. Employer branding is as broad and multi-faceted as external branding. It can range from how employees and prospective employees respond to your corporate identity to how they feel about the employer. If we are true to the nature of a brand, it is intangible. That is, what employees think or say about you when you’re not in the room.
To colour this intangible space, one needs to understand clearly what your brand values are so that these get applied internally and are consistently experienced by employees.
Taking Weskus Distrik’s brand values as an example, and translating this internally:
- 360 Review of employees by peers.
- Include brand values in KRA’s and Performance Reviews.
- Continuous Training and development.
- Staff surveys which probe their understanding.
SOLID – doing and being seen doing the right things, accurately and diligently.
ACTIVE – making things happen, no procrastination or endless debate.
INCLUSIVE – respecting input, optimizing diversity, integrating youth and experience.
ASPIRATIONAL – growing and developing, improving and enhancing, innovating, encouraging each other.
“We communicate internally and externally to influence what people might think or say about us. But whatever we message is authentic because we matched our brand values to what we do very well before testing whether it would resonate with investor needs.
When one breaks it down and demystifies an employer brand, it comes down to making sure that your employees live your brand through understanding its values, that they aspire to deliver those values consistently and accurately, and that management creates the brand experience internally by living it daily”.
How do you manage and measure the employer brand internally?
Monitoring the engagement levels of internal communications can provide clues but is also dependent on the relevance and frequency of communications.
Regarding marketing the brand externally to attract precious talent, the same brand values are conveyed. There is only one brand, although the channels to market will differ. Here, you accept that a brand cannot mean all things to all people. By clearly stating or implying your brand values, applicants self-qualify themselves as a fit. If the candidate passes the application process, you potentially already have a brand champion from day one”.
Dr Johan Tesselaar
Chief Financial Officer
Weskus Distrik.
10177 (022) 433 8700
Is the Emergency number for the Fire and Medical Services within the West Coast District.
Is die Noodnommer vir die Brandweer- en Mediesedienste binne die Weskus Distrik.
