The seven essential management skills for employer brand strategists

The seven essential skills that an employer brand manager should master or acquire if their brand is to flourish and bloom:

• Ambassador – Employer brand managers must aim to be exemplary Ambassadors for their brand and practice the organisation’s values. They must be ‘on-brand’ at all times, lead by example and be mindful of contradictory behaviours. Success is achieved by guiding and nurturing a positive ideal and not by aggressive policing and enforcement.

• Collaborator – The effective management of the employer brand strategy requires the full commitment of everyone in an organization and depends upon the collaboration of all departments from HR to marketing, finance to research & development. Employer brand managers must be collaborators building bridges with all stakeholders.

• Innovator – Successful employer brand managers have an innate curiosity about their brand, its marketplace and relevance to the world. They embrace new ideas and are not afraid of change. Those who aim to have a long career need to be innovative or champion innovation through their employee culture. A brand that does not innovate is stagnant and in jeopardy of its future.

• Emotionally intelligent – The ability to sense the mood of the brand and its relationships between colleagues, suppliers and key stakeholders with empathy and confidence is essential. Employer Brand Managers must be aware of the brand’s impact on the world and its effect on its market environment.

• Communicator – Employer brand managers must be excellent communicators able to evangelise the brands message across a multitude of different media and situations. A consistent tone of voice and articulation of the brand narrative, are required online, across social media and in person one to one. If the choice of words, attitude or point of view vary from medium to situation the audience will sense a discord.

• Curator – The employer brand manager is a curator of brand meaning. They must possess an aesthetic sensibility that is in tune with the brand’s essence. Every expression of the brand is an opportunity to bring its intrinsic nature to life. Offices, retail environment, online presence, whatever the circumstance, these disparate touchpoints represent employee experience opportunities. The effective curator will see the bigger picture and align these touchpoints into a seamless brand experience.

• Futurologist – You won’t need a crystal ball, but a keen interest in new developments and an open mind as to what may be possible can pay dividends. Don’t leave new technology to the youngest member of the team or ignore new opportunities. Your brand needs to be where your audience expects it to be.

In a competitive market, employees will take great care in how they invest their time and career. Is your brand making its presence felt through ethos, culture and values? Are you offering something more than just a salary?

If you are interested in building a compelling employer brand please join me for the next Employer Branding Course with Symposium Training.

http://www.symposium.co.uk/author/verve-brand-consultancy/