You can spend gazillions telling people what a great employer you are but it is what you do that really makes the impact.
I’d like to share one creative employer branding approach that will have a long-term effect and will not cost you much if anything at all.
Many employers recognize the benefits of being involved with the startup community. Indeed, one of the key selling points to bright people is the agile corporate culture that encourages creativity. These qualities are strongly associated with startups that’s why the successful companies of all sizes are willing to sponsor all kinds of startup events – they know it is good for their employer brand. But there is even better way to create a strong link between your employer brand and the startup culture:
Become an Early Adopter
It has numerous benefits for your business. Here are just a few:
- The most effective brand development happens not through the marketing campaigns – it happens through the word of mouth and if you become an early adopter of some startup’s product they will talk about you a lot. And as you can imagine they will talk about you in a very positive light. Your employer brand will get a boost and you may get new customers.
- Working with startups will help your corporate culture to stay agile. This cross-pollination is a very effective way to avoid the fossilization of your company as it gets larger. It will play a very important role in the long-term development of your employer brand.
- There is a good chance that you will have an early access to great products and services helping your compete more effectively. There are many startups near you working on amazing things.
Finally, you will be doing a good thing. No matter how great a product is, getting traction for any startup is both extremely important and extremely difficult. Mike Potter, CEO of Arkly wrote a great article on the subject.
As you see becoming an early adopter is a win-win scenario and a very effective way to develop your employer brand. Adopt a startup – it will pay off.
