Rethinking your employer brand and what sets you apart in an increasingly digital world is more important than ever – our open talent economy increases competition to attract and retain the best of the best. I’m here to give you a little insight on how we created our employer brand and what you can expect when you join the CIRA team.
Where do you work? Whenever you answer that question, your response helps shape the reputation of your company.
A strong employer brand is more than just posting key messages on your website. It’s about how your employees align with the organization’s purpose. It’s about being intentional with recruiting and culture add initiatives. And when you have a strong one, it will reinforce your company’s reputation within the industry and community. Top talent will be lining up to be a part of your team.
Commitment between your organization and people
Employer branding is your company’s DNA which sets your advantage in a tightly competitive labour market. This isn’t something you can develop overnight. It’s a carefully brewed concoction of broader business objectives, deeply held values and culture. It’s creating chemistry and commitment between your company and future employees. There is no formula on how to create a credible reputation and employer brand, but I’ll share what worked for us.
Our purpose at CIRA is to build a trusted internet for Canadians and that’s weaved into everything we do, especially our brand. It’s built on a clear tone and purpose with an end goal of magnetizing and retaining top talent. As a small company of 100+ employees, CIRA was recently awarded silver for “Best Employer Branding” at the 2020 Canadian HR Awards, meaning we eat employer branding for breakfast! And it took a lot to get here. Here are some tips on how to shape your employer brand.
Start with your core values
Your employer brand should have a strong foundation from your business. As outlined in CIRA’s five-year strategic plan, our purpose is to build a trusted internet for all Canadians through these pillars:
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Community investment: Invest in programs that strengthen the internet in Canada and globally. Over the past six years, CIRA’s Community investment program grants have provided $7.95 million in funding for 171 projects.
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Product expansion: Continually strengthen our business. In 2020, we launched the Canadian Shieldwith the purpose of providing free enterprise-grade protection for all Canadians.
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Organizational enablement: CIRA is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive culture to foster innovation and create an environment where high-performing talent are enabled to do their best work.
Your ethos should be carefully articulated through your strategic plan and your employee value proposition (EVP). The very act of creating an EVP, increases the investment in your brand. To create our employee value proposition, we set up internal focus groups to discuss our values and how it connects to purpose, which was also a big part of building a culture of trust. Our EVP is intertwined into our company culture, initiatives like recognition programs, as well as our recruiting process.
Julia Hickey travaille au sein de l’équipe des ressources humaines de CIRA. Elle possède une expérience du monde de la technologie, tout particulièrement en ce qui concerne la cybersécurité et le respect des politiques. Ses domaines d’intérêt incluent le renforcement de la culture d’entreprise et la planification stratégique.
