Be an exemplary employer 31

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BE AN EXEMPLARY EMPLOYER

It’s a fact of life that bad news travels faster than good. Organisations treating their employees badly can be local gossip, or go global on the Internet. In the 21st Century, everyone involved with a brand, from the customers and suppliers to the employees, shareholders and pension fund trustees, expects to be treated well, and will speak out if they are disappointed.

Branding is not just about the ideal image presented to customers, it has to be more than skin deep. There’s a television programme, Undercover Boss, in which the managing director or the owner goes to work at his or own company as a junior employee to fi nd out what it’s really like. What would you fi nd out if you tried it?

The idea What staff say about their own brands carries a lot of weight. Would your staff recommend your products? Do they encourage people they know and like to apply for jobs?

In the UK, there’s an annual survey in the Sunday Times, the Top 100 Companies To Work For, run by the organisation, Best Companies. Companies have to register to take part – no-one gets a surprise when they fi nd out they’ve been nominated – and employees fi ll in a detailed survey giving facts and opinions about their workplace. The organisers will visit these organisations to check the credibility of the survey fi ndings, and to ensure that no

overbearing bosses are standing over their employees to force them to tick the correct boxes.

To come high up on the Sunday Times List is a benefi t to companies. If you have a great reputation for being a good employer that runs a happy, successful organisation, naturally you’ll attract more people. And being a great company to work for helps to keep staff loyal, which saves on recruitment and training.

If your people are miserable at work, they tell their friends and family about it. It’s bad for your brand as well as morale.

In practice • Change comes from the top down. Set a great example for your people to follow. • For a brand, the aim is to be talked about in a positive way, to have staff saying what a great time they have at work. • There are many companies who specialise in organisational culture, working with management to change it for the better. Use one.