A well-established brand is not just designed to attract customers. Work on the brand must also, de facto, involve work on the employer brand, which, if well thought out, proves to be a key factor in competitiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Employer branding is about attracting and retaining employees. I insist on this last point, because it’s not just a question of recruiting talent, but also of making them want to stay! Of course, that means good human resources management, but it also means transparent communication on all the important issues
important to the life of the firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Typically, in law firms, we find that the expression of the brand is too often unilateral and emanates from one or a few founding partners. However, it is essential to give a voice to our staff and to listen to them. Genuine commitment only emerges if an organisation manages to demonstrate that the decision does not rest solely with the partners, that the employees really do have a say, and that they can express their feelings. Of course, the success of this approach depends on how open the partners are to criticism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
En ouvrant la parole, en promouvant une ambiance de travail saine, nous cr\u00e9ons d\u00e8s lors un sentiment d\u2019appartenance et de fiert\u00e9 qui donne envie aux gens non seulement de rester, mais d\u2019\u00eatre partie prenante, de promouvoir la marque spontan\u00e9ment aupr\u00e8s de leurs amis, confr\u00e8res, journalistes. L\u2019effet concret peut \u00eatre important, sur le recrutement par exemple.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The “Join us\/Careers” page all too often contains stodgy, uniform text that looks the same from one firm to the next. From an employer branding perspective, this page needs to be tailor-made, since it’s the first expression of the firm’s identity. It must be a standard-bearer for what a candidate will experience at the firm, a positive first contact with any potential employee. If an employee is faced with several choices, on equal terms, he or she will more naturally gravitate towards the structure where the corporate culture seems most attractive. So don’t hesitate to enrich this page, for example with video formats featuring employees talking about the working atmosphere, the interest of the projects they’re working on, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These channels are quite disparate: they include platforms such as Glassdoor, Welcome to the Jungle or LinkedIn, but also a lot of word-of-mouth, particularly via existing employees. They are the best brand ambassadors!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First of all, the reality is that lawyers today are finding it very difficult to recruit. The biggest firms can afford to offer salaries that defy all competition, but what about the others? This is where employer branding comes into play, enabling the firm to develop its attractiveness and, well beyond that, its ability to retain talent. There’s certainly less turnover in structures that have a flexible organization, where every employee can be valued, where they can contribute to the evolution of the brand and put forward their ideas. We need to show people that their initiatives can have an impact, that they’re not just numbers, but unique and complementary talents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s aimed at all the brand’s internal stakeholders, as well as potential recruits. Young profiles will certainly be more attracted by the way the brand sells itself, while associate profiles may be more sensitive to other considerations. When there’s a lot of brand equity, an associate who wants to join a firm looks at its potential and considers it at its true value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Obviously, when there’s a scandal or proven misconduct, what’s immediately expected is a rethink and reorganization, not a communication exercise that might seem artificial. On the other hand, collective reflection and work on the brand can pave the way for inclusive discussions on internal needs, recruitment processes, governance and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Involving as many internal employees as possible, and getting them to express their feelings and desires for change, can be a highly beneficial way out of a crisis situation: after all, they are in the best position to give an account of the situation, and enable everyone to take the necessary distance to remedy the dysfunction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are, of course, strong values to be found just about everywhere, but these need to be nuanced, refined and adapted. If you don’t first ask yourself the question of who you really are, it’s very easy to fall into the trap of platitudes and use generic expressions and values that in no way reflect the reality and ambition of the firm. Don’t hesitate to be challenged on your ideas, in order to move towards an expression with strong added value. To achieve this effectively, there’s nothing better than to be supported by communications experts who can ask the right questions, help the company to reflect on its identity, vision, ambitions and values, and then put forward the precise, high-impact words that will serve the company in the long term, both to attract customers and to recruit and retain talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ilias Meslohi<\/a> is Head of Strategy at eliott & markus<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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