"Your employer brand IS your brand."

"How you treat your employees NOW is more important than ever.

I heard that a lot at the start of the crisis. I said it.

And yet ... Sports Direct. As COVID-19 took over, Mike Ashley showed characteristic contempt to the people that make his millions. The people that allow him to fill a mansion with as many fireplaces as he could ever wish to vomit in.

Their BrandIndex score plummeted. And so - three short months on - in an act of retribution, the British public .... queued for hours to buy his brands.

It's certainly a lesson to me; predictions can bite back.

BUT

I've been running EB focus groups all week. Sharing various messages about an employer with their target audiences.

Time again they have told me "Sounds good. But let me have the evidence, let me hear it from their people."

You'd probably made your mind up about Sports Direct's employer brand already.

For many other - most other - organisations, you have a pretty blank canvas. People don't know with much certainty what it's like inside.

People certainly know how they feel about their employer right now.

So, now's the perfect time to not just tell your audience, but show them. To let your people tell your story through their experiences. That's your best #employerbrand

Examine who you're helping, and who you're not

I've seen a lot of people post a message: "If you’ve recently been made redundant (or are at risk), and we’ve worked together at any time, please get in touch and let me know how I might help you..."

The sentiment is entirely laudable, and only one of helping others less fortunate.

BUT

Young people are going to be hit - again - by the recession. They don't yet have that network. By helping someone that does, getting them access they might not otherwise have, in some way circumventing the system - could you be denying another young person that opportunity?

Likewise, and topically, people with more influence are less likely to be BAME, or female, or in the minority re: most of the other protected characteristics.

Does this kind of informal networking perpetuate that? That's almost certainly not your intention, it may not be the result in your case, but it's hard to argue that any kind of "jobs-for-the-boys" doesn't preserve disadvantage.

If we're really serious about levelling up, we need to get way beyond acts of intentional discrimination. We need to understand what little acts have unintended consequences.

Please continue to help people. But please be mindful of who you might not be helping.

Unknown Territories

Ironically, people might be in one physical place but they're likely to be in many different mental places.

I've been trying to consume as many as discussions, webinars, blogs as my time/sanity will stand. Those that explore what work, employer comms and the relationship with your workforce will look like.

There's a common theme: You can't assume people's thoughts, motivations or concerns.

So how to navigate? How to create messages that are meaningful, that answer questions, that show a positive future?

In normal times, I'm a big fan of the creation of personas/segments/tribes to understand how to communicate. I don't think that's possible right now. People will fluidly move between segments, or even to whole new ones.

So, you need to keep listening, continuously. Assume nothing. Be prepared to adapt fast. Be prepared to stop what people told you they wanted before. Be prepared to tell people things aren't as you thought.

If you press on regardless, if you don't gain the thoughts, assent or understanding of your audience - then you'll confuse, or the message will just pass by.

With a constant dialogue, there will be a lot of forgiveness of change. Listen carefully, then take small steps. And be prepared for that next step to not be forwards.