When it comes to developing an employer brand that encourages, satisfies, and crafts passionate employees, there is arguably one group within the company that can make the most significant difference: leaders. From critical business meetings to simple email conversations, everything a leader does send ripples throughout the entire workforce

A leader’s approach to their employer brand could not be more critical in such a fast-paced and competitive market. Leaders who fail to support a thriving company culture will inevitably see adverse results as a consequence, whether through negative reviews on jobseeker portals like Glassdoor.com or decreased employee referrals. When 80% of talent acquisition managers agree that talented workforces are attracted by a good employer brand, your company’s leaders need to pay attention to what this means for them.

Whether your business is struggling to acquire new talent or already has a robust workforce, maintaining an attractive employer brand is a battle that never ceases. It is a battle that only grows in importance should your company hope to survive future challenges. To stay afloat amidst rough waters, your company’s leaders should regularly follow the guidelines listed below.

Customer Branding Works in Tune with Employer Branding

Businesses hear a lot about developing their consumer brand. After all, it’s what draws customers into retail outlets, propels them to make purchases, and recommends products to other potential buyers. While consumer branding remains as crucial as ever, leaders should know that employer and consumer brands are not mutually exclusive. When one of them improves, so does the other. Should one of them fail, the other will be negatively impacted as well.

When a business focuses on improving their company culture and developing an employer brand that supports its employees, consumers are bound to recognize the investment. More customers than ever expect companies to be transparent and ethical in their operations, with 64% of consumers refusing to make purchases from companies that treat their employees poorly.

If anything, the age of COVID-19 only makes this requirement more evident. In such a shaky economic period, companies must first ensure both consumers and employees are staying safe from the virus. If leaders neglect to support an employer brand that promotes safety and well-being for their workforce, customers are also put at risk regardless of how strong the consumer-facing brand is. Therefore, businesses have no choice but to treat both sides equally to keep from losing consumer trust and employee loyalty.

A life-altering pandemic like COVID-19 is rare, but it goes to show how vital it is for business leaders to divert their attention towards building an employer brand that works in conjunction with their consumer brand. By developing both appropriately, consumers will be more willing to purchase products and leave great reviews, while employees will be more loyal and refer more talent to your recruitment team.

Don’t Ignore Communication with Nonessential Personnel

Regardless of what position an employee might hold in your company, being a successful leader means maintaining regular communication and practicing transparency with all workforce members. If you have a few candidates for an open position on the backlog, you need to let them know the circumstances regarding how long the hiring process might be, where your business stands, and if they should expect a callback. As always, don’t ever promise anything you know you can’t deliver.

Making sure you support a good employee experience is the backbone of any good employer brand. If your employees can’t trust your word because you never contacted them when you said you would or failed to inform them that a position was filled, why should they believe what other higher-ups have to say?

If your business’ leaders practice transparency and keep their word, the same values will be reflected in transactions with consumers. Additionally, employees can become some of your most passionate brand ambassadors when treated with respect, making your business attractive to new talent and customers.

A Clear Mission Statement

Leaders must inform their employees what the company stands for. Mission and purpose statements have become popular company maxims for this exact reason, as they give the workforce a clear goal to pursue while also communicating its purpose to consumers.

Google’s mission statement is a powerful example.

“Our company mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”

This famous statement does two essential things. First, it educates users on what they can expect of the service; second, it develops the employer brand by detailing what future employees will be tasked with achieving should they join the company. By having such a detailed purpose and strong company culture, Google reached the first spot on Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2017 and is regularly recognized by consumers for granting its employees impressive benefits and support.

With a proper mission statement, leaders will have something to work towards as they create new goals, examine past performance, and hire new talent throughout the years. Without a clear mission, employees are prone to be disoriented in response to recent changes, and leaders will find it difficult to address critical issues correctly.

The Information Age

Whether your business is a mom-and-pop shop or a multinational corporation, its leaders should be prepared to take every guideline listed above into consideration. Long gone are the days when companies could get away with offering limited information regarding their company culture, employee treatment, and overall purpose.

In the information age, both employees and consumers want to know everything they can about your business, and it’s up to your company’s leaders to prove that what you have to offer is worth their time and money.