The Des Moines Business Record recently featured me in an article about people starting new ventures since the US economic situation took a turn for the worse. I was one of three folks profiled in the peice and I was very pleased with their portrayl of my efforts. Thanks Sarah Bzdega!

It isn’t too expensive or complicated to improve your company’s employer brand. Here are 5 inexpensive/free ways to make your company stand apart in the eyes of current and potential employees:

Improve Communication

The communication received by most applicants is atrocious. If you can treat applications more like requests for product information, you will win the employment brand war hands down. This is the first impression of your company for many people. These people work in your industry and are likely to become a part of your network in some way. Just a quick note saying their application was received and another note when the position gets filled will go a long way towards satiating their hunger for any morsel of news. A phone call is even better. A handshake and a smile is the best. Aretha Franklin had it right R – E – S – P – E – C – T!

Current employees need to know the state of the company. A consistent amount of communication from leadership letting everyone know what’s going on now (and what’s just ahead) would do wonders to the impression current employees have of your company. Both Gen X and Gen Y workers want to feel ownership when it comes to their job. Information sharing builds up that feeling. More importantly, lack of information destroys the impression of ownership. Even a newsletter would suffice as long as the content was meaningful and from the top. Continue reading »