The tech sector’s already bumpy year has been recently interrupted with almost daily announcements of layoffs causing hiring freezes.
Desperate projections continue to fortify expectations of a global recession around the corner and another turmoil in the tech talent market. According to tracker layoffs.fyi, 16.000 employees were laid-off in June, almost the same amount as in May.
However, more shockingly, some employees were laid-off distantly and inhumanly. Their laptops were remotely blocked without any further explanation, and later on, they found out that they were part of a massive company layoff.
In the times when tech companies pay most of their attention to building rock-solid company culture and keeping their employer’s brand polished, actions like these are a major setback.
Simple fact, people respond to people.
Being yourself lays the foundations to start humanizing your brand
It’s not awkward to experience a series of layoffs at this very moment.
The technology sector grew so rapidly in the past decade by burning venture capital without worrying about profits that, at some point, it had to reach the tipping point and start spinning down.
However, the way tech companies conduct employee layoffs sends alarming sounds.
Shape the consistency of your brand voice and actions and focus on the most important thing - being human. This way, your employees and external audience (which consists of potential candidates you want to attract) will feel the magnetic pull towards your company because they will see that you care.
It might sound like being heard 100 times so far, but again, be yourself. No matter if the times are great or bad, be willing to open up if you want others to understand and connect with who you are.
Humanized employer brands put their focus on personality and emotions
People love to know what’s happening behind a company’s closed doors—making it practical to communicate information using your website or social media accounts.
As it’s natural to provide outsiders with glimpses of workplace atmosphere (no matter if it’s onsite, hybrid, or remote), or working processes, or even to talk about the technology your company uses, the same way should be done when communicated that workforce reduction are around the corner.
In that way, laid-off employees and those who stay with the company will see that you will take care of them no matter what.
Don’t restrict yourself to faceless, cold, and corporate press statements where one monotone voice is on display explaining how challenging the situation is. We are well aware of that but want to see and hear true empathy.
Humans connect to, relate to, and trust other humans.
Make sure that all your website content and social media must be infused with personality, emotion, and understanding about losing dear colleagues, family, and people with whom you have achieved great things and will do again in the future!
Think of sharing personal stories from company leaders about the lessons learned in that period. Don’t just dump dirty laundry. Reflect and communicate how life lessons were learned.
Humanizing your employer’s brand is just one step toward protecting your brand in times of crisis, and it also provides more life to it.
Treat your employees as humans first
At the moment, no one is spared from potential layoff situation. Moreover, the actions from tech companies we have seen so far could be better when protecting the employer brand.
When implementing everyday employer branding strategy, companies should pay attention to these key pieces:
- An Employer Value Proposition (EVP)
- Company values and essence
- A glimpse of company culture and what it’s to work for your company
Creating robust and up-to-date EVP needs a proper foundation, and aligning with the company’s strategic context is essential. So, how do you achieve that? EVP captures the essence of your uniqueness and defines how you want to be perceived as an employer.
Consider doing regular surveys to track these markers, as in every project. The first part is to discover and understand.
Blogs can be the perfect format to create content made of stories about overcoming failure. You shouldn’t forget that trust building process starts with full transparency and stirs away any sign of toxicity, no matter how things are good or bad.
An excellent employer brand is invaluable when looking to attract tech talent, especially in times of crisis when you want to show how your company is treating employees as humans first.
Conclusion
No matter what lies ahead, you should stay true to your ‘brand self.’ And always come back to the ‘Why’ question because it helps share things that keep you going during good and bad times.
