HR Branding and Onboarding

The Human Resources department is the most critical player in a new hire’s initial perception of his/her work environment. During onboarding, HR has the opportunity to solidify the image the company presents as an employer.

If you don’t develop and communicate a strong HR brand, you are leaving this process up to chance. At best your organization may come across as simply having a disorganized approach to employee relations. At worst, your HR department will be viewed as incompetent or uncaring.

Take charge and brand yourself instead. How do you want to be perceived as an employer? Organized, competent, employee centered, eco-responsible, teamwork focused, quality oriented, you can choose which qualities to highlight.

Here are some ways to promote your Human Resources brand during onboarding:

Technology

Use current technology to brand your HR department as efficient and effective. New employees notice whether your onboarding strategy involves streamlined electronic processes or messy, repetitive paper forms.

Employers who fail to upgrade their HR technology are sending a message to employees that the company’s human capital infrastructure is not worth investing in. Ironically, organizations actually save a significant amount of money by switching to a universal onboarding system - it makes no sense to continue using outdated methods.

Visuals & Message Content

People respond to images on a gut level. That means they will come to associate your company with whatever written messages are distributed under the corporate logo. This means you have the ability to mold the perception of your HR brand every time you communicate with employees. This includes the job offer letter, your company welcome page, and each training and acculturation module in your onboarding program.

Ensure that your messages are:

Honest
Accurate
Timely
Positive
Easy to understand
HR does have to use “legal speak” a lot. This means you must make an effort to communicate in layperson’s terms finding a balance between a professional and personal voice. Add interest with video and audio to capture your new hires’ attention more fully.

Two-Way Communication

Feedback is the key to improving HR processes. Always include a forum for new hires to communicate with HR about their experience during onboarding. This could take the form of a survey page, an email helpdesk address, or an HR blog where employees can leave comments.