Has the land of Ricola and Lindt caught onto the employer branding trend?
We may have many shiny – and oh so yummy – products to be proud of, but where does Switzerland stand in terms of employer branding?
We’ve done a little bit of research – and we think that there’s room to grow ☺
Multinational companies like Google are *very* adept at creating a strong employer brand.
Ask anyone thinking about a job in business/tech whether they’d like to work at Google and chances are, they’d respond with a positive.
Why?
Because Google has a very attractive Employer Brand.
Candidates applying at Google are not uniquely selected for their technical skills but for their “Googleyness” – meaning their ability to thrive in in an environment of ambiguity and uncertainty.
Creating a strong employer brand helps create a people-business fit.
What’s the result?
Well – Google Switzerland was rated number 1 for:
- training,
- interesting job content,
- career progression opportunities and pleasant working atmosphere.
That’s quite something, isn’t it? (Randstad award survey, 2016)
Even if your company is not a multinational tech business, adopting a A/B testing model approach like the one used in tech when thinking about creating an employer brand can be useful.
See it as a metaphor.
Employer branding is in constant flux. It is a work-in-progress… and in some cases, it may need a makeover.
So we now know that large tech companies are masters at creating an attractive employer brand.
But what about SME’s? And crucially, what about SME’s in Switzerland?
Many Swiss small to medium-sized businesses are incredible places to work at (and with!).
You may well sell all-round reputable products or services, offer fantastic benefits, have the longest-standing relationships with your stakeholders.
But if you’re a Swiss company, chances are that you do not yet have a comprehensive strategy that communicates this.
This is where there’s room to improve.
In times such as these, where there’s a shortage of skilled workers – especially if your company is looking to attract candidates in professions like engineering, IT, technology or medicine, setting yourself apart from the competition is worth gold. (Skilled Worker Shortage Index Switzerland 2020)
And how to do that?
Yes indeed – you build a strong employer brand.
And if you’re unsure of what it is that Swiss workers want, look onto the last slide ☺
(small hint: the clichés are true… a good salary cannot hurt)
