Top 3 lessons in my first 3 months at The Employer Brand Shop
The first few months in a new job are so important to shape your first impressions, and being able to bring fresh eyes to your work. In my first few months at The Employer Brand Shop I’ve found myself constantly scribbling down notes and feeling like a sponge, absorbing a ton.
I joined The Employer Brand Shop three months ago from a mid-sized company in a corporate communications role, with some employer brand responsibilities. Transitioning to a small agency environment and being able to focus entirely on employer branding in my new role has been a big shift. Not only am I learning more everyday about the dynamic landscape of employer branding and recruitment marketing, but also our team culture and work-life balance and flexibility in action.
Since you only start a new job with fresh eyes once, I wanted to write down the top three things I’ve learned so far.
1. What is employer branding and recruitment marketing — and how do you explain it to your parents?
Where do you work? What do you do? Whenever you start a new job, you inevitably get this question a lot.
You know you can easily fall into all the new lingo and acronyms and quickly forget that’s not how people actually speak. So I called up my parents to help with this one and first asked them to explain what they think my job is. They’re both lifelong elementary school teachers and always keen to learn (they’re now some of EBS’ biggest supporters!).
Dad: “You help with employee engagement and selling a company as a great place to work. These days I don’t think people feel an obligation to stay at a job and jump around more, so companies are trying to figure out what meaningful work looks like.”
Mom: “You consult with companies about improving the climate for employees at work, and write about what they care about at work and inspire job opportunities for others. I think it’s more difficult to show now with so many companies being online!”
I’d say they did pretty well! I’ve described it a number of ways but we essentially help companies find what actually makes their workplace stand out to employees, and why people stay.
My background is in journalism, so I’ve always had a passion for finding and telling interesting stories. And I like to think of my new role as an Employer Brand Content Manager as another type of journalist! My role is to find the stories of what it’s actually like to work somewhere, what gets people excited about their work, understand what their best and their worst days look like, and what makes it worth it. Then, I help companies share those stories with the world to help attract and retain talent.
2. Now is the best time to be in this field
You’ve probably seen hiring signs at restaurants and articles about “The Great Resignation.” According to CareerArc, 61% of full-time employees are seeking new jobs in 2021. The past year has really changed people’s ideas and values around work, which makes now a really interesting and exciting time to be working in recruitment marketing.
I’ve learned a lot about what it means to be in a “candidates’ market.” It means people who are looking for jobs have power — often more than they think. It’s forced companies to step up with things like offering flexible working options, work-life balance, prioritizing inclusion and actually showing it in action.
We’re working with companies to highlight these stories of what the authentic employee experience is— and that’s what candidates really want to know right now. Many employers have gotten a loud wake-up call, making them rethink what differentiates them and how they can put their people first. It’s been rewarding so far working with our clients and being able to bring those stories to life.
What gets me excited about this work is how it’s a mix of communications, marketing, and HR. In past roles I’ve specialized in marketing and communications, with employer branding on the side of my desk. Now being able to focus on recruitment marketing and employer branding is energizing and it’s been incredible to already learn so much from professionals I’ve met in the growing community.
3. What flexibility in a workplace looks like in practice
With our clients, we’re hearing how flexibility and work-life balance are increasingly the top values candidates are seeking out in their next workplace. At EBS, we aim to be our own best case study in this.
During my interview process, Kaitlyn and Natasha emphasized that being flexible with work hours and arrangements is a big part of the culture. But let’s be honest, a lot of companies say that, but it doesn’t necessarily translate to the day-to-day.
Now three months in, I can see how it’s a reality here, and that’s mainly because of our team leading my example. The focus is on getting your work done, during the hours and times that work for you. What does it look like in practice?
Here are the concrete ways flexibility and work-life balance are embedded in our company culture:
Kaitlyn, Natasha, and Erica at our socially distanced team picnic this summer!
Being off, when you’re off. Turning off slack notifications in the evenings and weekends, and setting clear expectations with our clients about our working hours.
Celebrate time to take off to recharge. In the summer we have “Finish Early Fridays,” where if we can, we wrap up early and get a head start on the weekend.
Checking in regularly about capacity. At our daily stand-up meetings we check in on workload. If someone says it’s too much, our other team members pitch in and find ways to take something off your plate. It’s encouraged to ask for help. If you’ve started a new job recently, you know this can especially be tricky when you’re still getting to know people and wanting to show your work. But, remember, we’re human, not robots!
Taking breaks is encouraged. Need a workout mid-morning? Go for it. Brain feeling mush by mid-afternoon? Don’t try to push through, step away from your desk and go for a walk to take a mental break.
Having people who lead by example and letting go of the idea of needing to be “always on” is so essential. I’ve felt burnout before, as many of us have over the past year, and this was a top priority in my job search. We’re all human and have limits on our mental capacity.
From hearing about these kinds of daily practices and reading The Employer Brand Shop blog which has recommendations on this for clients, helped with my decision to make the jump.
Three months in, I still have that “sponge-like” feeling where I’m absorbing and learning so much everyday from our team, clients, and other professionals in the recruitment marketing and employer branding community.
It’s a good sign when you’re a few months in and still feeling like there’s lots to learn, and you’re leaving the work day feeling energized, and excited about what’s ahead.
About The Employer Brand Shop
The Employer Brand Shop is a boutique recruitment marketing and employer brand agency located in Kitchener, Canada. Our team helps organizations around the world attract and engage talent using creative marketing strategies.