Young millennials and gen z are starting to enter the workforce. Most of them have an existing social media presence. It is a cultural thing, you can not expect your young employees to not speak on the internet. This generation is opinionated and informed. They stand tall for what they believe in. With the will to change the world for the better these graduates are the custodians of the future.
As young graduates enter the workforce it falls on the companies that are recruiting them to train them, guide them and support them in the journey of their careers. We all know how social media has become an important part of our lives. What we say, how we say it on social media become a part of our personal brand. This remains true for the graduates you hire for your business. The young people you hire are more likely to be present and thriving online, after all, it is their domain.
A company/business should be aware of the mark your employees are making online. The social media presence of your employees will be perceived as an extension of your company. You need to be vigilant that their personal brand and values align with the values of your company as a whole.
As employers, you have to guide them and train them to present their views in a refined way. Why it is important for companies to provide personal branding for new graduates is a valid question on the part of employers.
The answer to this question is rather straightforward, we live in a digital world where people will not just research your brand but who you are affiliated with, what you support, who are your employees, their qualifications, how you treat them, and more.
This hypervigilance can seem overwhelming to respond to. Make sure that you put your best foot forward and that your employees do the same. Their personal brand is an extension of your company’s. You can help the young graduates you hire in making their personal brand by teaching them effective leadership, communication, marketing, and branding. These young people are future leaders and will require these skills sooner rather than later.
When you invest in the personal growth of your employees from the beginning, it builds a great foundation of trust and loyalty. When your employees feel valued and see growth in their personal profile they are more likely to stay with you for a long time. Your employees will get more aligned with your ethos and company values when they feel happy and valued.
It is important that the personal brand of your employees compliments your company and values. These young employees have a voice and it is your responsibility to help them utilize this in a productive way. Business can help their graduate employees in representing their business by-
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helping them create their personal brand, presenting them as future leaders,
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that are effective communicators (in alignment with the vision and values of the employer).
Personal brands of employees are a great contributing factor to a business’s reputation. Branding is easily one of the most important investments a business can make. Helping your young graduate employees in cultivating their personal brand also helps in job retention.
What is personal branding?
Personal branding is the brand identity of a person or company. This is how the world, more importantly, your audience perceives you. It is a great way to share your values and unique selling points with your audience. Your personal branding is what sets you apart from your competitors.
Personal branding gives you the freedom to set the tone for how you wish to market yourself and your brand. It allows you to have a distinct voice with which you can put forth your point of view and stand.
Benefits of providing personal branding for new graduates
Companies may be critical of investing in new graduates. To understand why it is important for companies to provide personal branding for new graduates, let us look at some direct benefits that companies draw from it.
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Increased social media engagement
Employees with a strong personal brand have a great effect on social media. This can work in favor of the employer in many ways. This can improve the public perception of the employer. With time and a strong personal brand, your employee will be seen by the public as trusted experts in their field. This will add to the popularity and credibility of the company (employer).
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Increases hiring potential
When a company has employees that have strong personal brands that improve the profile of the company as an employer. The company is perceived as one that allows employees to grow and achieve their potential. This makes it a desirable place to work for others.
When someone applies for a job they research the company and its work culture. Having employees with effective and strong personal brands on social media looks good on the part of the company.
As more people would want to work with your company, you get to pick the best talents to work for you.
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Increased employee retention
When a company helps an employee with personal branding, it cultivates a relationship between the employee and the employer. Personal branding helps a person grow in their career. When employers help their employees achieve their potential, employees feel loyal to their employer.
They say happy employees have a better job retention rate and having a strong personal brand that is the foundation of a successful career will make any recently graduated employee happy.
Everything is digital these days. A brand can not afford to overlook their employee's personal brand as it will be seen as the extension of their company.
Shellye is committed to helping people from diverse backgrounds achieve their careers and life aspirations. The content published above was made in collaboration with our members.
Shellye Archambeau is determined to help you with all possible strategies to climb the ladder of success. She values your feedback. Do mention them in the comment section below.