In the last issue of Universum Quarterly, I wrote about how to adjust your external employer branding strategy during a recession. Note that I say adjust – not halt. Now, I want to discuss a second fundamental aspect of employer branding: internal branding. And just like external branding, internal communication of your employer brand should continue during a recession. It may look a little different, but it is very important to keep it going, for the following reasons:

Holding on to your top performers
As news of layoffs spread through your organization or the industry, even the people you have no intention of letting go – your top performers – get nervous and may begin looking for jobs elsewhere. And high performers – per definition – can always find a job, even in a recession. With the right communication and the right messaging, you can keep your key talent. This will ensure a stronger position for the company as a whole in the long term.

Putting the recession in its proper perspective
Judging by the news reports, one might think that a recession is a one-time cataclysmic event.In reality, recessions, just like periods of strong growth, are natural cycles of a market economy. Here is where your internal communication plays an important part in supporting and emphasizing to your employees that, no matter how gloomy things may look, the situation is temporary, and that the company is working hard to prepare for when things turn around – which they will do.

Keeping the focus on the long term goals
I suggest that you devise a detailed communications plan that focuses on what the company offers long term, and what the company’s goals are long-term. Surely, the short-term events and developments have to be explained and discussed, but they should not be the dominating topics. The long-term plans, goals and strategies should be. Several distinguished sources, such as the Corporate Executive Board and Towers Perrin, have reported a clear connection between employee engagement/productivity and internal employer branding, and engagement depends on information. So get to work on your information. Meet the recession head-on, and you will be stronger, better and smarter, once the recession gives way to the next cycle of growth and prosperity.

By Michal Kalinowski, CEO of Universum