Video: Becoming the top employer - Insights from SME Week

Employer Branding

Becoming the top employer - Insights from SME Week

Here's what an expert panel had to say about building employer brand among SMEs

Creating a high performing culture in an organization involves attracting some of the best talent in the marketplace. In a virtual panel discussion during the SME Talent Week, Meena Ganesh, CEO at Portea and Dinesh R, CHRO, OYO Rooms and Meher Sarid, President and Group President (HR,Brand MarComm & Corporate Affairs) of Oxigen reflected on what makes a ‘top employer’ in the small and medium business context. The session was moderated by Praveen Kamath, General Manager – Human Resources, Wipro Ltd.

Meher Saird noted that the level of attraction that a company holds makes them the best employer, which includes the work environment that employees need. Dinesh highlighted that the ‘work’ itself acts as a critical component to how people assess a good employer. To that effect, the needs of the employees and business should be in sync. Meena noted that it is important to make sure that people have skills that they need, without which they would feel they are trying hard and reaching nowhere.

Role of Leadership

The leader and the leadership team play a crucial role in driving the vision and in inspiring employees. “Leadership teams set up performance benchmarks and educate people who are working for them,” said Meena. The role of HR in supporting the leadership is to ensure that the employees understand business goals. Dinesh noted that the leadership plays a crucial role in communication and building trust among teams. 

Employer Branding

“Every employee is a brand ambassador” Meher noted. And as businesses grow, the brand grows along with it. In order to make a brand successful, it is important to focus on the well-being of the employee. This involves recognizing hard work, establishing a connection with the values of the company and establishing trust.  “ Don’t be afraid to do whatever it takes to make the company successful – Walk the talk” Meena noted. 

“Employees need to be comfortable and they need to see the actions being undertaken visibly”  she adds. As companies start to grow, there is a greater chance for them to be become disconnected with the vision, the key, therefore is to communicate.

(This article is based on insights from a virtual panel on the topic "Becoming the top employer" conducted as part of the SME Week)

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Topics: Employer Branding, #SMETalent

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