Your employees are restless. What now?

“Impactful and distinctive cultures are meticulously designed to deliver both strategic direction and emotional connection.” – Adrian Pring, Head of Strategy at Design Bridge and Partners Hong Kong

Culture is business-critical

In today’s dynamic talent landscape, a strong, brand-aligned culture is not just a ‘nice-to-have’ but a fundamental driver of business success. Organisations must prioritise their employer brand with the same rigour they apply to their customer-facing brand. While customers invest their money, employees invest their energy, talent, and precious time.

Organisations owe it to their people to make the working experience as positive as possible. In doing so, they also deliver significant value to their shareholders. Gallup’s latest meta-analysis, covering over three million employees worldwide across over 50 industries, found that highly engaged organisations in the top quartile boast 10% greater customer loyalty, 18% better productivity, and 23% higher profitability compared to the bottom quartile.

Managing your employer brand has never been more complex. From Covid to ‘The Great Resignation’, the cost of living crisis, and the impact of AI, global forces impacting the employee experience have created a gulf of uncertainty. In Asia, the challenge is particularly acute. A study by OC Tanner reveals that 43% of employees in the region are merely in “surviving mode,” with only a quarter thriving – the lowest globally.

Furthermore, PWC indicates that around a third of respondents in Asia-Pacific are eyeing other employment opportunities (42% for Gen Z) – higher than during ‘The Great Resignation.’ A recent Manpower survey further highlights this, showing nearly four in five employers are struggling to find skilled talent, putting immense pressure on operations and business continuity.

Culture is by design

Organisational culture, often perceived as an intangible force, is the sum of employees’ lived experiences. While beanbags, beer fridges, and ping-pong tables might create superficial good vibes, effectively managing culture and employee experience goes far deeper. Beyond simply having happy employees, it is crucial to ensure absolute clarity about what prospects can genuinely expect when joining a business.

As Hannah Duley, Global Head of Employer Branding and Candidate Experience at HSBC, puts it, “You can speak about your employer brand, but if the interactions that individuals have don’t live up to that, then it’s not great – it can have adverse effects on your brand and how it’s perceived.”

Goldman Sachs serves as an excellent, albeit challenging, example. Often cited for its cutthroat environment, regularly culling the bottom 5-10% of performers annually, it remains a top employer on Glassdoor and Forbes/Statista. As one recent employee from Hong Kong posted, “Awesome company to grow and develop a career – not for the faint-hearted.” This demonstrates that managing the employer brand is fundamentally about setting clear expectations and consistently delivering on them.

Impactful and distinctive cultures are meticulously designed to deliver both strategic direction and emotional connection. They clearly define who belongs – and often, by implication, who does not (as exemplified by Goldman Sachs). These cultures enshrine the behaviours expected by all, establishing a framework that fosters trust within the organisation and among colleagues. While cultural variations will naturally exist across markets, divisions, and teams, a shared, compelling understanding of the business’s direction and the actions employees can take to contribute to its growth forms the essential foundations for performance.

Culture is a manageable asset

A symbiotic relationship exists between brand and culture: brand informs culture, and a positive culture is vital for brand delivery. While brand shapes how an organisation presents itself to the world, employees are the ultimate conduits of that brand experience. Remona Duquesne, Principal Consultant, Fractional Chief Brand Officer, at Firstwater Advisory, supports this view: “The employer brand should be a reflection of what the corporate brand is, and the culture and the people within are a way to deliver on that promise.” If employees do not feel a sense of belonging or purpose, the brand promise will not be effectively delivered, jeopardising customer experience, engagement, sales, and loyalty.

READ MORE: The employer brand is no longer built in the boardroom

Therefore, managing your employer brand and culture initiatives demands the same strategic rigour typically applied to your customer-facing brand. It requires a deep 50/50 partnership between HR and marketing teams. The key is co-creation, not imposition.

Begin with truth – an honest assessment of your current culture – and balance this with a positive vision for how the culture should evolve to support business growth. Codify the desired culture through values or behaviours, then identify the moments in the employee journey that define what it means to be part of the business.

While the employee experience was once delivered behind closed doors, today much of it is shared on social media and enters the public sphere. Thus, it is crucial to embed the employer brand internally before broadcasting it, ensuring authenticity. Finally, just as brand measures inform brand managers, key performance indicators like Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) and other metrics can bring focus to managing the employer brand and demonstrating how it is contributing to business objectives.

Culture change starts now

By strategically designing and aligning your culture with your corporate brand, organisations can not only attract and retain top talent but also foster a truly resilient and high-performing workforce.

In an era where talent is discerning and transparency is non-negotiable, a brand-informed culture is a powerful asset. It transcends superficial perks, becoming a magnet for top talent and the engine for sustained performance. Organisations that embrace this strategic imperative – by intentionally designing their culture and aligning it seamlessly with their core brand – will not only thrive amid disruption but will also build a resilient, engaged workforce that naturally delivers on their brand promise, securing long-term success and stakeholder value.

About the Author: Adrian Pring, Head of Strategy at Design Bridge and Partners Hong Kong.