Employer brand – Little things that matter
Rosa Kaasalainen / 24 Aug 2020
About the author:
Rosa Kaasalainen works as a Sales Support and Marketing Trainee within NAPCON. She studies marketing at Turku School of Economics at the University of Turku. During this summer she works in the Customer Relations team at NAPCON and her responsibilities include marketing and sales related tasks for example social media, digital marketing and lead management.
It was another gloomy evening in January when I sent my application and CV to NAPCON. I was so exhausted after working late and finishing my school courses but luckily I checked my calendar again only to notice this is the last day to send the application before the deadline. I was so close to giving up and passing this one but luckily I didn´t. After many evenings like this without hearing from any company I was frustrated. So much work and effort and still nothing from any company.
Luckily there are some companies that have already seen the importance and potential of a great employer brand.
Okay it’s only January I said to myself. Then February, March, April, May and still so many companies never even answered. I believe this is the situation that many students and summer trainees can relate to. And it’s such a shame. Unlike other companies, NAPCON and their communication during the recruitment process was very clear and memorable from the very beginning. They always kept us informed and the process was easy and smooth. Luckily there are some companies that have already seen the importance and potential of a great employer brand. Maybe some others will follow in the future, at least I hope so!
Often a lot of work is done by focusing on brand marketing but companies easily forget the most important one; employer brand.
Often a lot of work is done by focusing on brand marketing but companies easily forget the most important one; employer brand. How customers can believe in the brand if even their own employees don’t believe in it. Personally I believe that a good brand is built primarily from the inside and it will come across to customers. It’s as important that the company’s internal operations meet the customer experience as the employer brand meets the employee experience.
One of the three Neste’s and NAPCON’s values is “We care” and you know what, after working 2 months at NAPCON I can tell you a secret. They really do care. It was only my early days at NAPCON when I had a challenging situation. Or actually I thought it would be challenging. Little did I know. Couple of my exams were rescheduled and I had to ask my manager for permission to do an exam during my first couple of days. I was so nervous about even asking but my manager was so understanding and he just said something like “of course, school is the most important”. I really appreciate this kind of attitude because I know it’s not something taken for granted at any company.
It turned out that with the right attitude and a positive approach on things, it’s not about the working conditions, but all about the people and the little things that makes the difference.
NAPCON summer trainees had just gotten their employment contracts signed when COVID-19 hit the business and the everyday life of us all. Especially during these days it was so important to focus on the little things that make employees feel comfortable to work. It turned out that with the right attitude and a positive approach on things, it’s not about the working conditions, but all about the people and the little things that makes the difference.
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Virtual coffee breaks, “walks and talks”, How are you feeling about your work today -questionnares, exercise breaks, one to one discussions, virtual team meetings and afterworks, sending chocolate on the first day, sending handmade masks to every employee during COVID-19. These are just a few examples of the little things that NAPCON does and which make the employer (brand) great. Because actually it’s all about the little things and “We care”-attitude.