Think Employer Branding is just for big business? Think again.

Employer branding is a powerful tool not just reserved for large businesses with big budgets. If you run a multi-venue hospitality business, you may just have unique advantages that can ensure your employer brand stands out. By tapping into authentic connections and community engagement, offering a personal touch, and fostering strong employee loyalty, your business can attract local talent, reduce recruitment costs, and enhance customer experiences. These benefits demonstrate the value of a great employer branding strategy, even though it can be daunting to get started.

Read on to discover how my experience at Xero opened my eyes to their growth strategy that can be applied to businesses of any size.

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Xero is now one of the world's most recognised B2B software brands, offering #beautiful accounting software for small businesses, but it didn't start out as a big business. Like every business on the planet, it started small. What stood out to me, was that Xero had big ambitions to grow. Quickly. As an employee, I witnessed firsthand the impact of a strong employer brand to their growth strategy.

When I first started at Xero, the thing that struck me the most was how much autonomy every member of the Xero team was given to help grow the brand. Whether you worked in HR, engineering, legal or you manned the phones – everyone was a spokesperson and brand ambassador in their own right.  

Leadership created an environment that encouraged everyone to share their unique perspectives of working at Xero. No one (beyond the Sales team) was tasked with pushing accounting software or delivering product demos, instead, we were encouraged to simply share our work experiences with friends and networks.  

There was never a formal request sent out from the leadership team to ask staff to post about our experiences, rather, it was an organic movement driven by genuine passion for what Xero represented – a strong mission, autonomy, creativity, customer-centricity, and most importantly, it was a workplace full of great people who truly loved working together and helping each other succeed every day.  

My social feeds were constantly buzzing with updates about Xero - James posting on Instagram, Emma sharing on LinkedIn, Rob appearing in the media – all showcasing the awesome experiences they were having at work. Authentically sharing these experiences created a ripple effect, amplifying the Xero brand.  

From my perspective, this strategy worked in Xero’s favour in two significant ways:  

Firstly, it leveraged personal connections. Many of us knew someone connected to a small business, and hearing about a positive experience from a Xero employee influenced Small Business owners to purchase our accounting software. While the marketing and sales teams excelled in their roles, having a personal connection forged deeper interest in the brand.  

Secondly, it attracted top talent. By creating an environment where enthusiastic, personable, and talented individuals thrived, Xero became a magnet for skilled professionals. As the company grew, existing team members were promoted, drawing even more exceptional talent to our doorstep.  

The influx of talent strengthened our workforce, bought diversity of thinking, enhanced our customers' experiences, and led to revenue growth. Moreover, it drove employee retention – a testament to the fact that when you create a workplace that your team love, they become reluctant to leave.

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At rikta, we often use the analogy "Who would want to leave a party that everyone wants to get into?" That party was Xero.  

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So, I encourage you to think about it for your hospo business.  

Are you delivering an awesome employee experience for your team? Is cultivating an environment where your employees are passionate advocates for your brand a priority for your business? You don’t need to be a global tech giant to implement a compelling Employer Branding strategy. Don’t forget, Xero was small once too. Word of Mouth helped build it into something bigger. 

At the end of the day, all you need for business success is great people who love coming to work and delivering standout customer experiences.  

Find out more about how Employer Branding can help you boost sales for your business. Follow rikta on instagram.

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