Lack of trust and falling retention—brand can help here too

Remote work: hello freedom! I love that my afternoon walk replaced a visit to the snack room. When I talk to people in my network about hybrid and remote work, however, they describe a less-than-perfect situation. They struggle with two issues that the pandemic made worse: trust and retention. It’s really hard to trust people when you don’t work—or perhaps never have worked—face-to-face. Employees have few opportunities to fully know their colleagues.

Lack of trust leads to attrition. When employees trust management and encounter decisions they don’t agree with or understand, they assume good intent.

But without trust, they get frustrated, and—over time—leave. 

A strong brand positioning and messaging can bring even a fully distributed team closer.

How? 

Brand strategy aligns and inspires from the inside of a company to shape a holistic experience on the outside. It is a lens for decision making and shapes the experiences people have with a brand. 

The process is as valuable as the outcome. 

Positioning and messaging—key components of brand strategy—require a company to succinctly describe who they are, what they do, why they matter, and what the world can expect from them. The process demands alignment and clarity. This leads to trust.

But branding is not only about engaging customers and prospects; it’s for all stakeholders, including investors, talent, and partners. A strong brand can help define your culture, not to mention make people feel proud to work at a company. When employees feel proud, they make good decisions, act with integrity, and work with purpose. And, ultimately, they stay.