Top Qualifications To Consider For Your New Employee Branding Content Provider
Employee branding is all about uniting your team and creating a cohesive brand image. So, how can an "outsider" create content for your new online training program? The secret is finding an employee branding content provider who adapts to your needs. They must also have niche expertise that goes beyond the branding basics. For example, vendors know the unique challenges your employees face and how to bridge relevant gaps. But how do you find the best outsourcing partner in a tight time frame? Look for these 8 qualifications to maximize value for money and avoid launch delays.
1. Adaptability
Outsourcing partners need to adapt every time they accept a project. Essentially, they have to become your best brand advocate. That’s the only way to immerse themselves in your messaging and develop amazing resources. However, they must also adapt to your workflow. Every outsourcing partner has work practices of their own. But theirs need to mesh with yours to achieve employee branding success. Otherwise, you’ll probably have to deal with conflicts, brand confusion, and low-quality content. All because the vendor can’t get on the same page.
2. Tech Expertise
Even if the content provider becomes your biggest brand cheerleader, they still need to know their tech. Ideally, vendors should have the latest authoring tools and stay on top of trends. If they’re hosting employee brand training on your behalf, ask about their LMS. How much do they really know about the platforms? More importantly, can they explain how all the tech features maximize your ROI? For instance, you have access to advanced reports so that you’re able to track employee performance.
3. Open Communication
Brand training for employees centers on effective communication. The same goes for outsourcing projects. Thus, your employee branding strategy vendor should prioritize open communication. For instance, they welcome your feedback and schedule a revision round after each phase. Or they provide a weekly progress report so that you know everything is on track. Above all, the vendor needs to be fully transparent about the work process. If there’s a problem that might affect the deadline, they should notify you ASAP.
4. Employee Branding Experience
The tricky thing about employee brand training is that there’s no formula to follow. Sure, most organizations use a similar template. However, all those placeholders need to be replaced by personalized content that resonates with employees and reflects your image. As such, your new employee branding content provider should have experience in the industry. Do they have any relevant work samples in their portfolio? Are there reviews that mention brand training or ambassador certification courses?
5. Design Skills
Ideally, the content they produce should be engaging and easy to consume, and that calls for top-notch design skills. You know, those tools I mentioned earlier. Well, they need to know how to use them to create meaningful employee branding resources. They shouldn’t just be eye-catching either. Employees need to access content on their mobile devices and connect on an emotional level. This is yet another reason to check out their work samples and landing page. The past projects tell you a lot about their design approach.
6. Creativity
Your new employee branding content provider needs to have a creative spark. It’s not enough to simply upload the info and hope that something sticks. In short, the vendor has to know how to deliver information and inspire staffers instead of boring them to tears. For example, the employee branding content provider doesn’t settle for slideshows. They take it up a notch with webinars and interactive guides. Granted, vendors should ask for your approval if you’re already halfway through the project. Then again, you could ask for their suggestions in your RFP. Why not welcome their fresh ideas so that you can budget accordingly?
7. Time Management Skills
If you’re racing the clock, you need a vendor with strong time management skills, which includes a variety of other skills, from planning and organization to problem-solving. For example, you’re a week away from the deadline. Suddenly, one of the vendor’s key team members gets sick, but it doesn’t have a huge impact on your project because they planned ahead. Most of the work is already done or they can bring in a consultant to fill in the gaps. This all happens behind the scenes, so you probably won’t even know that you just averted an L&D catastrophe. And that’s the beauty of effective time management.
8. Employee Branding (On Their End)
Ultimately, the vendor needs a solid employee branding strategy for their company. After all, how can they help your employees soak up brand messaging if their own team lacks cohesion? Take a closer look at their website to get a feel for their branding and team dynamic. For instance, every element includes subtle branding and their entire site aligns with the core message. You can also set up a meeting to chat about the project and how to approach it, which will give you the chance to see how they embody their brand in the real world.
Conclusion
Your new employee coaching content provider should have a strong work ethic and team dynamic. In some cases, they might bring in consultants to fill in the gaps, such as SMEs and IT experts, and these pros need to mesh with your team too. This is why it’s so crucial to host a meet-and-greet beforehand; get to know their key players and see if everyone gets along. Granted, you don’t need to make lifelong friendships. The main goal is to form a successful collaboration that makes everyone feel valued.
How do you draft a winning RFP once you find the right outsourcing partners? Read our eBook Employee Branding Outsourcing: How To Choose The Perfect Solution To Build Brand Advocacy for tips to evaluate vendors and maximize ROI.
