guest column :Emmanuel Zvada THE ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has put every company’s employer brand to the test. During times of crisis, your employer brand must become your brand and that is an irrefutable fact. While employer branding may not seem like a high priority to some, this is exactly the moment when organisations must take care to respect, protect and even elevate their reputation to internal and external stakeholders. Without doubt, the COVID-19 crisis is forcing many businesses to confront a new reality that puts their employer brand to the test. If you are an employer or business leader, this is the moment in history when your true identity will emerge, and it will be easy to see if it matches who you said you were all along. Employers and business leaders need to remember that their identity and their promises need to be kept despite the difficult decisions that need to be made. Various measures that were taken during the lockdown such as layoffs and freezing of benefits have an impact on both corporate and employer brands, but how these actions are perceived depend on the way they were executed and communicated. What is employment branding? Simply put, your employer brand reflects your reputation as a workplace. What’s it like to work at your firm? Does the culture emphasise individual autonomy or obedience to authority? Employer brand is the reputation your organisation has with its own employees and the wider employment market. Unlike your corporate brand, which is how your clients see you, your employer brand is how your employees see you, and is an important component of your corporate brand. How it helps your business With the help of a strong employer brand, your company will be able to increase the number of quality applicants, reduce costs per recruitment and differentiate yourself from competitors. A strong employer brand is vital for the success of any organisation, which is only as good as the talent it has operating within it. Which means having a strong employer brand is critical in attracting and retaining the talent you need to take your organisation forward, while competing in ever-competitive and increasingly challenging markets. As the recovery from COVID-19 gathers pace, with many workplaces having already begun the reopening process, employees will be evaluating the response and handling of matters in response to the pandemic, and this evaluation process is extended to organisations of all sizes. Some of the questions that are being asked by prospective employees and current ones are, “How did the employer treat them (its employees) through this really difficult time”? “Would the behaviour of this organisation in response to the pandemic align with the values that they have individually and would they want to continue being part of it”? The following tactics may help you improve employer branding to attract and retain the top industry talent. Recognise your employees’ efforts Every human being wants to be recognised and appreciated for the work they do because they like to see the re