Making L&Q an employer of choice
CASE STUDY
Dawson Walker developed an employer brand for housing association L&Q to attract talented individuals and re-engage the existing workforce.
The Challenge:
Recently L&Q:
- merged with East Thames HA
- acquired Gallagher Estates
- expanded into an ever increasing diversity of areas
- was de-selected by Best Place to Work (first time in 15 years)
- identified the need to increase diversity at a senior level.
It was time to develop their proposition – to discover and articulate what makes L&Q an employer of choice. The Employer Brand (EB) needed to attract new talented individuals and re-engage the existing workforce.
The Solution:
Dawson Walker developed a close partnership with L&Q that was critical to the success of the employer brand.
For many years we have been working closely together and in many ways we feel part of the L&Q business.
Business objectives
We set up a steering group (people from across the business) and agreed the objectives:
- Gain recognition from a great Place to Work
- Become an employer of choice
- Enhance L&Q's reputation focusing on their social purpose
The researche phase
The research programme focused on three key strands:
- L&Q staff - 30% of employees across all functions and locations
- 1000+ potential candidatesk
- 10 key competitors
Employee value proposition workshop
A workshop with key stakeholders gave us a wealth of inspiration to develop the EVP - the framework for the L&Q EB. It is a balanced deal - we have ensured that the L&Q values are also now our employer promises.
Employer brand creative
We shared a summary of the findings with all staff via posters, Yammer and a blog.We developed creative work that was tested and developed further.
The Yellow Chair has become an emblem of our communications. We have taken it on tour to film L&Q people telling us their stories. Each location ensures the chair stands out incongruously and the stars bring along possessions from outside of work. They describe the reasons that make L&Q an employer of choice.
A social media strategy
LinkedIn was chosen as a key attraction & engagement platform. We have focused our attention on the top priorities. We have exciting plans for the future – including the careers section of the L&Q website.
The employer brand is managed by the Assistant Director HR in partnership with us. A copy reference book and training seminar enable a direct recruitment culture.
The launch
L&Q hosted an all staff conference and used this as an opportunity to showcase the EB internally. We also made an employer brand film and created a new image bank.
The Results:
LinkedIn performance - 12 months:
- Increased followers by over 350%
- Impressions: 2,042,758
- Clicks: 53,516
- Engagement rate: 3.66%
- Followers: 18.017+
Year-on-year diversity at a leadership level has increased.
- Female representation from 27% to 31%
- BAME representation from 24% to 33%
- L&Q is ranked as a Great Place to Work
Share This Article
