Marketing to Employees
By Elizabteh Mansfield

Right now, demand for certified practitioners and technicians outweighs supply. Competing for a limited supply of talent means companies have to be aggressive. Those that succeed are using marketing techniques previously limited to obtaining new business or retaining existing business to recruit employees. Marketing demands the company present itself positively. 

Your company needs a marketing plan to attract good employees and retain the ones you have because human capital is your greatest asset. One good employee can attract 10, 20, 50, 100 or more new patients or referral sources, but one bad employee can drive away that many, too. If that happens, it can take 10 good employees to bring all those people back to your business. 

So finding good employees pays off. And if you want great employees, you have to position your company as an employer of choice. 

What tactics can you use to position your company as an employer of choice? One basic marketing principle is that people prefer to do business with companies that they know, like and trust. The same is true for employees. They want to work for companies that they know, like and trust. 

Use publicity
Instead of taking out a big ad proclaiming that you run a great company, try increasing the publicity about your business’ expertise and successes. Being the subject of or quoted in an article or announcing company news and promotions are both effective ways to publicize your company. 

Publicity allows future employees to get to know you. The more familiar your company’s name becomes to potential hires, the better they feel they know you and the less “selling” you have to do. 

Publicity can also help boost employee morale because people like to be recognized for the contributions they make. A regular public relations program that highlights employee achievements, certifications, employment milestones or even charitable participation is a great way to show the general public that you are proud of your employees. 

Take speaking opportunities
Sharing your knowledge of the industry with your colleagues is an effective marketing technique for recruiting employees. If you want to find O&P practitioners, administrative and billing specialists, technicians or salespeople, then there is no better way than by establishing yourself as an expert source of information. 

Providing your colleagues with useful information enhances your industry credibility. So take advantage of one of the many speaking opportunities throughout the year where you can showcase your clinical, technical or business knowledge. By presenting topics that are of interest to the O&P professionals who are trying to further their careers, you’re showing that your company supports their efforts toward the future. 

In particular, non-clinical presentations can allow you to show that you understand employees’ needs. Sharing best business practices or employee motivation techniques is a good way for you to “speak the same language” as those you are trying to recruit. 

Publicize your philanthropy
Good deeds do pay off—if people know about them. Publicizing your company’s good deeds can also serve as a useful recruiting strategy. An article recently posted on www.vault.com demonstrates that employees respond positively to companies who are good corporate citizens: 

“Two new studies find that companies today are supporting causes to win the race to attract and keep qualified employees—and American workers are responding. Eighty-five percent of corporations say they support causes to enhance employee loyalty, and 82 percent say they align with social issues to be a preferred employer, according to the 2000 Cone/Roper Executive Study, a new assessment of strategic philanthropy and cause marketing from a corporate perspective.”

There are many O&P-related philanthropic efforts your company could support. Two quick examples: sponsor a silent auction table at OPAF’s “First Bid” at the AAOP meeting or join ACA’s advocacy work on behalf of prosthetic parity legislation. Supporting industry and community concerns shows your current and future employees that you value more than just profits.

High turnover puts stress on your company. So keep the employees you have and attract new ones by marketing your business to employees. You may find your company is in demand, even when good people are in short supply.

Elizabeth Mansfield is a marketing consultant with Outsource Marketing Solutions LLC in Hartford, Conn. Contact her at elizabeth@askelizabeth.net.