Exiting Employees Are Brand Ambassadors

I had gone to have a scoop of my favorite ice-cream. I selected a flavor and treated myself to a generous scoop, and then another. When I was having the last scoop and wondering if I should order another ice-cream, my reverie was interrupted by a pebble in the ice-cream.The shopkeeper apologized profusely but I just have not gone back to the shop. When we think of crafting a powerful employer brand, we think of it as away of attracting and retaining talent.A strong employer brand makes it easier for the employer to attract the right talent. Yet, the processes that follow an employee's resignation in many organizations may leave a bitter aftertaste and may ruin the memory of what might have otherwise been a great experience.Employers have understood the importance of using innovative ways to get noticed. Advertisements in newspapers, radio spots, the buzz in social media add up to create powerful brand communication. Being visible in the media for the right reasons also enhances the firm's brand recall.The brand is a promise that the employer must live up to even when the employee chooses to leave. A lot of attention is paid to the process of talent acquisition and to ensure that the employee has a positive experience.This is usually when most employers are on their best behaviour. They will ensure they do whatever it takes to woo the right person into the organisation. During the course of employment, there are employee engagement activities and surveys done to keep a finger on the pulse of the employee.Employee exits are rarely looked upon as opportunities to impact the employer brand. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman's book, 'Thinking Fast Thinking Slow' explores the notion of happiness through the lens of a behavioral economist. He talks about there being two roles of our brain.One of which is to experience what we are going through. The second role of the brain is to store the "memory" of the experience. For instance, if someone goes for vacation to an exotic destination, but gets robbed on the way back, most people will not think of that vacation as a positive experience. So it is equally important to end the vacation well.If the time the employee spends in the organization is a positive experience then an unpleasant ending to it will ruin the memory of it. The employer brand is an experience and it is also a memory of the experience. The stories that people tell about the brand come from the overall memory of the experience.A well-known strategy consulting firm routinely leverages its alumni to grow its business. This is despite the fact that the firm is known for an up-or-out policy. The firm makes sure that the alumni feel proud of their association with the firm and that is the memory of the employer brand it leverages. Making the employee feel valued even after he or she resigns is a way of strengthening the employer brand.The exits need to be given the same importance as the processes to attract and retain talent. Think about it.Do you know of organizations that manage the exit process really well? Have you had any such experiences? Put down your ideas in the comments.---------------Join me on twitter @AbhijitBhaduriFirst published in The Economic Times dated 12 November 2013