Each company has a reputation that lives in the minds and hearts of alumni, current, and future employees. To benefit from its positive image and work on it, companies take various branding activities. At Ulam Labs, there is a specific role handling our branding actions- more about it in the interview with Anna, an Employer Branding Specialist.
What kind of brand is Ulam Labs?
I perceive Ulam Labs as an authentic place with awesome people. And in fact, “people” is probably the most valuable asset for us. Many of them share common values like quality, collaboration, and knowledge sharing which are also our core business values. That’s probably what makes our brand special and united, and what attracts others to join us.
How can companies improve their brands?
First of all, they need to take care of their current employees. That’s what we do at Ulam Labs- regularly check what employees think about the company, listen to their needs and implement changes. Very often employees are the most effective advocates of the company.
Then we should broaden our actions for alumni and future employees to present them with the company as a place they could fit in.
What do you do here and what are your responsibilities?
I’m an Employer Branding Specialist and I’m helping to build a place where people enjoy working in and coming to but also I take care of how Ulam Labs is viewed as an employer. I’m responsible for implementing the brand strategy that will resonate with job seekers and employees.
I’m also planning actions to find where our potential employees can be, such as meetups for developers and conferences. Also, I’m the first point of contact with Universities in Wrocław, where we have partnered with two student clubs.
Additionally, I’m involved in managing social media channels for brand awareness and news about our company.
What skills are the most important for your role?
Employer branding is all about attracting new talents and making actual employees stay longer. Such actions combine skills from different fields: Marketing, HR, Communication, Content Creation, and Advertisement.
You need to be a strong communicator who loves working together with several teams, but you also need to create a compelling copy with a proper dose of storytelling, analyze your brand situation and search for your strategy. In employer branding, there is no go-to channel or activity.
As far as soft skills are concerned, I would count being a people-oriented person and a good listener always willing to hear another person’s story. All in all, it's an art based on understanding people: what they want, what drives them, and how they look for new roles.
What was your development path?
Since the very beginning, I was involved in marketing positions. When I came to Ulam Labs I became a Content Manager. Then I changed the field and for almost 1,5 years now I've been dealing with employer branding and that human aspect is rewarding for me.
What do you enjoy most about working at UL?
I value a lot of things: the possibility for self-development, the people I work with, and the trust that is given to whatever I do. Also, I like the fact that there is room not only for implementing branding actions but also testing them - not every company is open to investing in the brand and the people. And I’m happy to work for a company putting people first.
What has been the most interesting project for you so far?
It’s hard to choose only one! Probably the podcast in which I took part together with our HR Manager, Asia. I’ve learned a lot while I was preparing for it but also I had the opportunity to show a first-hand story about what our work is like.
What challenges do you face when working on employer branding projects?
The most challenging is the fact that the effects of all your actions are not visible straight after the activity is taken. It requires regularity and consistency in action but results will be as soon as after a couple of months.
Also hosting events is always unpredictable. There are a lot of small things that could go wrong like speakers’ replacement, belated catering, low attendance, or problems with microphones. All of such things are stressful for the organizer, and a real nightmare for me before the event. Nevertheless, with every following event we are armed with a new experience.
What are Ulam Labs plans for next year in terms of branding?
Well, we are very ambitious and we aim to reach for more. No doubt that we’re focused on the people inside the company. But also we wish to involve more with the community as well as with universities. There is still a lot to do because blockchain and crypto are niche markets. However, with proper engagement and such a great team that we have now, I’m sure we can get extraordinary results.
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