Having a strong employer brand is important to Bridgnorth-based stationery organisation Dotty About Paper, which was originally called Card Gallery when it was launched in 2004.
Lisa Forde, owner of Dotty About Paper, explains: “We were struggling to reach out to potential employees and customers, so we decided to rebrand in 2017. Dotty About Paper is much more visual, but it’s also fun and family-orientated.”
Forde uses social media to promote the business to customers and employee. As well as sharing images of products, photographs of employees and the working environment often appear on followers’ feeds. “It’s important that customers know there’s someone here to help, especially when they’re ordering wedding stationery and want to talk to someone,” explains Forde. “Using these photos also shows people what it’s like to work here. We’re really lucky to be based in a beautiful Grade II listed building. It’s a fabulous place to work but it also makes for a strong visual.”
The employee benefits available to the organisation’s 13 staff also align with the family-orientated and fun nature of the business. For example, employees can take advantage of flexible working, which is about making work and life fit together, says Forde.
“If someone lives further away or they have to drop the kids at school, we can adjust their working hours to accommodate them,” she explains. “We also have an open-door policy: everyone needs to feel they can speak up without being judged. Every opinion is valued.”
Creating a positive employer brand also has to be about having fun and celebrating successes; as well as Christmas and summer parties, the team enjoys treat days when the business performs well. “Working for 40 hours a week is a huge chunk of someone’s life, so it’s important that our brand shows potential employees what it’s like to work here,” adds Forde. “If it works for our employees, it works for the business.”