‘People are at the centre of everything a business does’- Julian Azzopardi

Up Your Level CEO Julian Azzopardi speaks of how employers should raise their brand attractiveness in order to attract the right kind of talent to their companies among "an ever selective, mobile and value-driven workforce" ahead of the FHRD Conference held in Malta on 21st October 2022.

In his analysis, Mr Azzopardi highlights three key elements that companies should consider when upping their brand attractiveness game and suggests that, whatever they do, employers should always keep their human resources at the centre.

"There is no better branding exercise for your organisation than gauging the perception of your employees. More than ever in times of uncertainty," the CEO points out adding that "the world has gone through a disconcerting couple of years which has led to employers re-working how they work and why they work. And employees are taking stock."

Making reference to the 2022 Attractiveness Survey run by EY Parthenon Malta, Mr Azzopardi confirms that "labour issues remain the largest concern in the local sphere and the main priority for locally invested companies in order to ensure Malta remains a competitive place to do business and attract business."

The first element that improves a company’s attractiveness level is “purpose” according to the CEO. stating that today's workforce "has brought forward a shift in prioritisation of work for purpose rather than work for purely financial gain." He stresses that "organisations with a strong purpose that align with people’s value-set are much better at recruiting and retaining people."

Secondly, Mr Azzopardi highlights the fact that "people are at the centre of everything a business does, so a people-first policy within an organisation is going to help align employee objectives with organisational objectives."

Finally, he suggests that companies should “position themselves as employers of choice as this "will inevitably impact how customers relate to your brand, talk about your brand and purchase from your brand."