The Michelin Star Test
Chef's kiss!
Can you really get an employer brand that moves all the needles in just three weeks and for less than the cost of a LinkedIn recruiter seat?
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Everybody probably knows that good restaurants strive for a Michelin star. Or two, or even three.
But did you know that those stars actually mean something very specific?
A one star rating means that this is a “very good restaurant.”
Two stars signify “excellent cooking that is worth a detour.”
And three stars, the ultimate award, means that this is a restaurant “with exceptional cuisine worth a special journey.”
What I find really interesting about this idea is that it understands that there is pretty darn good food close at hand, but that isn’t the same as the great food you build an entire trip around. There's great food worth going a little farther or taking a little side trip for, and there's the memorable meal worth getting on a plane for. A restaurant experience that is truly a destination.
In a way, they are measuring the quality of the restaurant by the distance one would be willing to travel for it. They are asking, “what is the lengths or sacrifices you would be willing to take for this meal?”
In employer branding, I suspect that most companies would be thrilled with the equivalent of one Michelin star. (And no, this isn’t an argument for awards-driven thinking, I haven’t hit my head or anything.) They would be proud to tell their boss that all other things being equal, theirs is a company people consider very good because you are saying something of value, saying something of use that’s differentiating your company from your competitors.
A Michelin restaurant is nothing to take lightly.
But as the star system reminds us, high quality is only the beginning of what we should be striving for. Being pretty good isn’t the same as being a destination.
Is your company a destination?
Are people excited to move to work there?
Do people understand that what they get with you is far more than they get now?
In other words, what is the cost/pain/sacrifice people would be willing to pay to work there?
That’s a far more useful measure than, “is this a good company?”
That’s the kind of thinking that helps your company stand out and become a destination employer.
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🏛️ All 2,400+ (five years worth!) articles from this newsletter are in a searchable archive. Go get ‘em!
Problem: You aren’t being taken seriously
Solution: Don’t play “follow the leader.” That’s a game you literally can’t win.
Worse still: when you are told to (effectively) play “follow the leader,” you are being disrespected. You are being told that your function isn’t worth investing in so that you win.
You are being told that your only value is to stay with the pack.
And a function that leadership doesn’t demand be winning is a function they would happily downsize into nothingness.
If you want your seat at the table, start by demanding that your function be allowed to compete and win.
Be more informed as you think about building your brand:
Start: Compare 25 employer brand building companies side-by-side. It’s how you make a better decision about who will help you best in your EB journey. It’s free! »
Then: Three case studies that prove how an employer brand can be built in just three weeks. A 250-person manufacturer, a 300-person construction company, and an 800-person video game company. Just hit reply ad we’ll set set up a time to walk you through the case studies and answer questions.
The highest form of leverage is reputation.
-Shane Parrish
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