Single-family rentals generate billions of dollars in local income, millions in local taxes and revenue, and thousands of jobs, including skilled labor. According to a report done by Walker & Dunlap, SFRs make up roughly 16 million units – nearly 13.0% of all housing stock and 36% of all rental households.
In a relatively new, $3.4-trillion category, success comes from defining the rules. Enter Invitation Homes, a pioneer in the SFR space. As other challengers crowd the market, not only does it dilute market share. It also dilutes the talent pool. So how does an innovative organization bring talent to its doors and make them feel at home?
With an uncommon history and all the makings of an extraordinary culture, Invitation Homes has disrupted the rental market space and created an extraordinary culture doing extraordinary things. Yet even with the making of extraordinary culture, full-throttle work can often lead to burnout, and employees lament the difficulty in staying engaged.
Invitation Homes invites growth and opportunity – creating an environment that doesn’t just cohabitate but truly thrives. However, internal communication became complex and perplexing. Many associates didn’t know who or where to turn for information. Employees’ first thought was, “Let me ask my manager”. Thorough communication needed to be the standard so employees could be confident they had what they needed or knew where to go when they didn’t.
Empowering managers to adopt a new mindset was also a priority. While they were experts in their practices, they needed to be teachers in their craft.
There also needed to be an emotional connection between employees and their brand. Invitation Homes desired to be a home away from home where associates could build a foundation and thrive.
Within these challenges, four main goals were identified:
- Emotionally connect with associates
- Make life joyful for associates
- Increase retention and recruit top talent
To strengthen the emotional connection between employees and Invitation Homes’ brand messaging was built on relationship, welcoming, and acceptance. This was to keep the value proposition top-of-mind for all employees and guide employees’ actions to align with the organization’s strategy. It was also to elevate the perception, and unlock the potential of developing leadership.
An EVP and activation campaign reinvigorated purpose, solidified culture, and created a unifying rally cry for the employees. The campaign featured real employees stories and messaging based on growth and, more importantly – possibility.
