Using employer branding to attract the best talent
14/11/2008, Author: Donna Conway
I attended a CIPD branch event this week which focused on recruitment and selection, given by Pat Hartwell, of pH Acid Test Training. As a marketer by trade I was particularly interested to hear about the impact of the employer brand, which as the war for talent continues to strengthen, seems to have a vital role to play.
When thinking about the employer brand, ‘a back to basics’ marketing theory comes to mind which could help organisations ask the right questions - Segmenting, Targeting and Positioning.
• How is the labour market segmented and who are the people that you are selling your organisation to?
• Which of those segments would you most like to target to come and work at your organisation – top level grads? College leavers? Those with several years work experience behind them?
• How do you plan to position your employer brand and communicate this to candidates? How do you want these candidates to view your organisation?
The messages organisations communicate regarding their employer brand will of course depend on their target market. For example, we know that generation Y hold more modern expectations about what is classed as ‘good employer’. It is not just about salary and benefits these days, with graduates in particular now interested in ‘the whole package’ - company culture, ethics, flexible working, development opportunities, …
A number of our clients including British Gas and ASDA both carry a strong employer brand which is reflected as a seamless process throughout their job site and recruitment process. Candidates have access to a wealth of information from the beginning, not only in regards to a specific role and what it entails, but also what it means to be an employee at that organisation. An important objective laid out when designing these processes was that, even if the candidate was not successful, they would still leave with a positive impression of the organisation.
Values are a large component of the employer brand and values-based assessment is becoming a mainstream approach to ensure that candidates fit with the organisation. However, if a successful applicant enters the organisation to find that the promises of the brand and outlining values are not being practiced in reality, they are unlikely to stay. Organisations should therefore ensure that they are able to practice what they preach to make sure the effort they put in to attracting their talent does not go to waste.
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Comments
I think that last point is key - too many organisations (though none we work for!) communicate brand values that simply don't reflect the reality of employee (or customer) experiences. A mismatch between expectation and subsequent experiences is the quickest way to lose people - employees and customers.
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