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Challenges in Employer Branding

September 22, 2015 by Joe Mabus

Road-WorkCompanies are now using methods to create a positive employer brand which identifies their organization as a great place to work, but challenges do exist in establishing these programs.

Making reference to the Employer Brand International report for 2014 from earlier in this series, the companies surveyed in the report encountered challenges while obtaining sufficient budgets, while establishing consistent messaging, and while engaging their leadership. We believe these three areas are crucial to propping up a successful business to talent employer branding campaign. Briefly in this article, we will cover the necessary steps for meeting these challenges head on.

Show me the money

Marketing programs need money. We often refer to advertising in terms of currency or expenses such as ad buys and media spend. The two ideas are related, but perhaps not as closely as marketing departments are to the concept of progress reports. For every commercial, newspaper ad, and press release, there is a report detailing the success of the campaign. Companies attribute good press and positive marketing directly to sales of the company’s products and services, therefore, marketing becomes a necessary component in the production process. It is a key driver of demand, and therefore a key driver of productivity.

HR and talent acquisition professionals would do well to think of their recruiting efforts as a first crucial and ongoing step in the supply chain leading to the company’s overall success. Good, plentiful talent pools equal continued innovation and progress, so spending to upkeep this resource make sense, but only if you can link the hiring efforts of your department to the high level of interest people have when considering a job with that company.

This is why reporting is a key step in appropriating funds for an employer branding campaign. Not simply speaking to EEOC compliance, but reaching further down into the hiring process.

  • How many candidates are interviewed and do not take the job?
  • How long do new employees stay at our company?
  • How satisfied is our workforce?

These are all indicators which successful talent acquisition teams can answer quantifiably at a moment’s notice. Having this information at your fingertips can create the link between money spent on branding campaigns and money saved in days-to-fill or even still, money earned from employing a highly motivated workforce.

Let me speak with my superiors

Secondly, it is critical that any initiatives to grow your employer branding arm come from the top. Founders and leaders of your organization are uniquely qualified to assist in crafting the Employer Value Proposition. Start with their input first, and you will have the truest version of what the strategic vision is for the company as well as what the ideal worker will be.

Additionally, by beginning at the top of the organization and crafting a message around the leadership’s ideas, you will gain the support of your superiors to enact these initiatives. A 2014 report from HRO Today and Hudson RPO, How to Launch a Successful Employer Brand: Building on the Practices of Top Employer Brands, finds that top brand companies are significantly more likely to have the CEO or president as the most senior sponsor of employer branding activity (44.5 percent) than other brand companies (25.1 percent).

One can be certain that the more invested your top brass are in crafting the employer value proposition, the more longevity and support your campaign will experience.

Get on the bandwagon

Lastly, it is important that each department of your organization understand what message is to be conveyed to candidates who express interest in your company.

Think of it this way. If two people interview with Nestle, and each applicant interviews with a different department head, do you think they will have wildly different experiences?

Probably not.

Your hiring department should operate in the same manner that your products are advertised. Each interviewer should understand how to explain the company’s benefits, mission, and vision in largely the same way. Codifying this experience ensures a single process which can be refined and honed to effectively screen talent, select finalists, and on-board new hires.

Final Thoughts

In the coming years, there will be a strong push for companies to market themselves to talent. The companies that refuse to address their poor image will find their most talented people moving to the companies that do well by their workforce.

We at Cutting Edge Connect want to aid you in achieving your employer branding goals. And while better recruiting programs mean less reliance on outside agencies like ours, it is a fact that the best companies to work for are also the best companies to recruit for.

We humbly request that if after reading our employer branding posts you found one at least one actionable item in these materials, that you contact us to request information on how to create a successful Employer Branding campaign at your company.

We can help to target qualified candidates and brand your company as THE place to work; an environment full of exciting opportunities for employment, enrichment, and engagement.

Your competition has already started fighting the talent war. What will your first move be?


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