Post on 11-Aug-2014
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27EmployEr BrandingBEst practicE insights
T h e I n s I d e r ’ s G u I d e T o e m p l o y e r B r a n d I n G
By Scott EilBES & KlauS töpfEr
inSightS
thought lEadErS
minutES
Upsid
e
down
ThaT’s how employer branding looks and feels righT now To Those in hr and markeTing.
Many of the old tools and strategies for building an authentic, globally relevant employer brand have been discarded, and new ones are taking over. Both the challenges and opportunities have grown almost in tandem, and it’s all happening at break-neck speed.
One thing is clear: employer branding has changed, dramatically. Our Global Best Practice Xchange (BPX) Roundtable on the subject confirmed it. It was 90 minutes of rigorous discussion with eight seasoned professionals leading the way in employer branding innovation for their organizations. They shared their successes, mistakes and thoughts on their plans for the future.
so, if you are wondering if There’s a beTTer, clearer way To lead your organizaTion and pracTice Through This change, This guide is for you.
to help you demonstrate a global and best practice approach to your employer branding strategy and tactics.
we’ve distilled key insights
topics
277
over
CONNECT AND STAY CONNECTED
BEYOND COMMAND AND CONTROLBEST-LAID PLANS
B e h o n e s T , I T ’ s n o T a l l r o s e ypUBlish QUality, pUBlish oFtEnpUBlish QUality, pUBlish oFtEn
Be Targeted in your Approach
your brand be what you thinkmay not
our thought leaders
birger meier
SEnior
managEr of hr
communication
and gloBal
EmployEr
Branding,
BoEhringEr
ingElhEim—
gErmany
Janelle l. hawes
managEr of
univErSity
rEcruiting,
roBErt BoSch
linda linzenbold
managEr of
pErSonnEl
marKEting,
roBErt BoSch
mary fricke
talEnt
rEcruitmEnt
lEadEr,
gE capital
megan rafTery
marKEting
dirEctor,
KElly SErvicES,
inc.
michael kirsTen
dirEctor,
gloBal contEnt
marKEting,
KElly SErvicES,
inc.
naTe buTki
ExEcutivE
vicE prESidEnt,
grEat placE
to WorK
shaunda zilich
rEcruitmEnt
and marKEting
lEadEr,
gE
your brand be what you thinkmay not
The conversation has changed
Connected, networked and always ‘on’—this is now the norm rather than the exception for much of the professional workforce. Work is no longer what it used to be. And, employee loyalty? What’s that?
The rising influence of social media has altered the way we seek, evaluate and engage in work and the employers that offer it. Naturally, this means the ways in which employer brands are promoted, shared and even deconstructed has evolved too. Finding new tools, strategies and ways to connect are now crucial to success.
A couple of years ago, marketers were busy
designing nice corporate videos, telling the world
how great their company was and how fantastic it
was to work there. This approach has had its time.
pEoplE arE Starting to Build thEir oWn
picturE to undErStand What companiES
arE rEally aBout inStEad of juSt
accEpting Who thEy Say thEy arE.
Candidates come better prepared and knowing
much more about your company than ever before.
They’re not just looking at your website! You’re still
the owner of the employer brand, but it is shifting
towards what other people say about you—not only
what you say about yourself.
authenticitymichaEl KirStEn,
KElly SErvicES, inc.“
”
An employer brand must be accessible. We have a
video channel that delivers what we call ‘corporate
insights’. WE Want to dElivEr a conSiStEnt
EmployEr Brand ExpEriEncE through all
major touch pointS like career websites, our
YouTube channel and Instagram account. By posting
historical pictures from Boehringer Ingelheim on
Instagram we can show (rather than just talk about)
our company’s history.
demonstrate
“
”
BirgEr mEiEr,
BoEhringEr ingElhEim
of human capital professionals believe the talent shortage is
and will continue to do so in the future.
negatively affecting their business now,
75%
2013 confErEncE Board SurvEy
CONNECT AND STAY CONNECTEDbuild relationships by being useful
Candidates look around for employers. They do their research. To connect with them, businesses must be present in the right places. But, more than this, they must demonstrate why their employer brand is different, relevant and useful.
Start by focusing on what candidates need and want from you— it’s not just about giving them a job. Be helpful in people’s job search and in the development of their careers. Be responsive and look to the bigger, longer-term picture when building connections with potential employees.
You have to know what people are really looking
for besides basic company information. What is
the audience interested in? Employer branding is
not only about communicating how great we are
and how great it is working for us, but also about
providing the candidate market with information
they really need.
Social mEdia iS a tool to havE a
convErSation, to talK With candidatES,
to undErStand hoW thEy thinK and to
providE information. With this information
you can start to build a conversation, build
engagement and a relationship.
content & conversation
michaEl KirStEn,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
“
”
There are a lot of the ways to get information
out there about your company, but it really
depends on talking to people about things
that interest them. it can go aS far aS
to includE cuStomErS and cliEntS
talKing aBout hoW our company
hElpEd thEm With thEir BuSinESS—
that’s of interest to candidates who are
thinking about a career with us.
engagement
mary fricKE,
gE capital
“
”
Do your best to understand what kind
of information candidates really need.
What are their pain points? What is the
buying process for candidates? firSt,
undErStand What you can do
for thEm. Then, be mindful that there’s
a lead-nurturing process to consider, just
as there is in any buying decision.
candidate perspective
mEgan raftEry,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
“
”
know whom you’re talking with and why
Employee loyalty isn’t what it used to be. As a result, employers and their brands need to speak directly to passive candidates—those that are not actively seeking new roles, but would move for the right opportunity if it caught their eye.
We know that tenure is now hovering at around the two-year mark, and that it’s likely to be lower for Generation Y (and Z) workers, so the need to build ongoing relationships with passive talent is now non-negotiable.
Be Targeted in your Approach
The first thing to do is to segment your
audience. Then you can set priorities. thiS
mEanS, undErStanding What Kind of
candidatES you rEally nEEd, WhErE
thEy arE, and hoW you can find thEm.
You need to talk within your organization about
what really has changed and how your candidates
are behaving. You need to build a pool of passive
candidates that you may need in the years to
come. So, it’s important to continually connect
with these candidates and be there over the
medium to long term.
know your audience
michaEl KirStEn,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
“
”
In our employer branding efforts we have
eight focus universities that we target.
When we’re on campus we do quite a few
activities that are focused on promoting
our rotational training program. What
WE do iS to actually ShoW Who
BoSch iS, What our valuES arE
and hoW thiS WorKS acroSS
Each of our product linES.
audience focuslinda linzEnBold,
roBErt BoSch
“
”
The big difference that makes your employer brand
successful is how you communicate it. Do you have
a unique selling proposition? When we started, we
looked at our history—where did we come from?
What are our values? What is our big asset that we
can communicate? We’re a family-owned company
with over 125 years of history and this is one major
aspect we use in our employer brand communication.
We have stability. WE valuE partnErShip and
WE’rE hErE today and tomorroW; and
WE undErpin thiS With thE StoriES of our
EmployEES, Which givE thE company a
rEal facE. I think this makes a big difference to
being authentic.
communicate with clarity
BirgEr mEiEr,
BoEhringEr ingElhEim
“
”
When companies are operating in many different
environments WE maKE SurE thEy arE
diffErEntiating thE gloBal corporatE
Brand from thE local or EvEn
rEgional BrandS, and that thEy arE
doing it in a mEaningful Way.
What are the aspects of their culture that are
consistent with being a part of a bigger family,
and what are those things that are specific
regionally? When organizations have a clear
view of what that means to them and how that
matters, it makes a big difference to attracting
the right candidates.
Targeted messagingnatE ButKi,
grEat placE to WorK inStitutE
“
”
empower employees to evangelize from inside
No one knows your organization better than those who work there. This is your employment brand. Empowering employees to speak on your behalf and be the voice of your brand is no longer the risk it once was seen to be. And, it can often be the authentic, on-the-ground view that prospective employees are really seeking.
Finding ways to balance the risk and reward of employees using social media to discuss their work is now central to the employer branding challenge.
BEYOND COMMAND AND CONTROL
People often get tripped up on the need for a water-
tight social media policy, and they’ll run into internal
concerns that question how much the company should
embrace social media because what happens if people
misuse it? People really get stuck on having a strict or
a rigorous policy when it’s actually the best companies
that do (almost) the opposite. having a high
lEvEl of truSt on thiS ShoWS you truSt
your EmployEES morE gEnErally, and that
SpEaKS to your culturE.
If your company has a need for say IT developers, why
not use your current IT developers to start a blog for
an outside audience about the stuff that IT developers
are interested in? It’s about really using your internal
sources as ambassadors to your brand.
employee trust
michaEl KirStEn,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
“
”
Sometimes we lose sight that thE
EmployEr Brand rEally iS oWnEd
By thE EntirE organization.
Even though that partnership between
HR and marketing is so critical, it needs
to be integrated throughout the
entire organization.
holistic approach
mEgan raftEry,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
“
”
We find that the absolute best way to show
who Bosch is, is to have our associates really
speak for us. We invite current graduates
to our alumni and ask them to join us on
campus at recruiting fairs, as well as to
classrooms to explain our products and
our culture. WE mEntor and coach
StudEntS, providE caSE StudiES and
invitE thEm hErE to lEarn.
socializing experience
janEllE l. haWES,
roBErt BoSch
“
”
You have to be transparent. As a big company it is
easy to look like a big corporate machine and I think
one of the things that we’ve really tried to do is make
things more personal and human.
Our GE Works campaign is basically testimonials
from our employees about what GE means to them.
It’s more than just a day in the life of. I think it’s really
what GE means to them. thiS iS onE of thE WayS
WE can SEt ourSElvES apart and tEll a
truE and honESt Story aBout gE and not
givE falSE ExpEctationS. Recruiting people
to be your brand ambassadors can be one way to
manage this proactively and have structure.
Transparency & authenticity
“
”
Shaunda zilich,
gE
The best companies are very clear about
who they are and what they represent.
They’re authentic and true, and they use
their people to help represent what that
is. from day onE thEy’rE Building
truSt With thEir EmployEES.
clear vision
natE ButKi,
grEat placE to WorK inStitutE
“
”
hr and marketing must align
A good strategy, backed up by an actionable tactical plan that’s implemented with discipline is what great employer branding is made of. Yet, too often, companies hold all their cards until they formally employ a candidate. This is when they reveal the true workings of their organization—and this is precisely the opposite of what candidates now want, need and expect.
So, how do you get off on the right foot with the talent you’re seeking?
Developing strong links between HR and Marketing so that the organization speaks with one voice, and as one, clearly differentiated brand across the entire globe, is the aim.
BEST-LAID PLANS
You really need to look at your internal resources.
You need to understand the capabilities of your
recruiters—are they really social media savvy? Do
they understand how to work within social media,
how to talk to candidates using these tools, how to
be in constant, ongoing conversation with them?
I’d encourage HR and marketing to work much
closer together on employer branding. hr can
undErStand What marKEting doES
and marKEting can adviSE hr on hoW
to attract thE right candidatES
using social media and help them produce
compelling content.
engaging conversation
michaEl KirStEn,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
“
”
There are two prongs to brand messaging and
talent acquisition. thErE iS thE intErnal
communicationS plan—you nEEd that
foundation WhErE EvEryonE’S on thE
SamE pagE. This is how all of HR is aligned, and
it’s how you reach out to candidates.
The second prong is the 50-thousand-foot view
of brand messaging, which is your external
marketing plan; the ‘one’ global brand that works
to get your name out there.
messaging approachShaunda zilich,
gE
“
”
We have a global employer branding team, which
works closely together. Our colleagues from corporate
communications developed a corporate brand and
we took that and enriched it with employer and HR-
specific elements. So, our EmployEr Brand iS
BaSEd on our corporatE Brand, and WE
try to SpEaK With onE voicE.
We developed different key messages on a high level
and then we adjusted to the local needs. This is crucial
because we compete on the global talent market, but
local markets can still have differences.
Global message with local flavor
BirgEr mEiEr,
BoEhringEr ingElhEim
“
”
A lot of companies cut right to the tactics without first
really understanding how to be true and authentic.
Getting this right is a huge differentiator; it’s what
makes companies either ‘good’ or ‘great’.
WhEn you thinK of thE marKEting tacticS,
KnoW What thE Brand attriButES arE
that you’rE marKEting firSt. thiS iS your
EmployEE culturE. The ones who get this right are
really clear on what their culture is and what it isn’t.
Every brand has amazing things to say to their market,
but the story you’re telling to help people understand
who you are must be believable.
understand to be understood
natE ButKi,
grEat placE to WorK inStitutE
“
”
One of the beautiful benefits of
marketing partnering with HR is using
the marketing strategy template to
think of things (like content) and to
pinpoint What and WhErE thE
targEt audiEncES arE.
strategymEgan raftEry,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
“
”
Employees in high-trust environments are three times more likely to talk about their company on social media;
in working for their organization.”
and twice as likely to express pride natE ButKi, 2013
“
don’t try to be everything to everybody
People want to be a part of a great workplace. They want to know how to get a foot in the door, and what it takes to be successful and achieve their goals once they’re inside. However, high-performing workplaces aren’t for everyone, nor should they pretend to be. Sometimes, they’re tough places to be because of high expectations and demands from customers, leadership and from shareholders.
Great workplaces do great things, and great things don’t come easily. Tell this story too so candidates know what’s required of them.
B e h o n e s T , I T ’ s n o T a l l r o s e y
Great workplaces are not country clubs. Sure they
offer great perks and work environments but they
also do amazing work and have people who work
really hard and want to share in creating success.
Companies attract employees who want to
contribute on this level because those companies
are very clear on who they are and what the
value is in working there. not EvEry grEat
WorKplacE or grEat culturE iS grEat
for EvEryBody. But thE BESt KnoW hoW
to attract thoSE Who Will fit.
articulate who you are
natE ButKi,
grEat placE to WorK inStitutE
“
”
Show and tell candidates how they need
you. In recruiting, sometimes we get in the
habit of saying we are X company and this
is who we are. Instead, we need to mold job
descriptions to say “hEy, arE you looKing
for a joB WhErE you can innovatE
all day long? arE you looKing for
challEngES?” Ask those questions. Help
candidates put themselves inside the role and
the company so they know if it is the right fit
for them.
ask questions Shaunda zilich,
gE
“
”
One of our main things in our messaging is
career development as a value proposition;
So WE havE EmployEES talKing aBout
thEir carEEr pathS and hoW thEy
got to WhErE thEy arE, and What
intErESting thingS thEy havE WorKEd
on. This helps identify similar candidates who
value career development and who might be
committed to us for those outcomes.
Talk career development
mary fricKE,
gE capital
“
”
why good content matters
Establishing a proactive branding position for attracting passive talent now requires organizations to have a publishing strategy. It’s no longer just about posting jobs and working networks to get referrals. All organizations must bring the right candidate attention their way.
Content—the fuel to the social media fire—is still a differentiating feature of the best employer brands. It can help organizations to influence, if not entirely control, their employer brand position.
pUBlish QUality, pUBlish oFtEnpUBlish QUality, pUBlish oFtEn
You have to have a plan. You really can’t let the
public drive their perception of you entirely because
perception is reality. if thEy’rE thE only onES
out thErE talKing aBout your company
thEn that’S What pEoplE arE going to
BEliEvE. So your ‘fans’ own your brand but you can’t
give it over to them. You have to really drive it with
some of your own content. And, you have to walk the
talk. If you’re saying externally what your company is
like, what it’s all about, why it’s so great, you have to
make sure that your own employees believe that and
experience that.
perception is reality
“
”
mary fricKE,
gE capital
Social media is the fire but content is the gas.
Social mEdia doES not WorK Without
contEnt BEcauSE pEoplE uSE Social
mEdia to gEt information. Around 70%
of buying decisions today are already done
without speaking to a sales person because people
inform themselves on the Internet and on social
media. It’s the same for candidates and for the
candidate market.
content driven decisions
michaEl KirStEn,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
“
”
We see that the foundation of great content is
really understanding what your culture is. What
makes you different and how do you evolve and
communicate that over time? pEoplE Who arE
WorKing in high-truSt EnvironmEntS
havE SomEthing to talK aBout. When
the organization is really clear about what their
culture is, what those differentiators are, and they
demonstrate trust with those employees on social
media, it has a dividend. Employees can be out
there as representatives, sharing their stories.
content pays dividends
natE ButKi,
grEat placE to WorK inStitutE
“
”
There are different levels of the buying process for job
candidates; and they’re not ready to buy right away in most
cases. So, we look at it like a typical B2B lead-nurturing
process on our candidate side.
We also want to make sure the content we develop gets seen,
so you have to pay attention to SEO and make a concerted
effort to make sure that content gets to the places where
the target candidates hang out. thEy don’t alWayS
hang out on carEEr pagES or in company
Social channElS; But thEy Will SpEnd timE
in thoSE channElS from thEir profESSional
organizationS. So, we get sound bites on search engines,
but we also make sure that content gets shared through
channels where candidates are already hanging out.
Take a strategic approach
“
”
mEgan raftEry,
KElly SErvicES, inc.
The reality is that organizations have to hunt and
fish at the same time. WE talK a lot today
aBout thE Social channElS, But WE
havE to comBinE it With pErSonal
contact and pErSonal connEctionS.
We can’t just throw the information out on that
site or at social media and expect results. We
have to take the initiative to talk to those people
and build the relationship beyond just providing
content or links.
A diversified approach
linda linzEnBold,
roBErt BoSch
“
”
Employer Branding has moved from a focused concept to something that encompasses the entire organization. It is no longer the hierarchy, the leadership team, nor even the HR or Marketing teams that can claim to own or control the brand going forward. Branding is now crowd-sourced and often on a global scale with local influence.
Employer brands are no longer only about the present embodiment of any one particular business, they are a continuum of voices from past, present and future employees who have seen things from the inside.
CONCLUSION:
a holistic going forwardapproach
if evoluTion is The only successful sTraTegy, employer branding will conTinue To evolve, and iT’s only JusT beginning.
The employer brand has become fluid, responsive and an ever changing conversation between organizations, employees, candidates and the media. The new age of employer branding has created additional challenges and opportunities for HR and Marketing staff, as well as for leadership teams that want and need the best talent for their businesses. By understanding the current environment and trends in employer branding, HR, Marketing and leadership teams can learn to adapt their strategies to influence rather than control, and to guide rather than dictate.
aBout thE authorS
SCOTT EILBES is a Talent Strategist with the Kelly Outsourcing and Consulting Group (KellyOCG) where he consults with clients on labor market trends, talent acquisition strategy, thought leadership, workforce analysis, strategic workforce planning and talent acquisition benchmarking and best practices. Scott holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Marian University in Marketing & Management, earned his M.B.A. in Management from The University of Wisconsin – Whitewater and is certified by the Human Capital Institute in Human Capital Strategy and Strategic Workforce Planning.
KLAUS TOEPFER is Director Talent Sourcing EMEA, access KellyOCG. Klaus leads the KellyOCG Talent Sourcing Practice, which designs and delivers project-related support of bespoke recruiting and employer branding activities to attract, hire and retain academic talent through a toolset of innovative products, services and solutions. He is based in Cologne, Germany. Klaus has been working for more than 12 years in the employer branding and HR-marketing business. Before joining KellyOCG, he led the graduate recruitment for Germany, Switzerland and Austria at Booz & Company. Klaus holds a degree in psychology and completed the Young Managers Program at INSEAD.
for more thought leadership go to talentproject.com
aBout KEllyocg
KellyOCG® is the Outsourcing and Consulting Group of workforce solutions provider Kelly Services, Inc. KellyOCG is a global leader in innovative talent management solutions in the areas of Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Contingent Workforce Outsourcing (CWO), including Independent Contractor Solutions, Human Resources Consulting, Career Transition and Executive Coaching, and Executive Search.
KellyOCG was named in the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals® 2014 Global Outsourcing 100® list, an annual ranking of the world’s best outsourcing service providers and advisors.
Further information about KellyOCG may be found at kellyocg.com.