COGS Business Clinic B


randing is what marketers practice to increase the sales of their products or services and makes complete sense.


However, employer branding is still a practice that seems to elude most – even though it is has become an increasingly important focus for smart organisations.


Despite the last global recession and a weak employment outlook, employers are nonetheless facing a scarcity of talent in critical areas and are having trouble finding people who are the ʻperfect fitʼ, with the precise combination of skills and experience. With these skill sets becoming ever more specific and refined, this is becoming an increasingly persistent concern. Retaining top performers remains key to business success, yet organisations are finding it harder than ever to attract and retain talented people with key skills and qualifications. Therefore, just as marketers seek to understand their customers, HR Directors and practitioners need to gain ʻemployee insightʼ to develop and communicate a desirable ʻbrandʼ to achieve this fit.


So, exactly what is it?


In a nutshell ‑ it is match‑making; creating the perfect relationship between the employer and the employee.


It distinguishes leading companies. It promotes strengths, confirms values and helps companies protect their position, stay ahead of the pack and become employers of choice during both recession and boom times. It underpins sustainability and is most widely defined as – “the image of the organisation as a ʻgreat place to workʼ in the minds of current employees and key stakeholders in the external market (active and passive candidates, clients, customers and other key stakeholders).”(Employer Brand Institute) And hereʼs some food for thought ‑ all organisations have an employer brand, regardless of whether or not they have consciously sought to develop one. With that in mind, do you think your current employer brand is likely to attract the people that you want and need to move in to the future? We can no longer ignore the extent to which social attitudes and value systems are integral to relationship with our work. As these continue to evolve over the next ten years, employers will need to embrace and understand this to build businesses that embody the people who work for them. In a recent global study by Universum, five main reasons emerge to underpin the business case for employer branding as a vital management tool for every organisation and company today – • Shortage of skilled labour ‑ with the emergence of a global economy, and a shift in preferences moving from technical degrees to non‑technical degrees, the competition for skilled workers continues to increase. Attractive employers will have an easier time recruiting top talent. • More with less ‑ the need to get the right people in the right jobs is even more crucial than ever. Good communication of work reality will more likely attract talent that fits organisational culture. • Growth & profitability ‑ Employees who have the right skills, experience and knowledge are strategically important. With a move more towards the tertiary/service sectors, people become the primary asset. • Popularity ‑ graduates and professionals want to work for companies with great reputations. Consumer/corporate/employer


Can employer branding increase your margin?


by Tanya Kennedy, Business in the Community


brands are intertwined and if a company is viewed as being an unpopular employer, it will consequently affect everything else. • Strength ‑ being an ʻemployer of choiceʼ gives a company more bargaining power. When an employer can maintain an image of being the most desirable, employees will want to work for them more than anyone else and their top performers stay.


So, how do you do it?


The key to building the right employer brand begins with identifying the distinctive qualities of the organisation that create an emotional connection between employer and employee ̶ the qualities that make people love working there, make them happy and give them the ʻfeel goodʼ factor. These qualities motivate people to drive business. They can include engagement and corporate citizenship, health and wellbeing and equality and diversity. With the death of the job for life, the shift away from permanent and full time work to a portfolio of short term contracts and part time work, workplace flexibility will be key over the next ten years.


Ask yourself these questions – Does my/our organisation have a concrete, common understanding of its vision, mission and strategic goal, along with an


understanding of the vital talent that is needed to fulfil those goals?


Do I/we have a clear understanding of what makes the organisation's culture and work style unique? Can I/we predict what types of people/personalities are most likely to thrive in my/our company?


Is there a plan in place to assess and create the optimal work experience for all employees? Do I/we have systems in place to track employee engagement? Do I/we understand the true drivers of engagement among the different populations that make up my/our workforce?


One good way to identify which qualities really matter to the organisation is to ask employees ̶ and especially the best employees ̶ about why they came to work there in the first place. What is it that they like about the organisation? Employee endorsements can be powerful recruitment tools. And it's critically important to pay attention when highly motivated employees speak of


22


disappointments with the company because they usually point to areas where the company may be falling short on its promises to employees and customers.


Employer brands must remain consistent.


Employer branding must be everyone's responsibility, starting with the organisation's leadership. From first line managers, leaders must live the brand in both words and actions. The job of attracting, developing and retaining talent is too important to business success to be owned by one department. Led by HR Directors and assisted by marketing and communications, an integrated approach must be applied to establish and sustain the employer brand.


At a time of constrained resources, it may seem counterproductive to invest energy and capital in strengthening the employer brand. The contrary is proving true ‑ the need for effective employer branding has never been greater ‑ this is especially true for companies that may have bruised their employer brands during the downturn.


Itʼs not too late


By focussing now on building a great employer brand and enhancing appeal to talented workers with scarce and vital skills, organisations can position themselves to win a lasting competitive advantage in the talent marketplace.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24