Building employers
as brands
To attract the best people for the job at hand, it’s up to you to sell the
benefits of working for your company, writes Ayanda Mbanga Mhungu
T
here’s currently much talk about can and should be applied in the Here’s what prospective employees
the economic downturn and process of branding aimed at current consider when they respond to job
how it is negatively affecting and potential employees. advertisements, in the following order
the ability of all economies to create of importance:
jobs. With the scarcity of jobs comes Attracting the right staff through • salary
the challenge of even fewer top- your brand • company name
class candidates being available to fill For some lessons in building an • job title
those positions, hence the other big attractive brand for employees, we yet • location of the company
operative phrase – “war for talent”. again turn towards the masters. Every • essential requirements of the job
And as myriad companies battle to year, Fortune magazine publishes a • key performance areas
G
attract, recruit and retain the best list of the 100 best companies to work • career prospects within
U
talent available in the market, even for around the world. These include How pretty your office park is comes
R
more companies don’t quite know Google, Apple, Toyota, Johnson & right at the tail end of the priority list.
U
how to tackle the problem. Worse Johnson, General Electric and Procter & Once you’ve netted the appropriate
still, some companies believe that it’s Gamble. Let’s look at these companies’ candidate, the process of building the
|
enough to just offer a job; the right common strengths. Most of them: employer brand begins in earnest.
r
people will just come, they reckon. • see talent and retention as a Prospective employees should derive
e
But in this “war” zone, employers strategic imperative; pleasure from how they are handled
need more ammunition. I believe • devote time to succession planning during the recruitment process and how
c
this ammunition can come in the and nurturing of future leaders; they are kept informed on the progress
r
form of branding – if your company’s • are known to engage with their of their application through its various
u
“employment brand” is attractive, the employees at a meaningful level; stages until they report for work on the
i
right candidates will come. • have a reputation for consistent first day.
t
execution and delivery; By being taken seriously from day
m
What is branding? • pride themselves on their stable one, they take themselves seriously
David Ogilvy, one of the founders leadership, fearless innovation and and will be willing to give their absolute
e
of global advertising giant Ogilvy excellent financial performance; and best. And that’s when the process of n
& Mather, defines branding as “the • are admired by their competitors. retention begins. Not when a person is
t
tangible sum of a product’s attributes: These are the kinds of strengths you threatening to resign.
its name, packaging and price, its can build into your company’s brand
history, its reputation and the way it to attract the best people to come
is advertised”. Kristin Kirby Webster and work for you. Think about your
– president of the Canterbury Group, company’s reputation and how you’d
a direct-marketing consultancy like potential employees to see you.
specialising in branding and relationship
marketing – takes Ogilvy’s idea even Get the recruitment process right
further. She’s been quoted as saying In South Africa, employers will never
that “branding allows a company to be short of responses to their job
differentiate themselves from the advertisements, but finding the perfect
competition. Branding is the deliberate, candidate for the job is not always so
managed process involved in creating a easy. The trick is to ensure that your
unique name and image for a product/ advertisement is tailored to speak to
good/service in the consumer’s mind the right audience first time and to
through advertising campaigns with a ensure that the response management
consistent theme. It aims to establish a and recruitment process is a pleasure
significant and differentiated presence for the candidates, including those
AyAndA MbAngA Mhungu
in the market that attracts and retains candidates who are ultimately
is managing director of Ayanda
loyal customers.” unsuccessful. These small pleasurable
Mbanga Communications, a
Of course, both these gurus experiences will lead to excellent
recruitment advertising and employer
are referring to branding aimed at candidates breaking down your door
brand-building consultancy.
customers. But the very same principles for a job.
www.ayandambanga.co.za
55
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 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140 |
Page 141 |
Page 142 |
Page 143 |
Page 144 |
Page 145 |
Page 146 |
Page 147 |
Page 148 |
Page 149 |
Page 150 |
Page 151 |
Page 152 |
Page 153 |
Page 154 |
Page 155 |
Page 156 |
Page 157 |
Page 158 |
Page 159 |
Page 160 |
Page 161 |
Page 162 |
Page 163 |
Page 164