12 Employer branding best practices to focus on in 2012

Have you read Brett's new book,  Employer Brand Leadership-A Global Perspective? click here

As we approached 2011 I wrote an article titled, “11 Employer branding best practices to focus on in 2011.”  The art and science of Employer branding has evolved considerably since I wrote that article more than twelve months ago.

In 2011 I was fortunate to travel to Russia (three times), Turkey, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Italy, UK, Netherlands, and Chile to chair Employer Brand International’s (EBI) Employer Branding Summit Conferences and Masterclass events. I also took the opportunity to spend time with leaders in the regions who are driving the employer branding agenda inside their countries to witness first hand just how challenging and complex attracting and retaining talent has become. It is as if the market is moving at one (fast!) speed and companies at another (slow!).

In September 2011 at EBI we published a major Employer Branding Global Survey report which highlighted key trends in employer branding in advanced and developing economies. We published a similar report in 2009 and it was interesting to see the developments in employer branding over the past two years. Following the Global Financial Crisis in September 2008, the world of work has undergone significant changes. There are six million less jobs in the USA and unemployment continues to remain high (though there was some improvement in the last quarter of 2011) despite a number of government initiatives to stimulate the economy. 

Along with political unrest in countries such as Syria, Egypt and some Middle Eastern countries there has been an ‘Occupy’ uprising which had its roots in the USA. Around the world many citizens are fed up with the wealth being concentrated in a small percentage (or the 1% as it has been defined!). Despite multiple European bank and country bailouts and downgrading of credit ratings in countries such as France there are serious concerns about the future of the Euro, the solvency of a number of European countries and the ongoing risk of the market overheating in China and India. Welcome to the new normal!

Minimise the brand fall-out from industrial disputes

Have you read Brett's new book,  Employer Brand Leadership-A Global Perspective?

Original article published at HR Daily

When an organisation has a very public industrial dispute its employer brand will be damaged, but the impact doesn't have to be long-term, says branding expert Brett Minchington.

Commenting to HR Daily on the potential impact of the Qantas dispute - which is not likely to be arbitrated until Easter 2012 - he said some brand damage is inevitable, and especially in cases where potential employees not only read about the dispute but are affected by it.

The relationship between the customer experience and the employee experience is "seamless", he points out.

But Minchington, who is the CEO of Employer Brand International, says that when a brand has "been around for a while" and has a high level of brand equity, "the long-term impact on its ability to attract and retain talent will be minimal".

Delivering a signature employment experience

Have you read Brett's new book,  Employer Brand Leadership-A Global Perspective?

The key moments of truth for your employer brand

Companies are increasingly realising that looking at only one part of the employee lifecycle e.g. recruitment, is simply not enough! Employee’s needs and motivators change over time during the course of their tenure. These changes may be influenced by lifestyle factors such as age, gender, experience, qualifications, marital status, stage of life, career aspirations, etc.

Your employer brand strategy must consider the complete picture and leaders need to carefully consider and plan how the employee experience impacts people at each touchpoint across the lifecycle. Smart Executives realise that a ‘one-size-fits’ all lifecycle strategy fails to optimise productivity.  Companies that segment and align the employee lifecycle as part of their employer brand strategy will benefit from maintaining higher levels of engagement, productivity, customer satisfaction and profit!

Where to begin!

A lifecycle mapping audit will identify any gaps in employee experience from pre-hire to re-hire and your future strategy will need to address these gaps to ensure your people policies, processes and systems are working to provide a signature employee experience. In theory it makes good sense, in practice, much work needs to be done as there are many moving parts to join up.  Segmenting and effectively managing the employee lifecycle will require a culture change for many companies.

The fifteen moments of truth

Whilst there will be variances depending on company size, scope and scale, the key ‘moments of truths’ across the employee lifecycle which will require your focus include:

Where to next for employer branding?

Original article published in HC Magazine click here>

Employer branding has evolved from a recruitment support function to a focus for organisations throughout the employee lifecycle, from hire to retire. Brett Minchington forecasts what the future may hold for employer branding.

Click here to read the online full article>

Have you read Brett's new book,  Employer Brand Leadership-A Global Perspective?

Employer branding without borders – A pathway to corporate success

Long version article published in Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership - August 2011 click for the pdf copy>

Short version original article published on www.ere.net

Upcoming events on Brett's 2011 Employer Brand Global Tour click here>

This article provides insights from Brett's new book "Employer Brand Leadership - A Global Perspective?" For full details please visit the publisher's website click here>

The extended version of this article will be published in the Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership in August

Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster.

–Professor Geert Hofstede, Dutch social psychologist

One of the greatest challenges facing global companies right now is their ability to exploit synergies and efficiencies in their global talent acquisition and retention programs. When considered with the fact we are about to enter an era of unparalleled talent scarcity around the world, the role of the global employer brand manager is set to become one of the most critical roles inside global companies.

Global talent acquisition has become increasingly complex. The need for systems integration, understanding of culture diversity, social and technological changes, jobless, uneven economic recoveries in many countries, the threat of declining fertility rates, inequality in global education standards, and the impact of aging populations in many developed economies has created multiple challenges for global companies which show no signs of easing soon!

Leaders I speak with around the world are saying they are running hard to stand still and where previously they could take 1-2 years to research, develop, and implement talent acquisition and retention strategies, the competitiveness for talent is demanding leaders react quicker and more decisively to stay ahead of the competition.

Even top employer-branding companies like Google, Adidas, and Deloitte are constantly seeking innovative ways to source, develop, and retain talent. If that’s what is happening with the market leaders, consider the millions of other companies around the world who have similar challenges. At a global level the problem is magnified to unthinkable proportions and the solutions are going to need a mix of short- and long-term initiatives including collaboration between companies, industries, universities, and governments. There is no benefit to global corporations if leadership talent is in high supply in Scandinavia when manufacturing operations are in India and there is a dearth of leaders with the right skills.
 

The Reality of Globalization and its Impact on Employer Branding

The social and culture integration brought about through globalization can foster broader understanding and co-operation between employees around the world, and potentially economies of scale in the allocation of human resources, but is it really that simple?