Developing a strong employment brand is an extremely important component of workforce planning and strategy, and one that must be applied across every area of the employee base, including both W2 and non-employees. Too frequently, we run into firms that fall into one of these three pitfalls:
1. GREAT COMPANY BRAND, NO EMPLOYMENT BRAND.
You know the firms I'm talking about. One glimpse at their logo, and you immediately know who they are, what they're about, what their mission is, who they serve, and how they view their customers or clients in the marketplace.
Yet a quick look at the careers/jobs section of their Web site leaves you puzzled and unsure of what it's actually like to be a part of that firm. Further, you find multiple service firms that claim they've in some way assisted the company in a specific area, but such references are more about the service provider. In short, there is no employment brand of which to speak.
2. EMPLOYMENT BRAND LIMITED
These companies typically have communicated what it's like to be a full-time member of the team, but the breadth of that communication is limited to a simple statement of why the company is a great place to work. It is a brand, yes, but it does not communicate to the target market what the company does to nurture the career interests of the talented individuals that join the team.
3. EMPLOYMENT BRAND MITIGATED.
We see this scenario most often. A firm has a sound employment brand that is completely integrated with the company's direction and strategy. Excellent communication of this brand and the employers' interest in and dedication to the development of its employees' careers is mitigated by vendors that attempt to serve the "non-employee" needs of the organization.
Staff augmentation firms push out countless number of jobs, flooding the marketplace in the interest of increasing candidate volume. You've seen them. These are the job requisitions that are pervasive, yet minimally informative, telling you nothing about the position or the firm other than its name. These are the job openings job seekers forgo in order to find positions that are more fulfilling and personal to us.
In addition, there are the service firms that view the opportunity to provide a company with talent simply as a project or engagement that will bring in service revenue. Worse, these firms use such opportunities to tout their "growing dearth of experience delivering."
When engaging contractors or consultants, there must be stipulations regarding how the success of the project will be communicated, and how participants can communicate their participation. And it's important to take into account what the talent dedicated to such project thinks about the company in order to help them formulate a positive employment experience.
Employment brand will continue to be a growing priority for human capital executives. Leveraging today's technology is certainly a component of solid employment brand strategies, but the brand will only be as valuable as how inclusive it is of every segment of employee.
