What’s your tagline? The importance of a clear employer branding strategy
Employer branding is a beneficial tool to attract and retain talent, however a number of companies do not have a clear strategy. Companies like Google understand the importance of having an employer branding strategy for finding – and keeping – talented employees.
The Google Careers tagline is “Do cool things that matter”, and this is an area in which the business excels. Not only do engineers contribute to Google X, the company’s research lab, but they are encouraged to volunteer as well. In 2013, 8,500 employees participated in more than 500 projects around the world as part of GoogleServe, during which employees dedicate a week of their time to give back to the community.
Effective employer branding goes beyond a tagline to outline what set of attributes and values the organisation holds dear to attract and retain talent. A good strategy has a comprehensive recruiting strategy, a focused corporate message and a long-term vision. Your Employer Branding Strategy should work hand in hand with your HRMS to make sure your talent reach their full potential within an organisation.
New research by Employer Branding International, published in May this year, found only 17 per cent of companies have a clearly defined employer brand strategy establishing their brand. However, 87 per cent of the companies say a clear strategy is vital to achieving employer branding objectives.
Brett Minchington, Employer Brand International chairman and CEO, says it is critical to educate and train people in leadership roles about the importance of developing an employer branding strategy.
“Ask any CEO their main priorities and ‘attracting and retaining talent,’ will generally appear in their top three. Employer brand strategy provides a way forward for organisations to ensure they can attract and retain the talent required for growth.” Mr Minchington says.
Career development, leadership and work environment were cited in the study as important attributes for a company to promote when trying to attract talent.
The research included more than 1,100 organisations in 19 countries and regions. The majority of companies, 65 per cent, are planning to increase or maintain their expenditure on employer branding strategies.
