Employer branding

A strong employer brand remains a major factor in attracting, retaining and engaging top talent, which in turn translates to a high-performing organisation. However, the recent crisis has changed the rules of the game while the advent of social media is revolutionizing the metrics and modes of communication. The collapse of the “once mighty giants” at the height of the crisis shocked many and casted doubts on previous stereotypes and assumptions as to what constitutes an “employer of choice”. As such stereotypes disappear, job candidates are becoming more open and willing to consider offers made to them, even from companies they would not have considered before.

Hence, companies with less established employer brands now have a window of opportunity to reposition themselves in front of their target audience and stand out during tough times announcing: “We are still hiring.” The wave of company closures and redundancies also led many forward-thinking companies to take the opportunity to replace their average performers with top performers, given that top performers are becoming more available in the job market. “Trading Up”, “Raising the Overall Average”, “Building the War Chest” are just some of the opportunistic branding messages being utilized by companies that are positioning for growth after the crisis. Even good candidates who are currently employed can be more easily persuaded to join if they have bad experiences with their present employers, such as having fewer benefits and experiencing pay cuts.

The crisis made many realize that, apart from being a collection of catchy slogans and “employee value propositions”, a company’s employer brand is truly inseparable from its corporate and product brands.

It must convey a consistent message that reflects the actual experience that shareholders, consumers, as well as existing and potential employees have of the company. Hence, a strong employer brand starts with the CEO, who must work closely together with the marketing and HR leaders of his or her organisation to make sure that the “intangible brand” mirrors this “tangible experience”, both internally and externally.

The internal aspect of employer branding addresses what an employee experiences while on the job, including on-board experience, internal communication and training and development.External branding focuses on what a candidate experiences while being recruited, including the recruitment workflow, recruiting timeline and employer’s responsiveness throughout the process.An employer brand that looks excellent on paper can easily be tarnished by a candidate who goes through a bad experience during the recruitment process, such as:

Slow interview arrangements;

inconsistencies in job specifications;

unresponsive to candidates’ emails and inquiries;

multiple interviews that are not adding value.

On the other hand, an average employer brand can be bolstered by good candidate experience:

Compact and consistent job details;

employer is swift to respond;

process is highly organised;

opportunity to meet the “winning” teams;

assessment that is relevant and reliable while demonstrating the company’s unique brand and culture.

The advent of social media, including frontrunners such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Ning and Twitter, is revolutionizing the way employers–and employees –brand themselves.

According to a study conducted by Nielsen Online, the time spent by internet users on social networking sites increased by 83% from June 2008 to June 2009.

Asians comprise a bulk of the new wave of users who have joined the social media bandwagon, according to a recent study by Universal McCann, with 64% of Chinese internet users currently belonging to a social network.

This new wave of social networkers include job candidates who routinely check the message boards, Twitter and Facebook pages of a potential hiring company and its employees.

There are ways in which social networking can influence a job candidate’s perception of a company:

Access to more information: blogs, company websites, online newspapers, etc.

Access to feedback from colleagues/communities: positive or negative comments said by present/past employees of a company, partners, former colleagues, clients.

Ultimately, candidates will listen more to a recommendation by a credible relationship rather than believe impersonal information read over the net or traditional media.

A recent Asia-wide survey conducted by Bó Lè Associates validates the various sources which candidates see as credible when it comes to employer recommendations:

Their own network of colleagues, partners, ex-bosses and associates;

employees—current and former, including managers of the hiring company;

recruiting agency of hiring company.

However, between creating friendly networks and promoting oneself as an employer of choice, lie a few perils such as privacy issues, identity fraud, mixed or unwanted messages and slander by disgruntled employees or colleagues, among others.

In the US, many companies are adopting a form of “social media strategy” to best leverage and manage social networks to build relationships, correct misinformation and promote their product as well as employer brand. Coca-Cola, for example, appointed Adam Brown as the Director of Social Media while other companies are hiring friendly, articulate “tweeters” whose main responsibility is to tweet, blog or maintain on-going conversations with their target audience.

In Asia, companies still tend to adopt a wait-and-see attitude with incorporating a social media strategy into their branding strategy, especially in China where many of these tools face certain restrictions. Many are also concerned about employees using it in an unproductive or destructive way.

Eventually, however, social networking may cease to be seen as a nuisance by companies but rather, as a powerful communication and relationship-building tool.