Refining a Powerful Employer Brand

(Clayton Glen, HDA ñ June 2007)

Effective Employer Branding ñ a Talent Management Cornerstone
Any effective talent management strategy is underpinned by the ability of the organisation to effectively attract, engage and retain organisational talent. This requires an aligned infrastructure and compelling leadership behaviours which together enhance the experience of candidates, new employees, established employees, and those transitioning out of the organisation.

Well-led organisations recognise that attracting and ensuring the ongoing engagement of organisational talent with the objectives of the organisation is enhanced by employing employer branding principles. ëEmployer Brandí broadly touches on ëemployer of choiceí, ëemployee value propositioní (EVP) and ëunique talent experienceí concepts. Ultimately, itís about external reputation, increasingly linked to corporate social responsibility at one level (with focus on external constituencies, including candidates and customers), and the quality of the internal experience (staff and associates, including key talent).

Whatís the Benefit?
An effective employer brand does not guarantee staff engagement, motivation and performance, but it certainly enhances it. The flipside is that when staff leave the organisation, either voluntarily or via role redundancy, a great employer brand ensures that business reputation is maintained. These days, with online communities with global ëvoiceí like Vault.com and so on, the importance of matching external reputation with internal experience is key.

Image vs Behaviours
Those organisations recognising that an effective employer brand is underpinned by outstanding and consistent leadership behaviours rather than by hype and image, are the ones likely to generate greatest success in this area.

Many organisations get this wrong ñ many consultancies too, considering the plethora of HR consultancies claiming to be employer brand consultants who tend to limit their focus at the image end ñ glitzy recruitment websites, colourful advertising campaigns and so on, without the substance of true leadership behaviour change to underpin the employer brand strategy.

Image alone does not equal substance.
Getting this right often depends on close collaboration between organisational leadership, internal communications, HR, L&D and Marketing, and sometimes benefits from external facilitation.

HDA Global Employer Brand Master Classes
HDA has teamed up with Brett Minchington, Employer Brand strategist and author of International best-seller, ëYour Employer Brand attract-engage-retainí to bring a series of Global Employer Brand Master Classes to the UK during October as follows:

10 October ñ London
11 October ñ Bristol
16 October ñ London (Financial Services focus)

Brett and HDA have worked closely together over a year or so in the lead-up to these UK events, and we know that they will be both compelling and highly practical, in line with
HDAís practical, outcomes-focused approach.