What is Employer Branding ?
January 23rd, 2008 Posted by Anne Marie in Employer BrandingIt may come as a surprise, but the term Employer Branding is still quite new and perhaps misunderstood. Some professionals see it more as a modern buzz word, while others feel it is so intangible that it is difficult to qualify.
The international rankings for “Best Employer” and/or “Employers of Choice” have become more relevant since the late 90s and early 21st century. It was quite normal to see the highest nominations going to companies such as McKinsey, BCG, L’Oreal, BMW, GE, Nestle, Goldman Sachs, Accenture, PWC, etc… One might ask how these companies gained winning places in the international ranking systems and, in some cases, still do ! Without going into too much detail, they focused on developing clear messages to target populations, which gave them a privileged place as Employers. Not only did they develop strategic relationships with target universities and business schools around the world, but they communicated the right message to the right candidates. When candidates thought of these companies, they identified with some of the following :
- All of them were known to recruit very bright people
- The recruitment processes were extremely selective, and to succeed was a great achievement.
- Some had great Graduate Trainee Programs offering challenging international assignments & a great career.
- Some recruited MBAs and had very exciting strategic opportunities to offer.
- Some manufactured amazing products and it would simply be a privilege to work for them.
- Some were known for their excellent training & development policies
Employer Branding means building an identity, a story, a culture that has the ability to talk to the right target populations wherever they may be around the world. Employer Branding distinguishes a company from its competitors !
Several years ago when consulting some large international companies on how best to identify and attract excellent candidates, it was not a rare occasion for us to hear such comments as, “McKinsey attracts candidates that we would never target for our organization”. With time, these same corporations have finally understood, that it is very important to develop an employer brand that makes sense for their organization. Talented candidates need to identify with companies that can offer the type of career they are looking for and the environment that appeals best to them. Communication and transparency is vital.
Companies who challenge themselves as employers will definitely develop clear messages that make sense for their target audiences. So, what’s the next step ?
Go one step further with web technology and create an E-Employer Brand !
Anne Marie
Tags: Employer Branding, graduate trainee programs, High Potential recruitment, International careers, talent
