In the war for top talent, employment branding is the next frontier. A compelling employer brand and meaningful employee value proposition can significantly enhance an organization’s ability to attract and retain talent. This concept is particularly important today as people are more focused on values alignment with an organization than ever before, particularly Gen Y. PwC referenced in a report on Gen Y and the workplace that 88% of Gen Y seek companies whose values reflect their own. 86% would leave an employer if company values no longer reflected their own.
But what is an employment brand? And who typically creates or develops the employment brand within an organization? Brett Minchington, Chairman and CEO of Employer Brand International (EBI) and a recognized global authority in employer branding, defines an employment brand as “the image of your organization as a ‘great place to work’ in the mind of current employees and key stakeholders in the external market (active and passive candidates, clients, customers, and other key stakeholders).”
For many organizations, the head of employment branding resides within Human Resources. There are some companies, however, that believe that the role is more in line with Marketing, Brand, and/or Communications.
How Dinte Sees It
During the course of a recent search for a head of Employment Branding for a $2.7 billion company, we learned that, regardless of whether the role sits within the Human Resources or Marketing function, it is critical for the individual to have broad-based and cross-functional knowledge. This includes talent acquisition, retention, social media and Internet marketing, branding, and internal and external communications. Also, this executive must be comfortable determining:
- The ROI of the employment branding program
- Illustrating cost savings and value-add to the organization’s business strategy, brand reputation, and diversity and inclusion objectives
Does your organization have an employment branding leader? What skills sets are most important from your organization’s perspective?