1a) Employer Branding // A competitive edge in the “war for talents”

Targeting the “Right Potentials” (the best among the fittest) employer branding places a focus on the development of an employer brand with the view to arouse enthusiasm for an employer.

Questions for employer competitiveness:

WHO am I? (identity)

HOW am I? (singularity)

WHAT have I to offer? (benefits for employees)

HOW do I appear? (corporate culture, personnel culture)

The various measures for building up an employer-brand:

• Positive media image (sponsoring and university cooperation, …)
• Image measures (employees as ambassadors of the employer brand, …)
• Employees as a central part of the corporate philosophy (strategic human resource marketing)
• Press work and public relations (development of HR-quintessences such as “we focus on talents!”)
• attractive career-website (HRfitting internet presence)
• clear profile in online job market (analysis of the job candidate’s expectation, …)
• cooperations with universities (scholarships, mentorship, supervision of graduands, …)
• Matching corporate brand and employer brand (corporate brand: e.g. knowledge leadership / employer brand: e.g. focus on talents)

additionally employer ranking, presence at carrer fairs, flyer for job candidates and recruiting-events

10 steps to be the “employer of choice”:

1. Devise the employer brand form the corporate brand
2. Assure rear cover from the top management
3. Link HR-activities with marketing measures
4. Analyse the target group and benchmarke with competitors
5. Align HR-ideal with the reality
6. Define a clear, unique employer profile
7. Develop an integrated HR-strategy
8. Communicate the goals and values both inward and outward
9. Define critical success factors and quantify your success
10. Establish authenticity

It even works without great strategies and consepts.

A lot of medium-sized companies, partial market leaders in their segments, celebrate HR-success without great publicity. Prof. Hermann Simon, owner of the managament consultancy ‘Simon-Kucher & Partners’ until 2009, author and columnist of the ‘Manager Magazin’ calls them the “hidden champions”. Their Credo:

High loyalty leads to long careers – recruit executives from your own ranks, be loyal as much as possible to your own employees!

Slight fluctuation supersedes knowledge-management – conserve your company’s know-how by keeping hold of your employees with their knowledge!

Challenges avoid dismissals – keep your staffing level small (“more work than heads”) and care for enough challenging work tasks!

A lot of work avoid internal conflicts – let your employees release their energy into work, not in strenuous side shows!

Effectiveness on the job takes place in the team – give your teams the largest competence possible, even the competence to decide, who is a part of them!

Provincial locations brings forward homeland attachment – relocating to the country side will promote your employee’s sense of home!