Effective Employer Branding – Standing Out from the Crowd

The buzz in the room was audible. It was indicative of the high level of interest in the topic, and the afternoon unfolded into an interactive session which overran by more than thirty minutes.

Employer branding is always a complex topic to tackle due to the multi-faceted nature.

Campus talent — A different offering

Contest for top talent at college and university campus has always been intense, more so for our host KPMG who face stiff rivalry. Monsy, who heads up HR for KPMG Malaysia shared how they differentiate themselves. Compared to its competitors, KPMG is more than tax and audit. It is building a new cyber security practice and it is also offering internship and scholarship for the brightest stars at the campus.

Internships are a powerful branding tool and companies are doing what they can to get it right. Weir Minerals is very committed to their internship program. It offers a very comprehensive program, is very targeted in the universities it approaches and interns get to rate their managers. Weir Minerals takes this very seriously and even ties the ratings to their bonus.

Genpact seeks to create more impact by getting its employees to fly the company flag at their alma mater.

Employee Value Proposition (EVP) — Living your values

A clearly articulated EVP at its most ideal speaks to the mind and engages the heart and soul. Some companies are well known for their EVP while others struggle to stand out and be counted. What is key is not just the words but the ability to live the EVP. Tying the company purpose to the people’s purpose has been instrumental in employees living the EVP and for companies to keep the EVP alive.

Roche, the largest biopharmaceutical company, is committed to making a difference to patients. It’s EVP is “Make your mark. Improve lives.” It lives this value by empowering its employees to own their career development. It even runs a “mentor me” programme where mentor/mentee are matched via a fun ‘speed-dating” format.

Employee and candidate Experience — Brand advocates

Companies know the importance of building brand advocates through employees and candidates–what people say about you is a lot more powerful than what you say about yourself. However, not many employers can claim to have done this very successfully.

Dell EMC lives its values through its various initiatives. One key initiative is encouraging and ensuring fair female representation at the director and above level. This is not just an HR imperative, but also a business one as research has shown the positive impact on business results.

Positive candidate experience is also a top of agenda item for many companies. Other than managing the process professionally, ensuring hiring managers are prepared and well trained is key as they can be both your strongest or weakest points.

Employer Branding — A journey of courage

There are just too many touch points to manage in the employment branding journey. Nobody has all the right answers. Daring to be different and daring to start on an idea are perhaps what it takes to stand out from the crowd.