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Refining a Powerful Employer Brand: Shifting from Image and Hype to Connected Leadership Behaviours

Effective Employer Branding – 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. ‘Employer Brand’ broadly touches on ‘employer of choice’, ‘employee value proposition’ (EVP) and ‘unique talent experience’ concepts. Ultimately, it’s 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).

What’s 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 ‘voice’ 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 – 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 – 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.

More on Clayton Glen:

Clayton Glen is Commercial Director with HDA (www.hda.co.uk), a privately-owned human capital consultancy, based in London, Manchester, Leeds, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Swindon and Bournemouth. He has accountability for all commercial activity across the company's business streams.

Clayton has held senior HR and commercial roles in the UK, the USA, continental Europe and in Southern Africa; in a range of industries, including chemicals/fmcg, automotive, e-commerce consulting and mobile technology. He has an MBA from the University of Wales. Prior to joining HDA, he was Head of HR & Finance with a venture capital funded mobile technology start-up (www.shazam.com), where he had accountability for building an international team and infrastructure in London and the USA.

 

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