What Really Matters in Employee Branding Today with Bryan Adams of Ph.Creative

Those of you who have listened to the show, know that I am no big fan of “employer branding” because I believe it is generic and unrealistic. Often selling an image of unicorns & rainbows topped off with free lunch.

To me, job advertisements feel like the car dealer who advertises a low price just to get you in the door only to sell you a lemon at the end of the day.

We all understand that every company has its challenges. So why not paint an accurate picture of what the company REALLY is once you start working there?

Simply sharing the good, bad & the ugly of your company is the first step to eliminating bad hires. It attracts the right people, repels those who don’t align with the company values and eliminates the surprises that cause people to question their decision to join your company.

Today we discuss:

Employer branding: why & when

How to brand in the most effective way

Challenge today?

Employer branding:

Marketing and branding are not the same thing

Purpose to employer brand strategy is different than consumer brand strategyTalent was the commodity and technology was differentiator

That has switched

People leaving companies in droves

Not connecting with the right people

Differentiation and purposeCareer decision is transactional

Operating tactically 

Why is this important to the company?

C-suite are talking about employer branding

Approach without strategy causes more problems than it solves

Rick’s Nuggets

Employer branding is strictly a top of funnel activityConvinced ourselves that EVERYONE need to be attracted to the brand

Does nothing to ensure that the right person is being hired

Top of funnel is a vanity metric

How do we solve the problem? 

Understand the organization

Gaps are?

Foundation of the culture

What the people strategy needs to align to

Culture you have rather than the culture you need

Strategy

Reputation (what & why)

Specific & tangible that aligns with the business

Career catalyst (career path) , culture (sense of belonging, great place to work)  & citizenship (impact you have on society, doing good)

Expectation (how)

Give & Get

What the organization wants & needs in return

Comfortable with what you have to give

Adds more value, more authentic enables greater appreciation

Uncover a clear proposition

Things that repel most people attract the right people!

Polarize your audience  

Experience Validate the claim & the experience

Navy seals- Hell week. It has a specific reason in the experience 

Employee experience is more important than candidate experience 

Know exactly where to spend your time & resource

Job AdvertisementStory right

Needs to be a true preview on what to expect

What keeps people 

“Dissuade people not to join” and you couldn't lie, what would you say?

Rick’s Nuggets

Only need to see one person to fill one roleLess candidate flow is the new badge of honor!

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!  -Value:

Get specific - Be clear on the talent you need to grow your company and what it takes to really thrive. This helps define the reputation you need as an employer and  the proposition you have to offer to make it all worthwhile.

Show Vulnerability - Tell a refreshingly honest story of where you are, where you’re going, what’s missing and left to build .. show people a very real picture where they can add value and find purpose in their work.

Own the truth - Include the harsh realities and adversities of your employee experience - 99% of people may run for the hills, but the 1% of people who lean in will likely be the best candidates & employees for your company. Plus it’ll save you a ton of admin and distraction from a blizzard of unqualified candidates.

Finally word :- this strategic view of building and defining culture with a simple employer brand can never come too soon. Do it immediately. It’s easy, free and can make all the difference especially within a scrappy startup

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanadams1/

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