Employer Branding and Corporate Reputation

HURM 6760

LaToya Jackson

Employer Branding and Corporate Reputation Management in Global Companies.

Employer branding can be described in a variety of ways.  One definition of employer branding is “The process of promoting a company, or an organization, as the employer of choice to a desired target group, one which a company needs and wants to recruit and retain”.  Another definition of Employer Branding is “ A set of attributes and qualities, often intangible, that makes and organization distinctive, promises a particular kind of employment experience, and appeals to those people who will thrive and perform best in its culture” (“Employer Brand” CIPD, 2015).  

Employer branding is so important because it has recently emerged as an influential approach to HR management in many countries across the globe.  Not just in the U.S. but employer branding is increasingly gaining importance because strong employer brands represent valuable resources which can allow organizations to gain long-term competitive advantage over competing rivals.  In the last two decades, branding has become a central concept in organizational and social life.  Many HR professionals have embraced the language and techniques of branding to help to enhance their strategic influence and credibility.  Today many recognize the value of the branding approach to the whole employee lifecycle as they seek to build an engaged workforce.  They understand that a strong employer brand should connect and organizations values, people strategy to HR policies and be linked to the companies brand (Garibald, 2014).

Developing and employer brand has many benefits.  It helps to differentiate an organization in the marketplace and attract the best people, lower turnover, reduce hiring costs and create a sense of pride in employees (Garibaldi, 2014).

The overall issues with Employer Branding is that it’s not always easy to build a brand that is different from others and one that is respected and approved by others.  The text states that it is believed that employer branding is best explained by incorporating insights from signaling theory (communication between individuals and organizations), work engagement and organizational engagement (Scullion and Collings, 2011).

United States

Issues/Challenges

Despite recognizing its power, many companies don’t take a strategic approach to employer brand.  While most corporate recruiting teams know employer branding is important, many struggle with questions like where to start, how to find time, and what types of content and channels to deploy. It can be a daunting task for corporate recruiting teams who are already spread thin with requisitions, projects, and at times unrealistic expectations.  

Opportunities

Employment branding influences employees’ willingness to refer the organization and their sense of pride, both of which have huge benefits.  However, according to Modern Survey’s research, there is a huge opportunity for improvement in many companies, given that only about half of the U.S. workforce say they would recommend their employer. Another area where employment branding can positively impact outcomes is candidate experience (Chen, 2015).   One specific issue with in the Unites States is that organizations are not effectively using their career sites Research conducted by CEB in 2014 concluded that 90 percent of job applicants leave with a negative impression after an unsuccessful application or online experience. More alarming is the fact that one in five of those applicants stop using or buying from the company as a result. This is of greater consequence for a company selling directly to consumers, but the implication is clear: How you treat candidates and how they perceive your employment brand can affect your consumer brand and reputation in the marketplace (Chen 2015).