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Self improvement refers to a process where an individual continuously tries to upgrade his/her knowledge and hone his/her existing skills not only to survive the fierce competition but also grow both professionally as well as personally. Individuals need to move with time and keep abreast of all the latest developments in their respective fields. Organization […]
Importance of Motivation in Human Resource Development (HRD)
Motivation is one of the most important concepts in HRD. In most organizations, it is common to hear the refrain that a particular employee is not motivated and hence his or her performance has taken a backseat. This is the reason companies spend humungous amounts of money in arranging for training sessions and recreational events […]
Participation and Performance – Importance of Participation
The greatest and widely accepted benefit of participation is the increased work ownership of employee. An employee is better able to relate himself/herself with his or her work and this improves performance and efficiency at work. John Newstrom and Keith Davis worked extensively upon the subject. They identified three variables that lead to increased performance. […]
How HR Managers Must Address the Pay Disparities and Pay Gaps in Organizations
While Pay Disparities are Natural, Biased Pay Systems are not In any organization, it is natural for different employees to be paid differently based on their abilities, seniority, experience, and value that they bring to the organization. Indeed, no organization can afford to pay all employees the same unless it is a Non Profit or […]
The Increasing Popularity of Corporate Wellness Programs and What HR Can Do
Stress Affects All Leading to Reduced Productivity and Loss of Person Hours It is commonplace these days for professionals and workers alike to complain about excessive stress due to their work and due to myriad other personal and professional commitments. Indeed, stress is something that all of us experience on a daily basis. Whether it […]
Before we look into what, why and how of employer branding, let’s look at the below table*, containing best companies to work for in various countries.
What does the above table show?
It shows that workplaces are getting better with each passing year. In fact, it seems that the top management has awakened and enlightened, and is making every possible effort to take their companies to new levels of excellence, trust, pride and camaraderie. They are blending the best of the cultural traditions, workplace practices and policies and procedures to make their employees feel at home. In short, they are working towards establishing their employer brand.
The world of work has changed forever. Gone are the days when employment seekers would go out of their way to please potential employers and convince them to take into their service. As the global economy becomes more local and consumer dynamics experience major shift, the role of employees has become far more important and relevant in anything that an organization does.
The availability of information has empowered buyers, making them demand high level of services. Not only has the quality of service become important, but the speed of response is equally relevant. The focus of organizations in the ‘customer age’ is to optimize experience at each customer touch point.
Who helps organizations in making this happen?
Clearly, their employees! This means employers need people as much as people need to associate themselves with organizations. It’s a two-way deal.
One of the ways companies can compete effectively is by hiring and retaining the best talent. And this is why there is this new war for talent going on the job market. Companies, irrespective of their size and nature of operations, are trying to lure the best talent, so that they themselves can remain at the forefront of competition.
By now, you must have gotten a fair idea of what employer branding is. Well, if we define it more precisely, employer branding is the process of:
And employer brand is a company’s reputation in a job market as an employer. The need of building a strong employer brand is more than ever. As it has a direct impact on hiring, talent retention and ultimately company’s reputation, c-suite executives need to apply strong focus and consistency to establish their employer brand. Clearly, the table above shows that the development of employee value proposition is the key to get there. The process of building a strong employer brand is concerned with
Employer branding is not a new concept. It’s just that the term has gradually become popular and is now taken more seriously by the employers. Employer branding was first defined in 1996, in the Journal of Brand Management in December 1996 by Simon Barrow (chairman of People in Business) and Tim Ambler (Senior Fellow of London Business School). They defined employer branding as “the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment, and identified with employing company”.
By 2001, within just five years of coining this term, it was found that 40% of the 138 companies surveyed (by the Conference Board) in North America were actively engaged in some form of employer branding activity. In 20013, the Economist conducted an employer brand survey on a global level, which revealed that 61% of HR professionals and 41% of non-HR professionals are aware of the term ‘employer branding’. In 2008, Jackie Orme, the Director General of the UK Chartered Institute of Personnel Directors confirmed that employer branding was absolutely integral to business strategy and it was not only an HR function. Since then, there have been numerous books written and conferences held on this subject.
Employer branding is an umbrella term for employer brand management, employer brand positioning and internal marketing. It’s an inside-out, implicitly-explicit, value-based approach to shaping the perceptions and behaviors of employees as well as external talent.
As discussed earlier, employment is not just a mean to survive a sustain; rather it’s a platform where people from diverse backgrounds come together and work towards achieving a common goal, while holding each other like family members. Offices are new homes where work and play co-exist.
Nowadays, employer branding is a niche concept as opposed to brand management, which is a more general term. However, employment and branding seem to co-exist, in response to the ever growing competition for talent.
Times have changed. The rise of social platforms has compelled companies to be more transparent. People are more likely to join a company based on what its employees perceive and say about it. This means talent attraction depends on employee advocacy. Vice versa is also true. Employees want to stick to their company for long, if it is perceived as an employer of choice.
A big opportunity is in store, just as emerging markets around the world prepare themselves to become as economic powerhouses. Just as Asian countries are realizing their strength, so too are its workplaces trying to rise to the new levels of engagement, trust and work-life balance. They are leaving no stone unturned, in their reach, to make employees feel at home.
According to Great Place to Work’s report on Best Workplaces Asia 2015, the great workplace era emerges in Asia. The best workplaces are getting enlightened and ready to walk the talk. The report selects 60 organizations as the 2015 Best Workplaces in Asia, basis employee trust levels, transparency, camaraderie levels and workplace culture, management’s interest in its people, and recognition and rewards.
Employer branding is now a global movement. Developed world has already adopted the concept and developing world is embracing it without hesitation. This has become possible with the arrival of balance-minded millennials who want their workplaces to be as comfortable as home because the boundaries between work and home are constantly diminishing.
In the 20th century, most organizations and people would associate the term ‘brand only with products and services. It’s now used far more widely and for almost everything including workplace, skills and content. When the term is used as a suffix, it represents a distinct identity, thought and personality attached to it.
Similarly, when you think of employer branding, the organization for which it is being used carries a unique identity and is an employer of choice. It sets the organization apart from the rest.
Here are the fundamentals of employer branding that every organization can lay its focus on to achieve their goals:
Employer branding is not a fad. It actually works. Don’t believe? Let’s conduct a quick experiment:
Simply ask yourself where you want to work. Which company would you like to be associated? What comes to your mind? I’m sure most people will say – Google, Twitter, McKinsey, etc. Why? Because they are big brands! Their employees have loads of fun working in company premise and get a lot of benefits.
This is employer branding.
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Employer Branding in Regard to Career Aspirations of Males and Females
February 12, 2025
