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Employer branding - creating competitive advantage |
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Written by Neil Harrison
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Tuesday, 31 January 2012 20:45 |
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Original blog post by Neil Harrison, Head of Employer Branding & Insight at TMP UK click here>
The publishing of graduate recruitment expectations for the coming year always makes for interesting reading and this year’s High Fliers’ report is no exception. From a distance, all looks rosy, with employers anticipating an across-the-board rise of 6.4% over the number of graduates they took on board in 2011. Some improvement on the cataclysmic 18% drop in 2009. One of the figures that really caught the eye was the public sector forecasting an expansion in their graduate hiring of a staggering 21.9%. This against a backdrop of headcount reductions and recruitment freezes within the sector.
However, perhaps the most striking take-out from the research was the idea that 36% of 2012’s graduate recruitment intake will be filled by applicants who have already spent time with the hiring organisation, via placements, internships or sponsorship.
For employers, this makes abundant sense on the surface. Internships and work placements give them the perfect opportunity to get up close and personal with potential graduate hires, analysing them for attitude, aptitude and cultural fit. For undergraduates too, the chance to kick the tyres of a possible employer, is hugely insightful, as well as taking away some of the final year dilemma – whether to focus on academic studies or job hunting, with the attendant risk of doing neither particularly well.
But how inclusive is this? How many students truly understand how, and particularly when, to engage with employers? How many think they ought to start contacting employers in their final year, or worse, after they’ve graduated? According to some recent TMP on-campus focus groups, too many. And particularly from individuals who represent the first generation of their family to attend university, lacking as they do, advice, guidance and networks of more employment-savvy graduates.
There are 50,000 more graduates due to leave UK universities in 2012, compared to just five years ago. By not delivering an employer branding message platform to students such as these until it is perhaps too late, we risk much. If employers are not engaging with the broadest student body, they risk missing on some hugely talented individuals. Students risk leaving university with little else than debt to show for their three years of study. And society risks disenchantment, disenfranchisement and non-work ready graduating students.
With so many more graduates apparently competing for just 64% of all available graduate jobs in their final year (and the number of graduate jobs still hovering below pre-recession levels), organisations need to ensure their campus value proposition is being delivered at the earliest possible moment to its audiences. |
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Employer branding without borders – A pathway to corporate success |
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Written by Brett Minchington
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Saturday, 09 July 2011 10:17 |
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 Original article published on www.ere.net
Upcoming events on Brett's 2011 Employer Brand Global Tour click here>http://www.brettminchington.com/events/events-list.html
This article provides insights from Brett's new book "Employer Brand Leadership - A Global Perspective?" For full details please visit the publisher's website click here>
The extended version of this article will be published in the Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership in August
Culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster –Professor Geert Hofstede, Dutch social psychologist
One of the greatest challenges facing global comanies right now is their ability to exploit synergies and efficiencies in their global talent acquisition and retention programs. When considered with the fact we are about to enter an era of unparalleled talent scarcity around the world, the role of the global employer brand manager is set to become one of the most critical roles inside global companies.
Global talent acquisition has become increasingly complex. The need for systems integration, understanding of culture diversity, social and technological changes, jobless, uneven economic recoveries in many countries, the threat of declining fertility rates, inequality in global education standards, and the impact of aging populations in many developed economies has created multiple challenges for global companies which show no signs of easing soon!
Leaders I speak with around the world are saying they are running hard to stand still and where previously they could take 1-2 years to research, develop, and implement talent acquisition and retention strategies, the competitiveness for talent is demanding leaders react quicker and more decisively to stay ahead of the competition.
Even top employer-branding companies like Google, Adidas, and Deloitte are constantly seeking innovative ways to source, develop, and retain talent. If that’s what is happening with the market leaders, consider the millions of other companies around the world who have similar challenges. At a global level the problem is magnified to unthinkable proportions and the solutions are going to need a mix of short- and long-term initiatives including collaboration between companies, industries, universities, and governments. There is no benefit to global corporations if leadership talent is in high supply in Scandinavia when manufacturing operations are in India and there is a dearth of leaders with the right skills.
The Reality of Globalization and its Impact on Employer Branding
The social and culture integration brought about through globalization can foster broader understanding and co-operation between employees around the world, and potentially economies of scale in the allocation of human resources, but is it really that simple?
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Written by EBO Editor
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Friday, 01 July 2011 08:52 |
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(China Daily 06/04/2011 page8)
TV recruitment programs are emerging as the newest platforms for fresh graduates to land themselves a job. Guo Shuhan reports.
While other graduates are still struggling to find a job, Wang Fan, a third-year student at Peking University, has already landed one.
The radio and television broadcasting major got her lucky break on a TV recruitment program Jobs Come Jobs Go, or Zhilai Zhiwang, co-produced by China Education TV and Jiangsu Satellite TV.
Wang made the cut after surviving a volley of questions fired at her by a group of 18 prospective employers.
As per the program's rules, participants who can convince half the 18 panelists of their capabilities, can land a job in any of the program's 100 cooperating companies.
They include such big names as China's leading portal Sina.com.cn, pharmaceutical company Tianjin Smith Kline & French Laboratories Ltd, BMW China, Starbucks Coffee and accounting firm, PriceWaterhouse-Coopers.
According to the Ministry of Education, the nation's universities will churn out 6.6 million graduates in 2011, which is 300,000 more than in 2010. Of last year's graduates, 600,000 students are still awaiting jobs.
TV programs, such as Jobs Come Jobs Go and Only You, or Feini Moshu, by Tianjin Satellite TV, are emerging as new platforms for graduates seeking jobs.
The two programs, whose broadcasting began late 2010, have attracted not only job-seekers but also university students wanting a taste of real-life interviews and an idea of what employers look for, to make the transition from campus to society as smooth as possible.
They also appeal to high school students wondering which major they should pick in university.
Jobs Come Jobs Go receives an average of 4,000 applications every week. More than 145,000 people follow it on Sina Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Only You has also attracted nearly 100,000 fans.
"Many graduates do not have access to proper career advice and are at a loss when looking for jobs," Yang Jinxing, chief producer of Jobs Come Jobs Go, says. "They have no clear idea of what they want to do or what they can do."
For Wang, participating in the TV program was not just about getting a job, it was more about the experience.
She once thought of becoming a radio station host for entertainment or fashion programs. But the interviewers said her voice was not as good as that of the other prospective hosts.
Wang eventually chose to work as an editor in a media company.
"When candidates are put under the spotlight and bombarded with challenging questions, their strengths and weaknesses are readily exposed," Liu Shuang, chief producer of Only You, says.
Liu further points out that the honest comments from employers can help candidates discover their aptitudes and potential.
Liu Ting, from the employment service center at Nankai University in Tianjin, encourages graduates to take the TV stage. She suggests, however, that participants look at the experience more as a learning opportunity and not care too much about whether they bring back an offer.
But even as more companies want to join the program, there are some who believe a short TV interview is hardly adequate to find the right talents.
However, for jobs such as sales and marketing which involve a lot of interpersonal communication, the TV show can give prospective employers an idea of how the candidates will hold up under pressure - a key requirement of such positions - says Ma Qing, head of human resources in Siemens North East Asia, which plans to hire 300 graduates in 2011.
"We usually have at least three rounds of assessments. But even at the end of that we can't be sure the applicant is 100 percent suited to our company and the job we offer," she says.
Yang, of Jobs Come Jobs Go, says the TV recruitment programs reflect the values of the younger generation. He says that while popular expectations of these youngsters is that they should be ambitious, the candidates just seem to want a stable job and give little thought to career prospects.
Meanwhile, Lin Mu, a fan of Only You, says on her micro blog that, "Sometimes employers may offer a junior position to someone who is not qualified for the job but may be in desperate need of it. It makes me think the working world is not so cold and indifferent, after all".
The blogs of many employers often attract questions from students about what kind of majors and which university they should choose, and which jobs would fit them best.
"If students rely on us to make decisions, they are wasting their time. What we provide is an opportunity for them to reflect on their own situation while watching others' presentations," says Liu Tong with Enlight Media, who recruited Wang Fan and five others.
"Students should try and get a feel of market pulse and one such way is through internships. This will help them find their niche and help them settle into working life quickly," Yang says.
(China Daily 06/04/2011 page8) |
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11 Employer branding best pactices to focus on in 2011 |
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Written by Brett Minchington
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Saturday, 11 December 2010 08:29 |
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Oringal article published at www.brettminchington.com
I've compiled a list below I wanted to share with you. The list includes 11 areas for leaders to focus their employer branding efforts on in 2011 based on some of the workforce changes we have encountered by the introduction of new technologies, global economic instability and the requirements of a modern workforce - one that is agile, adaptable and responsive to a constantly changing and highly competitive landscape.
It's great to see many more companies appointing employer brand leaders in 2010 to drive their organisation's employer brand strategy. I expect this trend to continue in 2011.
It is only with this focus will we see the continued evolution of the employer brand concept and employment offerings which on the whole, works towards achieving a much better match of the needs of employees with those of business.
Here is my top 11
1) Establish a real-time career development for employees
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Employer Branding 3.0 - Connecting employees and customers for a better society |
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Written by Brett Minchington
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Sunday, 10 October 2010 14:16 |
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 Article originally published in South Africa's leading HR publication, HR Future - Brett Minchington is an International monthly columnist on employer branding for HR Future.
This article provides some insights into Employer Branding 3.0 as featured in Brett's new book Employer Brand Leadership - A Global Perspective.
For the past two and half years I have been travelling the world interacting with leaders and sharing best practice in employer branding. Each new country provides an opportunity to learn about the local nuances and the challenges of delivering an employment experience which positively impacts on an employee’s ability to deliver a brand experience expected by their customers.
In each of the twenty countries I have travelled to, it is evident there are political, economic, social and technological forces confronting companies which will require a combined stakeholder effort to ensure business sustainability. However I find there is one common force that connects us all - the human will to create a better society. We hear political leaders talk about it in discussions on critical issues such as climate change, financial reform and labour practices. Future sustainability will require a collaborative effort to maintain a healthy balance of ‘what’s good for profit’ and ‘what’s good for society.’
A study by the US Federal Reserve Board showed the dramatic increase in the importance of intangibles such as brand to overall corporate value in the second half of the twentieth century. Today it is possible to argue that in general the majority of business value is derived from intangibles such as the employer brand.
Since its inception in the early 1990’s employer branding has evolved through three stages: employer branding 1.0, employer branding 2.0 and employer branding 3.0 (see table 1).
Employer branding 1.0 was characterised by one-way interactions between employers and their employees and customers. Employees were seen as an infinite resource and talent was in abundance during the industrial revolution. Jobs were for life and employer branding was used to fill jobs as companies experienced growth.
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