Human Resources Marketing and Recruiting: Essentials of Employer Branding

Abstract

This chapter seeks to outline, address, and evaluate the theory and practice of employer branding. The origins of employer branding are discussed and a working definition is given: employer branding refers to the tools and practices by which an organization manages its brand, or reputation, as an employer, among certain, specified audience groups.

Influencers of employer branding, segmenting an audience for research, and the research methods used to determine and shape an organization’s employer brand are discussed using people (who you should listen to and how to segment them), economic (measuring the economic impact), risk (who are your influencers and researching the external audience), and operational perspectives (tools for understanding your audience).

In order to communicate an organization’s employer brand, an EVP (employer value proposition) is developed to focus on the positive aspects of the employment offer, based on what an organization would like to and can credibly offer to employees and prospective employees. The development of EVP statements and pillars and how these are delivered creatively and integrated internally are discussed in a “Do” and “Don’t” fashion.

As a closing part to the chapter, brief case studies are given on organizations in different industries on how developing an employer brand gives measurable returns, such as increases in non-agency hires, decreased attrition rate, and greater internal satisfaction.