In the past, the traditional roles of HR and marketing ensured that they were always seen as separate entities. Fast forward to present day and we are starting to see some cross over.  Companies are realising that sustainable recruitment is only achievable through establishing a strong employer brand. The problem is, HR are not marketers and will never profess to be.

So, how can HR successfully market their employer brand? Well, like all businesses that lack certain skill sets, they need to form alliances with those that do. Traditionalists need to accept that the world of HR is changing and responsibility for engagement falls across more than just one or even two departments. In fact engagement and the marketing of the employer brand falls across every department. The employer brand is what your people say about you when you have left the room. Articulating your employer brand is only possible when you fully understand your employee value propositions (.E.V.P.). What makes people work for you and why do they stay? If you can’t answer these questions then you shouldn’t even begin marketing your employer brand externally. 

Job seekers select companies using different criteria than ten years ago. Jobs seekers want to feel that their employer of choice fits in with their own core values and no longer make a decision on who to work for based just on pay. Areas such as environmental policies, working conditions, flexible hours are all areas of importance that never got a look in back in the money grabbing yuppie era of the 80’s. So, once you have got a grip on what makes your company great, you can begin to market your employer brand through multiple channels. 

A dedicated careers site is often a good starting point. Careers sites can act as the anchor on which to link back to via all your outgoing media channels.  Job seekers can be redirected back to the site simultaneously where they are presented by a plethora of rich media or interactive resources (videos, photos, animations, games) showcasing your employer brand.

The more information a potential candidate can gather about an employer, the better informed they are when making an application. This ensures only relevant candidates with common goals and values to your own apply, improving your quality of hire and long term staff retention. 

HR is the internal conductor that can drive this new dynamic forward, but they need to be bold and take risks.  They need to sell, schmooze and do whatever they need to in order to win the hearts and minds of marketing, PR or any other department that can help them deliver the companies message successfully.

Chris Heron - Plugin Recruiter