Christian Dinesen contributed with an article about the practical side of Employer branding. It is from 2011.

1. The world’s leading Employer Branding journal Issue 1 2011
Presented by Universum
Generation IT –
everyone wants them
A top information technology recruit is a treasured com-
modity well outside of the traditional IT industry.
A hefty salary isn’t good enough for them. They want to feel
that they contribute to the overall business success. > page 10
Modern EB – what’s in store?
New year, new deal. Universum Quarterly spoke to five senior employer
branding executives about what’s hot for 2011 and what they think will
be the defining trends. > page 15
Mastering Metrics – our new column series
Lovisa Öhnell is Universum’s EB doctor. During this four-column series
she will guide you through easy steps for using metrics to check up on your
EB health. Make sure you keep all her appointments. > page 6
Lessons from the Army
British Army Recruiting specialist Colin Cook discusses how the British Army
succeeds with their recruiting in the face of civilian competition. > page 22
Featured Brands: Apple LinkedIn CIPD Ernst & Young Unilever McKinsey & Co Siemens Credit Suisse University of Pennsylvania University of California Davis
FDM Group British Army The Danish Institute of Coaching

2. M ED IA U P D AT E
New year, Employer branding in the news
new opportunities
No more freewheeling
F
riends, it is time for a change. your job. I will be dedicated to helping you
After seven years at the helm of sort out, organise and use all that informa- Not having pre-set methods for the recruiting process can be a dan-
Universum, it’s time for some- tion in the best way. One of the most impor- gerous pitfall. As corporate recruiting is picking up many simply hire
one else to hold the rudder. tant changes we see is that people, particularly external recruiters to get the job done. However, corporate recruitment
But I am happy to say, that Universum lives young people, spend enormous amounts of departments are now realising the need to develop their own internal
as it preaches – that employers should offer a time consuming media and information. Sev- executive search. This means new processes are being developed by com-
variety of opportunities for top talent within eral studies prove this. One concludes that panies to entice A-level candidates into jobs at companies that lack a
the organisation. In this case, me. In my new 18-24-year-olds spend 10 hours consuming well known brand name.
role as chief knowledge officer, I will be able media for every six hours of time they are However, the absence of standardised recruiting processes means that
to more actively participate in driving the awake. To do that, they are logged on to several this is not the first thing needed to be done. The goal should be quality of
development of employer branding. When I devices at the same time. To handle this, their hire. Recruiters need to consider the A-level candidates are likely to be
look back at the past decade and a half, I see attention span gets shorter, and they process passive so the assessment process needs to interest candidates who aren’t
an industry that developed from a somewhat smaller pieces of information at a time. We actively looking. Think of recruiting a bit like sales and sales people; they
obscure part of HR to a sophisticated and need to move with that change. You should have extensive training. If your company doesn’t have a strong employer
Michal Kalinowski
independent division filled with complexities consider how this shift in media consumption brand, you have to sell the position to a potential candidate. With the
and advanced theories. The most obvious sign affects your employer branding work. To aid right steps taken, your internal recruiting team should be able to com-
of how mature EB has become is that it has you, I will find new, faster and more continu- pete with the best.
taken a seat at the board room tables of most ous information sources for you, to comple-
employers. Today, EB is considered an integral ment the information you get through Uni-
www.ere.net
factor in the overall business success. Univer- versum Quarterly. So stay tuned for even more
sum has developed along with EB, taking the support from Universum, the leading partner
leading position in EB knowledge, communi- in your EB work.
cation and research data. It is imperative for
Universum to maintain and enhance that posi-
tion. Hence, it naturally follows that the com- Apple loses its core
pany has decided to dedicate a senior full time
position to the work of being a thought leader. Apple lost their illustrious leader, Steve Jobs to his precarious ill health. This poses a problem
A big part of my job will be to provide for Apple because one of the great messages of branding is the power of founders and what
you with the right information, in the right they bring to a company.
EDITOR IN CHIEF:
amounts and through the right channels to Catrine Johansson
Jobs resurrected the failing brand in 1997 and turned it into the global conglomerate it
keep up with the developments that impact catrine.johansson@universum.se is today. Many brands struggle to retain their trajectory once the original leader is gone, and
EDITOR: Jens Trulsson Apple has experienced a six per cent drop in share prices since Jobs announced his departure.
ART DIRECTOR: Malin Wigren A founder has the brand in his/her bones, and they are more likely to understand
ILLUSTRATOR: Malin Wigren
the decision process needed in order to benefit their company to the max-
imum. Also, it is a powerful form of marketing when a
PROOFREADER: Michelle Boyde
founder talks about their company as they are the ones
WRITERS: Michelle Boyde, Fred Cohn,
Lovisa Öhnell, Jens Trulsson, who truly believe in the magic of their dream.
Bethany Read There are several cases when founders have
PUBLISHER: had to return to resurrect their companies. Jobs in
Petter Nylander. CEO, Universum
1997, Coco Chanel in 1963 and more recently How-
PRODUCT MANAGER: ard Schultz. He recreated the supposedly doomed
Karin Almcrantz
Starbucks brand in under a year.
- The power of founders means that Starbucks is
successful, Chanel will be iconic forever while Ap-
ISSN 1653-8668
Visit us at: ple may face a future struggle.
www.universumglobal.com/uq
We hope you like the new Universum
Quarterly. Send your feedback to www.marketingweek.co.uk
UQtip@universum.se
2 #1 2011 © Universum 2011 © Universum 2011 3 #1 2011

3. ME D I A U PD AT E M ED IA U P D AT E
Guarding the green Supervising the stars
Pay accounting counts for the largest part of organisational expenditure in If employee performance appraisals are put at the centre of talent
many businesses. There are big risks if done wrong, which can include low management it allows key areas such as product quality and em-
employee morale, industrial relations problems and the dangers of inef- ployee’s competence to flourish, as well as aiding a logical workflow.
ficiency. Many businesses are now conducting pay review processes that are Organisations are increasingly implementing programmes such
not aligned with business needs. as the ISO 9001 quality management system in order to increase
A new guide from The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Develop- profitability and competiveness. ISO standards ask organisations to Performing to the max
ment (CIPD), The Pay Review Process, has been launched which uses case identify skill sets in jobs for certification. Lorri Hunt, ISO 9001 ex-
studies from 16 organisations to demonstrate how to carry out a successful pert said that in order for the system to run properly “organisations Performance appraisal has been criticised from
review. Key messages include the importance of effective planning and data need to ensure that HR has the integrated systems and tools in place all angles. And yet, they are done in every organ-
gathering, plus it encourages practitioners to keep processes simple. to evaluate employee performance” as HR is often disconnected isation. The top fifty problems associated with
Chares Cotton, CIPD advisor said that getting a pay review process from the quality management process. performance appraisals have now been grouped
wrong can “send out mixed messages on what your organisations values are Talent management is critical in manufacturing organisations into categories by Dr. John Sullivan, the “Mi-
in terms of employee behaviour, skills, attitudes and performances”. because it enables the ability to create and automate the workflow, chael Jordan of hiring” according to Fast Maga-
Source: Align pay review with business, urges CIPD guide,
ensurimg employees have the skills and create quality standards. zine. He categorises them as follows: process-
www.peoplemanagement.co.uk related problems such as little legal support and
www.reliableplant.com
the lack of a second review. Next are manager-
related problems, such as not fully trained man-
gers and managers misunderstanding employ-
ees. Finally there are employee problems that
can occur during the process such as high anxiety
Managing the masses and the fact it is a one way process, with no input
from the employee being apprised.
Whilst many business leaders have great Dr. Sullivan estimates that it costs a company
skill in business administration, most lack $2,500 annually to evaluate an employee. Per-
one vital skill: people management. haps it is time to make the dollars count?
Academic study of people manage-
ment focuses on the theory and mechan- www.ere.net
ics of human resources and often ignores
how to deal with employee issues such as
disgruntled employees, harassment and
romance in the workplace. These types
of problems can create havoc in organ-
isations if not properly dealt with. Lead-
ers need to be able to identify negative Panning for gold Stealing staples
behaviours exhibited by employees and
determine how to best deal with them. If organisations managed their business like they manage their human assets Fraud prevention service CIFAS figures show that employee fraud has in-
An external organisational review identi- most companies would fight to stay in business at all. creased by 45 per cent under 2009, with cases worth up to £567 million in
fies the depth of the issue and confirms Talent management remains hit and miss, and companies have problems 2009, compared to £229 million in 2008.
the impact. with the allocation of employees to specific jobs. Certain companies, including Pre-employment screens help to limit the risk at the recruitment stage. But
Evaluations GE, P&G and Hindustan Unilever work hard to identify an individual’s talent it can create a false sense of security as there is no guarantee that an employee
should be con- through observation and detection, and are able to decide the position each won’t commit fraud for the first time. Ongoing screens are still new in the UK
ducted by an leader would suit best. because it can alienate employees along the way.
objective third Wharton has an advanced management programme that shows the Employees are more likely to join in the process if they understand why
party who gives problems associated with the vague clichéd phrases such as analytical re-screening processes are in place. This can be achieved by being clear
suggestions of and innovative which are used to recruit leaders. When participants about the organisations motives to avoid negativity. Ideally, all employees
how to are asked to analyse where exactly Apple’s Steve Jobs’ talent lies, should be re-screened at least every 12 to 18 months but to minimise the
best deal with they’re told that you can’t define a leader by buzz words. costs organisations could use periodic checks on a random sample of the
the situation. Great leaders like Jobs understand what consumers want now and employee population.
what they will want in the future. To become a great leader you need to Regular screens help organisations to gain an insight into the background
Source: Tough task deal
-
be able to relate and be trusted by everyone in the company. of their workforce and reduce the risks associated with a bad employee.
www.winnipegfree- Source: How Steve Jobs gets things done, www.management.fortune.cnn.com Source: Developing an ongoing screening strategy, www.hrmagazine.co.uk
press.com
4 #1 2011 © Universum 2011 © Universum 2011 5 #1 2011

4. Checking your EB vitals The branding layer cake
MM
MASTERING
METRICS
By Lovisa Öhnell
EB
SURGERY
they differ? And how do you know when to play on your strong awareness in
-
-
Often the territory gets muddled between the consumer brand and the
employer brand. What are the most important distinguishing factors?
A lot of parts play in the complex process that is branding: the communication message, its
execution, and if you really believe in and live your brand within the organisation. The same
goes for EB but it’s even more complex. To choose an employer involves a lot of very personal
decisions. The choice of a product has an effect on your life. To choose your employer envelopes
your life, your family and your future. Therefore, the decision-making process involves a lot more
psychological factors for the candidate – who is more critical, sceptical and evaluates the feelings
surrounding your brand. The candidate has to visualise a clear future role and it has to feel right Lisa Lönner Pulkkinen
on every level. Within marketing today we often work with experience branding, e.g. to affect
M
all senses: see; hear; touch; feel and understand. It’s fragile and requires communication with a
easuring employer brand- manufacturing plant in Asia. The company’s uniform message that is both experience-based and chock full of facts. Lisa works with employer branding
ing (EB) is to your strate- brand is strongly associated with international As the Web has made information a lot more accessible to more people, potential candidates communication solutions, and has
over 15 years of experience from stra-
gies what regular health atmosphere. But the manufacturing plant had have become a lot better at digging up and evaluating information. That implicitly means that they’re tegic communication within branding,
checkups are to your none of that global flair. It was basically a local, more demanding. Brands today have to stop thinking about being bombastic and think more specifi- PR, event and advertising. She has
been PR director at MTV Networks,
body. Even if you don’t feel sick, you should do independent, factory. Hence, the plant required cally about who they are and what they honestly can contribute with. The consumer today is their
and has a broad knowledge of com-
regular checkups to confirm your good health, a completely different set of recruits than the own investigative journalist and social media can build brands as quickly as it can destroy them. municating with young target groups
and to catch potential problems early. Only if company as a whole did. Good advertising is built on honest facts but creates a credible experience. The same goes for an in the new media environment, and is
specialised in creating research based
the initial tests indicate a problem does the employer brand, however, you have a lot more power with good ambassadors and brand builders. communication concepts and inte-
Lovisa Öhnell
doctor send you for an MRI or a CAT scan. One clear difference with EB, that a regular consumer brand can’t touch, is the importance of grated communication campaigns.
It’s the same thing with EB strategies. A sim- Measuring your conversion means measuring the personal experience. Future employees want to meet with people from all levels within the
ple dash board of three key performance in- the strength of your relationship with your tar- organisation. Real people that can give them an idea if they can fill these persons’ shoes in a few
Lovisa has a background as a dicators should be used annually to gauge the get group. How well they know you, and how years. That is why events, meetings, editorial PR, social media with open channels and anything
management consultant with
McKinsey & Co. As the
overall health of the employer brand. strongly they want to join your organisation. else that can be used for story telling is important. EB has many similarities with business-to-
global director of research and At Universum, we have a funnel to illustrate business marketing where it’s important to build relationships based on knowledge. A strong
consulting she is responsible for consumer brand often means a strong EB but it isn’t enough to be invisible in the personal meet-
this. At the widest point, we have those who
the 30 talent surveys conducted
by Universum annually, as well When measuring your attractiveness, make sure are familiar with you. Further down are those ing. The people you send forth have to be representative of the company in a way that make their
as for Universum’s consulting you do it amongst relevant target groups. Second, who consider working for you. On the next stories compelling. A boring or uncharismatic person can affect an entire EB.
business,serving global clients in
the areas of EVP development, set a goal for the ranking. Being number one is level in the funnel, we find those who think of In this new environment, where you are visible on so many platforms, the message gets all the
employer brand strategy and not realistic for most. But perhaps being amongst you as an ideal employer. And at the narrowest more important. Good preparation with a clear EVP, a distinct communications idea and a good ABOUT EB SURGERY
communication strategy.
the Top 20 or Top 10 is. Third, changing rankings point are those that have also applied. Defining offer to the employer market is extremely important. Students and professionals better perceive
want answered?
take time. So when you do set the goal and define where you want to be will help you track your a message and idea that is strong and uniform. It can cut through the noise and have a stronger Would you like the opportunity to pose them to
your target groups, make sure that reflects future communication with your target group and also impact on the target group. The messages, advertisements and activities devised for younger groups
recruitment needs beyond six months. measure progress in a clear way. could do with a touch more creativity. Young people today are knowledgeable and smart, they can
Universum Quarterly
Following this health check ABC will see through bad communications in a jiff as they’re used to marketers flirting with their attention.
Universum Quarterly is proud to introduce our
hopefully generate a clean bill of health for Only a few brands dare to try new approaches to EB as most are too scared to stick their necks out
- Proper brand perception reflects your Employer your EB. If there are problems, they will be by using creative, fun and engaging methods. Overall there is a need for a more varied EB as a lot
Value Proposition (EVP) in the right way. You discovered early. And early detection increases of companies choose similar ways of profiling themselves. It’s like a cake. The bottom of the cake is
knowledge and expertise on how you can ensure sharing with you their extensive experience in
have to define what characterises your employ- the chances of effective treatment. In addition, all the hard facts, about the offering, about the company and about the culture. Be open with your
ment offer, and in what ratios. If the brand per- if ailments are discovered early, the treatment culture – showcase it. The topping is the feeling you get. You try to analyse what they say and try to
UQtip@universum.se
ception and your EVP aren’t aligned, you may will be considerably cheaper. So when you sit go behind it. What are they really saying? What feeling do I get from this?
-
lovisa.ohnell@universum.se run into a similar problem as a global soft down to measure your EB, do as your doctor. We often talk about low involvement and high involvement. EB is higher than the highest
drink company did whilst recruiting staff to a Start with checking your vitals. involvement. Therein lies the difference.
6 #1 2011 © Universum 2011 © Universum 2011 7 #1 2011

5. Universum announces its
NEW CEO
By Catrine Johansson
-
How will you handle the leap In your opinion, what is the most
from online betting to employer important employer branding is-
power and the self confidence to use it. We
live in a much more equal society where a vast “I am ambitious, curious, Petter Nylander
branding?
Actually, I see many similarities between my
sue today?
Internal talent development is a key issue. To-
amount of information is available to all. In
a world driven by information flow, talent is
and I have a genuine Age: 46
Family: Wife Annika, daughter
old role and my new one. The online indus- day, what differentiates employers is their values more sophisticated and more knowledgeable interest in helping people Filippa 15 years
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in
try is extremely talent driven and as a CEO and culture, not monetary compensation. In than ever. Whereas employers used to select
develop. ”
Economics, University of Stockholm,
graduated 1994.
in that industry, talent development has that environment, cultivating and developing the talent, nowadays, the talent selects the
1993-1994: Intern
always been a top priority for me. Further- your existing talent is crucial. Done successfully, employers. This coupled with more emphasis – Petter Nylander, Universum at Universum, 1994-2003: Various posi-
it brings less risk and is less expensive, than re- on work/life balance, forces employer brand- tions, including CEO at TV3 Sweden, CEO
TV3 Scandinavia,. Vice President MTG
lying too heavily on external recruitment. With ing strategies to offer values and a culture that -
“Selecting an employer is a state- talent that is already within the organisation,
you know that they are a good cultural fit and
talent can identify with and relate to. Select-
ing an employer is a statement of the person’s I am ambitious, curious and I have a genuine
CEO of Omnicom Media Group AB, a
ment of the person’s personality
global communications services company.
they have higher credibility with their col- personality and lifestyle – not a paycheck. interest in helping people develop. Focus on 2005-2010: CEO Unibet Group PLC, one
of Europe’s leading online gaming sites.
leagues because they have a proven track record. the client is central to my philosophy and I
and lifestyle – not a paycheck. ” Throughout my career, I have identified young, believe it is my job to sometimes look further
Hobbies: I am very interested in History.
I also enjoy travel, art, science and cooking.
– Petter Nylander, Universum ambitious and smart employees that I have Universum? down the road, to set the long-term course I also try to be at the gym twice a week.
Did you know…that Petter speaks
mentored to successful careers. I have seen first- I will continue to lead Universum’s expansion as for the company and its employees. But this Greek after working several summers as
hand the advantages of that kind of approach. a global thought leader in the employer brand- is no revolution for Universum. I am enter- a tour guide in the Greek Island before his
university studies?
more, the online industry is at the forefront ing field. Second, I will focus on our own talent ing an already well-managed company that is
of digital and online technology. I believe We see big changes in what mo- and client offer development. We need to con- stable and has moved in the right direction
that my experience from this will bring new tivates talent groups today com- tinue to strive for better client offers, higher ex- for quite some time. It is my job to continue
possibilities to Universum and to how em- pared to previous generations. pertise amongst our employees and an increased that work, enhance it, and add my perspective
ployer branding strategies are executed. In How do you see that affecting the focus on innovative solutions for our clients. to maintain the growth.
addition, I have spent my entire career in employer branding community? Third, the digitalisation of our client offers will
an international environment. That fits very Gone are the days when products or patents be a main focus. There is enormous potential in
well with Universum’s global reach and am- put a company ahead of the rest. Instead, our various online offers, and I see that as the
bitions. we operate in a society where talent has the main growth area for the future.
8 #1 2011 © Universum 2011 © Universum 2011 9 #1 2011

6. IT talent
– the new golden calves of business
By Fred Cohn
prospects; any company hoping to attract top IT talent must show that the
Off-shoring and the
N
o matter whether the industry is think they want to work for a tech company The EVP for IT candidates kind of sales pitch that’s really appealing.”
banking or media, energy or high- and invent the next Android.” Top IT candidates can expect to command big The recruiting of top IT employees re-
tech, information technology is the Add in the abundance of tech start-ups, all salaries, but money alone isn’t enough to lure quires more than just lip service; the process
backbone of any company’s operations. In fishing for top talent. the best and the brightest. Their professional itself must reflect the kind of technical savvy
any corporate sector, top-flight IT people “Everybody in Silicon Valley or in New lives are driven by a passion for the field, and a company needs to make itself a magnet.
the past decade or so and given rise to
are key to a company’s success. York City who’s a top engineer has a friend they need to know that they’ll land in a place “Good engineers can detect things that
The situation presents a special conun- who’s starting something,” said Kevin Scott, where that passion will be rewarded. are inauthentic,” said Scott. “People are go-
drum to re- vice-president of engineering at LinkedIn and “You have to offer hard problems, where ing to see if you’re just using a bunch of tech
cruiters who a member of the Professions Board at the As- they’re constantly working on new things,” buzzwords. You almost have to involve your IT employees generally command lower
salaries than their European and Ameri-
“The competition is fierce. We aim to attract
the best IT tal-
sociation for Computer Machinery (ACM), a
US-based IT trade organisation. “They can also
said Scott. “They have to be surrounded by
very smart colleagues. They don’t like to be
engineering team to understand the culture
of the folks you’re trying to hire, and build a “An American IT worker may feel the
aren’t just competing with other ent. Although start their own two-person company: it’s really micromanaged; they need a certain level of brand for your IT shop.”
professor of human and community de-
some educa- easy for small groups of technological entre- autonomy.”
banks, but with any company tional tracks preneurs to start companies. All the angels, the “Google and Facebook have been success- Actions speak louder
-
venture capitalists, are angling after these guys.”
that recruits IT people.” prepare stu-
dents for work Even setting aside the technology sector, any
ful at providing that atmosphere for their em-
ployees,” Scott continued. “Yeah, they’ve got
To a certain extent, the IT community is a
small one. When they’re scouting out jobs,
tion Task Force of the Association for
—Jan Simon, Credit Suisse in a particular firm seeking top IT talent have to compete not good salaries, lots of benefits. That’s not to be candidates can easily find colleagues who can -
sector, IT skills just with traditional rivals in the same field, but sneezed at. But what these companies really brief them on a company’s reputation. “They’re
are applicable companies across all corporate sectors. offer people is the chance to solve interesting doing a lot of research on the organisations –
across a whole range of industries, making “The competition is fierce,” said Simon. “We problems and the ability to be entrepreneurial more than ever before,” said Pyne. This makes
the competition for top candidates all the aren’t just competing with other banks, but with in the way they approach their work.” it especially important that a company can
more fierce. At the top of the heap: technol- any company that recruits IT people.” As Scott sees it, this kind of value propo- demonstrate a core commitment to its IT
TIPS ogy-focused companies, which hold a spe- “Students are looking at everything,” said sition is hardly limited to tech companies. functions. At Credit Suisse, for instance, CIO
cial allure to these professionals. For many, Rosette Pyne, senior associate director for en- “I’m sure a big bank can offer the same Karl Landert is a member of the executive
Google or Facebook represent the Holy gineering and applied science bachelor’s and kinds of opportunities,” he said. “They have board – a clear signal of the centrality of IT
Grail of IT. master’s students in University of Pennsyl- to make a case that these are the kinds of to the bank operations and its long term
“The challenge we face is that your typical vania’s career office. “Not just banks, not just positions where you can have a real impact. success. skills create ten times the value of an
IT graduate doesn’t necessarily think of go- consulting. It could be IBM or Google or Mi- If you’re coming up with faster trading soft- “Typically, the companies that are most at-
ing into banking or finance,” said Jan Simon, crosoft or a small start-up; a multinational or a ware, you’re helping create capital and value tractive are those with long-term CIOs inside
global head of the IT Graduate Program at small local organisation. They’re trying to find for lots of investors and having a positive im- that environment,” said Rod Flavell, CEO of
Credit Suisse. “Until we talk to them, they the one that works best for them.” pact on a large number of people. That’s the the FDM Group, a provider of IT services
10 #1 2011 © Universum 2011 © Universum 2011 11 #1 2011

7. Rod Flavell
“ You get a bigger chunk of work, you get to
know us better and we get to know you ” Potent placements
—Jan Simon, Credit Suisse
Jan Simon
-
is a global
participants draw a salary throughout the
bank has three main divisions:
Investment Banking, Private to top corporations. “They’ve shown a con- at these sessions and ask the students ‘By any offerings. “Banking is all about the efficient man- them exposure to the types of problems
Banking and Asset Management.
In 2010, Credit Suisse generated sistency of processes and of human-resources chance, do you have a resume?’,” she said. agement information, and what is that? Informa- they’ll encounter in their work for us.” a participant is placed as a consultant
shareholders. management, rather than showing a knee-jerk tion technology!” said Simon. “Including con- In the UK, where students have more
Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland reaction to the market with hiring-and-firing, tractors, we have about 17,000 people globally time off than in the US to work in the field,
Number of employees: 50,100 outsource/in-source patterns.” In its effort to attract top IT talent globally, working in information technology. That’s more Credit Suisse offers industrial placements of
Pyne said that she has seen companies at- Credit Suisse has devised a number of targeted than most Fortune 100 technology companies.” six-to-12 months. Simon said these make a
tract attention from UPenn’s IT candidates by recruiting tactics. Of course the company at- Credit Suisse is a global company but it more in-depth, longer term introduction for
offering workshops that the students might tends the traditional job fairs and campus takes special efforts to tailor its IT recruiting both parties than typical two month summer -
find useful – not just events. But it also has efforts to individual markets. internships. partly a result of an aging workforce: “The
on the company itself, come up with pro- “Recruiting is always a local business,” said “You get a bigger chunk of work,” he said.
but on business tactics
like networking or how “ You have to under- grammes aimed at
giving students a clear
Simon. “You have to stay close to your universi-
ties. If you compare the coursework of an engi-
“You get to know us better, and we get to
know you.” -
-
to have a successful in-
terview. A general in-
stand the culture of sense of the chal-
lenges and rewards in-
neering student in the US to India or Singa-
pore, you’re looking at two different things. At
One recent attention-getter was Credit
Suisse’s “IT Challenge.” Marketed on cam-
Martin Kenney
-
formational session on the folks you’re trying volved in working for the end of the day, you have to be aware of the puses across the UK, it was an online com-
the company may be the bank. local market you’re hiring from.” petition featuring a series of multiple choice
fine, but an even more to hire, and build a The first step is The bank runs a number of feeder pro- quiz, with prizes including Iphones, Ipads
segue from FDM into a staff position with
effective strategy is to
address IT-orientated
brand for your IT to convince IT can-
didates that banking
grammes, to get students acquainted with the
organisation before they make their career
and Amazon vouchers. The IT Challenge
drove students to the bank’s career Web site
transitions are most likely to take place not
only where the programme has allowed
Rosette Pyne student organisations shop.” as a whole is a desir- choice. In both the US and Switzerland, Credit and helped enhance the bank’s reputation
-
on specific technologi- —Kevin Scott, LinkedIn able career target. Suisse has run programmes through universi- amongst engineering students.
cal issues, by giving a “We have to ties, overseeing undergraduate and master’s As Simon explains, all of these disparate “The most important thing to my people
tech talk or sponsoring a technology day. raise awareness that it’s a great idea and a theses that tackle real-world banking issues. efforts are devised toward a single end: “We
Another successful tactic, said Pyne, is to fantastic career opportunity to go to a bank,” The university professor and a line manager will want to make people aware that IT is big and
follow up a large scale informational event with said Simon. “That’s maybe something my col- work together to devise topics that both fulfil important business at Credit Suisse and that
Kevin Scott
a smaller-scale breakout sessions or a separate leagues in other [Credit Suisse] divisions don’t academic requirements and contain practical IT candidates can have interesting and These are places where IT people get a
meet and greet event. These allow the compa- have to face.” value for the bank. exciting careers here,” he concluded.
nies to create a relatively intimate bond with A key element of the bank’s pitch is the “The students enjoy doing work that’s not
the students: “It’s easier to connect informally centrality of IT to its operations and our service just theoretical,” said Simon. “And it gives
12 #1 2011 © Universum 2011 © Universum 2011 13 #1 2011

8. Keeping it real
By Jens Trulsson
– Barbara Ehrenreich tells it like it is
EB Forecast 2011
By Michelle Boyde
Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled
America and The World
Universum Quarterly asked some key individuals work-
W
hile AT&T was busy an- awkward was the relentless upbeatness of it all.
nouncing the layoff of There was hardly any anger or frustration and
I
15,000 workers in 1994 it some even embraced breast cancer as a welcome
simultaneously sent its staff chance to change their lives. When Ehrenreich n Q1 Michal Kalinowski, left his without such immediate feedback.
to a stadium session with Christian motiva- tried to vent her indignation and frustration she post as CEO to drive EB knowledge Lastly, they understand the value of
tional speaker Zig Ziglar who told them: “It’s was met with comments like “Please get yourself further as Universum’s chief knowl- alumni and looking after their regretted
your own fault; don’t blame the system; don’t some help…so you can enjoy life to the fullest”. edge officer – he shares his predic- losses are the long term. For me what’s really
blame the boss – work harder and pray more.” The additional burden extolled on patients al- tions for the year ahead. exciting is working closely with companies
That message pinpoints what Barbara Eh- ready losing their struggle against cancer to keep helping them set their goals and the strate-
renreich rallies against in her latest book Smile a positive outlook sometimes takes on horrify- What will make employer gic dimension of where they are going. The
Or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America ing proportions as the woman who writes the branding exciting in 2011? business plan is cascading down to employer
and the World. The positive thinking jugger- self proclaimed “guru” Deepak Chopra saying The majority of companies now see EB branding strategy more than ever before.
naut has been in effect in various shapes since that she has “come a long way in unburdening from a strategic perspective, but in 2011
the Calvinist movement loosened its grip on [herself ] of toxic feelings, [has] forgiven every- they are really beginning to reflect on this. What will be 2011’s biggest
New England in the middle of the 19th cen- one, changed [her] lifestyle” and yet, ”the can- As we exited the recession, investment in challenge for those working
tury. Through chronicling our modern world’s cer keeps coming back”. She then asks if if she’s EB went up to secure talent quickly for with employer brands?
fascination with positive thinking and moti- missed a lesson and that it gets harder to stay the recovery. The drop in EB spending Still, despite lots of progress, it is the in- Michal Kalinowski
vational speakers, and the multi-billion dollar positive. Chopra’s reply is, of course, to keep at it. was only half the intensity of recruitment ternal challenge of getting internal buy in.
business that has grown up around it, Ehren- cuts. The BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and Also, to have courage can be hard. HR
reich effectively punches holes in most argu- China) region, especially China, did ex- teams need to have the guts to say how
ments for its existence. Instead she wishes for Corporate America has embraced the posi- traordinarily well things really are
us to be human beings, with all our range of tive attitude makeover with full vigour as well. on an economic when you work
emotions. However, in her quest to pull down Ever since the legendary CEO of General level. They are “For me what’s really for them. Com-
Barbara Ehrenreich
the proverbial pants of the positive thinking
industry, she does sometimes do it in a shoot
Electric, Jack Welch, earned his nickname of
“Neutron Jack” by laying off 112,000 employ-
now en par with
other markets, no
exciting is working closely panies need to
be presented to
is an experienced journalist who has over a
dozen books under her belt already, holding
fish in a barrel kind of way. Especially by tak- ees in a five-year span, American corporations longer a follower. with companies helping talent, not sold.
ing pot shots at easy targets like televangelists have constantly been on the move to down- Executives are re- Employers have
a PhD in cellular biology and a career as a
political activist. She has written a genuinely who proclaim that God wants you to have a size and trim their organisations and raise alising that they them set their goals and a responsibil-
funny and sometimes terrifying book about
what happens when you apply the law of
attraction and magical thinking to real life
table at that fancy restaurant. stock prices. In order to do so, the remaining
workforce had to become more effective. Enter
need to be strate-
gic in these coun- the strategic dimension of ity to give people
the best foun-
situations. Certain aspects of Smile or Die
-
The upbeatness of cancer
When Ehrenreich was diagnosed with breast
the motivational speakers to make that hap-
pen. Ehrenreich goes on to tell stories about
tries in regard to
talent, rather than
where they are going. ” dation to make
decisions, even
cise as she sometimes hammer the points
– Michal Kalinowski, Universum
home in an overly gleeful fashion, delighted cancer she was flung into the world of positive young and powerful CEOs on a “shamanic just treating them if that decision
at having ridiculed her subjects. Positive
thinking seems to be here to stay but Eh-
thinking by doctors and friends alike. Whilst healing journey” and how spirituality made it as operational markets. turns out to be this might not be for me.
renreich reminds us all to use our common undergoing the treatments of her disease she into the boardrooms of Fortune 500 compa- After this last recession employers do Additionally, cor- porate communica-
sense and ends with her own recipe for spent hours scouring Web site forums. There nies. The vibe of positive thinking has got so not want to go back into an annual cycle tions are like mission control, they hold the
happiness: “have a good time trying”.
she met with women’s stories and the pink rib- far out of hand that when a government offi- of attracting talent, they are now aiming brand guidelines and need to sign-off mate-
bon terminology where the words ‘victim’ and cial tried to warn the US government that the for long term engagement. The trend is rial. Now employees have access to many on-
‘patient’ are prohibited, as they have an aura toxic mortgages Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae from “recruitment” to “talent relations”. line channels to tell their story. HR’s ability
of self-pity and passivity. Instead those in the were backing risked a financial collapse and Now students are looking at employers to persuade corporate communications to be
midst of treatment are “battling” or “fighting”. a “contagious illiquidity in the market”, they when they first enrol at university, there more open is increasingly important – there
When the battle is over one becomes a survi- tried to fire him for being “negative”. You can needs to be a longer investment in talent needs to be a nuance in communications.
vor, or nothing – there is no noun for the ones say it even caused the financial meltdown we’re
that do not make it. What struck her as still feeling the shakes from today.
14 #1 2011 © Universum 2011 © Universum 2011 15 #1 2011