What brands a company in the eyes of the employees, what a company must do to improve it and many more...

1. Employer Brand
Management
14th September 2011
Mervyn Raphael
Performance Consulting International
1 2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 1

2. Some issues we shall explore in the
next few minutes…
Why is Employer What is
Branding Employee Value
relevant? Proposition?
Understanding Becoming an
Employer Brand Employer of
Management Choice
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 2

3. The talent perspective
“Leaders of companies that go from good
to great start by getting
the right people on the bus,
the wrong people off the bus,
and the right people in the right seats”.
Jim Collins – ‘From Good to Great’
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4. The big question
Do you have the right kind of bus,
to attract and engage the right people?
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5. Defining employer brand management
There’s a difference between having an employer brand
and proactively managing it.
The role of the Employee Value Proposition (EVP) is to:
define what you most want people to associate with you as
an employer.
The role of employer brand management is to:
ensure that employee communication and experience
is consistent with your EVP
5 2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 5

6. Proposition, Branding and Management
• The EVP provides a common platform for employee communication (external and
internal), but can only be fully effective if it helps to shape the employee experience.
Employer Brand Management
(Delivering a consistent brand experience
through every employee „touch-point‟).
Master Brand
Process
Vision / Mission „Touchpoints‟
Personality
Values Everyday
Behaviours
„Employer
Orientation
Employer
Employee Value
Branding‟ + Brand
Proposition (EVP) Experience
Communication
(Defines what you most
want people to associate (Creative
Underpinned
with you as an employer). expression) By
Working
Environment
6 2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 6

7. For example:
Meaningful
Meaningful
work work
Employer Brand Management
Open, honest
Open, honest
managers
managers
EVP Diversity
Diversity
of talent
of talent
Collaborative
Collaborative
teamwork
teamwork
GlobalGlobal
citizenship
citizenship
Competitive &
differentiated
total rewards
Employer Performance
Performance
management
management
Branding
Career
Career
development
development
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 7

8. Creating a brand
insight platform
8 2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 8

9. Defining attributes
• Building blocks for the employer brand ‘platform’ / EVP
• Answer the key question – what makes you special?
• Typically 3-5 defining attributes per EVP
• Differ from core values in terms of being:
– More benefit-led for employees (addressing both the ‘give’ and ‘get’)
– More distinctive / more compelling (vs. generic / obvious)
– More in-tune with the customer brand / key organisational capabilities
• Play to the ‘organisation at its best’
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 9

10. Defining attribute - Example
“The Power to Perform”
• Description: The freedom and support to perform at your best
• Desired employee profile (the give):
– Self motivated, can-do attitude;
– The drive to make it happen for customers and the business’
– “There’s always a way”
• Benefit to employees (the get):
– Clear expectations, supportive managers;
– clear ownership, scope for personal initiative.
– “I can make a difference”
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 10

11. Target definition and scoping
• What kind of people will be right for your organisation?
• (Shorthand) target profile examples:
“Natural communicators with a passion for technology”
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12. Attracting Gen Y
General characteristics:
• Highly networked / informed
• Freedom and independence
• Work-life balance / Flexibility
• Advanced technology
• Social / Environmental responsibility
• Continuous feedback
• Confidence to job-hop until they find the right fit
12 2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 12

13. Proposition
Development
13 2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 13

14. The core positioning
Corporate Brand
Proposition
Core EVP Positioning
The heart of the employer brand proposition
Sometimes derived from the corporate / customer brand (above)
Or the more employee focused defining attributes (below)
Defining attributes
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 14

15. Differentiation
Attributes „Imagineering / magic‟
Providing a „Democratic design‟
distinctive angle on a E.g. Innovation
generic attribute „Continuous improvement‟
OR „Systematic creativity‟
Creating relatively
unique / distinctive
attributes E.g. Channel 4 – ‘Make Trouble’
Occupying
new territory
15 2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 15

16. Tailoring the „umbrella‟ proposition
• Target propositions need to be aligned and adapted to reflect:
– Regional / divisional strengths
– The specific needs and aspirations of different target groups
Brand
DNA
Additional target specific attribute
CORE EVP Defining attributes
TVP TVP TVP
Region Division Talent Group
A B C D E
EB attributes / themes
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 16

17. Case Study 1: A Fast growing
organization in the QSR sector
Problem Statement:
• This organization was facing an attrition challenge and also needed to plan its HR
strategy to look at trebling its growth in the next 3 years. A large proportion of the
employees in this organization were in the age group of 18 to 22 years . Attracting
people in this age group was not a challenge, however, retaining and engaging them
was very difficult with stiff challenge from the BPO and Retail sector for hiring this target
group of employees.
A Snapshot of Our Approach
• Identified the aspirations of the young workforce taking into account their socio-
economic backgrounds.
• Aligned these aspirations with what the company was doing well, and with the vision of
the company to arrive at the EVP
• Identified the Brand Busters to ensure that all causes of attrition are mitigated or
nullified
• Used the Brand Signature to create a pull for the right profile
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 17

18. Case Study 2: Leading Global
Financial Services Player
Problem Statement:
• One of the world’s largest bank began its operations in India some years back. This
company is one of the best paymasters in the industry and also offers challenging
opportunities to employees. However, every year a sizeable chunk of the employees left
the organization (voluntary/involuntary). This has caused a sense of insecurity within the
current employees. Also, in the job market, this has led to a lack of a pull factor and
fewer people are expressing interest in joining.
A Snapshot of Our Approach
• Collaborating with the Senior Leadership team to identify the right profile for the
company (who would be the right passengers on the bus).
• Re-pitching the company as a career investment for ‘entrepreneurial people’ and as a
place where they have an opportunity to build an “Organization for Tomorrow”.
• Identifying an approach to build an emotional connect with the current employees by
asking the manager to take ownership for the outcomes and move away from
transactional management.
• Building internal strengths to generate a positive brand image in the eyes of the
prospective employees while lowering the negative perception alongside.
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 18

19. Case Study 3: One of India‟s largest
Business Conglomerates
Problem Statement:
• This business group operates across 7 industry sectors with multiple locations in India
and globally. The company was finding it a challenge to change the market perception of
a slow company to one of high growth in the market place. Younger employees felt
stifled with the culture and did not tend to stay with the company. In addition, the
company needed to attract graduates from the IIM/ IIT’s to partner in the journey for
exponential growth.
A Snapshot of Our Approach
• In-depth analysis of organization’s brand perception across sectors to identify strengths
and gaps
• Workshops to identify distinctive and differentiating EVP for the entire group (built on the
strengths of the group). This resulted in EVP for the entire group as well as for group
companies.
• Analysis of process touch points to enable the translation of the EVP into reality.
The Group is currently engaged in implementing the Employer Brand Plan to translate the
brand promise into actual employee experience, based on our inputs.
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 19

20. Questions…
You can reach me at mervyn.raphael@pci-india.net
2011 @ People in Business India Private Limited 20