Chapter Previews
From the outset, we wanted to offer readers practical, real world guidance about employer branding, rather than a single, academic point of view. So we made an early decision to draw on the depth of branding and engagement expertise at Bernard Hodes and make the book a collaborative creation. Each of the chapters is written by an expert – or two experts – in a particular discipline and the case study chapters by a champion of the employer brand within that organisation.
Chapter One: Origins – Two roots to the family tree
Helen Rosethorn
This chapter explains how the concept of the employer brand evolved from roots in recruitment communications and occupational psychology. These two threads existed in parallel for some years until economic and social environmental factors brought them together in response to the challenge of attracting and retaining vital organisational talent. The mindset of the employee has shifted and we see this in particular in new entrants to the workplace. The chapter also touches on the challenges posed for brands by a digital, socially networked world, particularly the pressure on organisations to be more transparent.
Chapter Two: Methodology – a concept in action
Helen Rosethorn
Armed with a better understanding of the concept’s origin, we now look at different notions of the employer brand and propose a practical and meaningful definition. The strength of an employer brand isn’t just captured in the “promise” set out by the brand, but it is also contained in the delivery of that “promise” through the employee experience. In essence, it is a two-way deal between employer and employee. The bulk of the chapter focuses on a core five-step methodology to help organisations define and manage that employer brand deal – taking the reader from project scoping and stakeholder mapping through to implementation and measurement. Whilst setting out to define and manage an employer brand can be seen as a project, sustaining an employer brand is an organisational way of life.
Chapter Three: Engagement – the power of people
Annette Frem
Here we take a closer look at employee engagement and just why it is of particular interest to employer branding. We elaborate on the two-way deal referenced in Chapter Two with a new engagement matrix and brand balance model. The chapter goes on to examine engagement in times of change such as mergers and acquisitions, discusses the power of brands to help or hinder at pivotal points in an organisation’s development and examines questions around brand architecture. Finally the chapter looks at the employee lifecycle and the power of touch points in delivering the employer brand deal.
Chapter Four: Globalisation – considerations for the journey
Annette Frem and Helen Rosethorn
Here we introduce the five golden rules that underpin successful global employer brands. The chapter starts with a reminder that employers’ reputations are often entwined with their development as businesses and the nature of their services and these dimensions don’t automatically translate internationally. Then there is the issue of language and the difficulties of establishing a common frame of reference for the employer brand concept. We make the point that establishing a shared sense of purpose is essential and it’s important to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of any “parent” culture. Only then can the right balance be struck between global and local, the acid test when defining and implementing a global employer brand.
Chapter Five: Philips International Case Study – Uniting the employee and customer proposition
Jo Pieters, Vice President Global Recruitment, Philips International
Job Mensink, Senior Director Recruitment Marketing, Philips International
Philips explain the journey they travelled to establish their global employee value proposition and how they used a model of customer buying behaviour to better understand the employee lifecycle and the importance of “touch points” on that journey. The first stage brought impressive improvements to their recruiting efforts but in the second phase of their development they have taken a more holistic brand approach to nurture the connection between a happy customer and an engaged employee – and they have measured the results!
Chapter Six: Marks & Spencer Case Study – From poor M&S to your M&S – The Historical Perspective
Keith Cameron, Human Resources Director, Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer’s fall from grace has been well chartered but in this chapter readers get a unique insight into the change programme Sir Stuart Rose and his senior team embarked upon to revive the ailing retailer. They moved their people “deal” from a historical adult-to-child relationship to an adult-to-adult one set out in a ten-point promise. Then by looking at a number of elements they created a virtuous circle of training and development, rewards and performance measurement to generate higher standards of customer service.
Chapter Seven: GSK Case Study – Learning the Lessons of History – All Over Again
Lou Manzi, Global Head of Recruitment, GlaxoSmithKline
GSK has been born out of a number of mergers and acquisitions, two of them of considerable size. In this chapter Lou Manzi takes the reader through the merger of Glaxo Welcome and SmithKline Beecham in 2000 and in the first instance the birth of the new recruitment brand for the organisation, aligned to the desire for a new culture based on a “merger of equals”. He then moves on to look at how the EVP identified in 2000 was revived to build further competitive advantage in the global war for talent.
Chapter Eight: London & Quadrant Housing Trust Case Study – Solving a Crisis Out of a Drama – The Passion Behind Social Responsibility
Sally Jacobson, Group Director, Human Resources, London & Quadrant Housing Trust
The London & Quadrant story is one of huge success in its sector and it has consistently been recognised over recent years as one of the best employers in the UK. What is it doing that readers can learn from? Sally Jacobson sets out the evolution of the London & Quadrant employer brand and explains the power that social purpose brings to the engagement of its employees. She also demonstrates that employer branding is not about scale and budget but about a commitment to a way of organisational life and attention to detail.
Chapter Nine: William Hill Case Study- What’s the Deal? The Affects of Legislation and New Technology
David Russell, Group Director, William Hill
William Hill is a high street name in the UK but perhaps only if you are a customer do you understand just what attracts and engages people to the organisation; something that clearly works as they have no issues finding and keeping talent. But legal and technological changes have revolutionised the working life of the betting industry – and challenged the deal that the organisation has had with its people for more than half a century. David Russell explains the impacts and the responses of the organisation to manage its employer brand.
Chapter Ten: Who Owns the Employer Brand – Asking the Question
Helen Rosethorn and contributors
In this chapter, we look at where ownership for the employer brand lies from a multitude of different perspectives. Senior commentators from HR, Marketing, Internal Communications, Corporate Communications and the newly emerging discipline of Employer Brand Management were all given complete freedom to respond. Consistent themes emerge – yes there are certainly those who exert more influence than others – and amongst the contributions there is a fun and insightful synopsis provided by the Marketing Director (at the time of writing) of Royal Mail Group.
Chapter Eleven: From Business Case to Payback – The Challenge of Meaningful Metrics
Paul Crowsley (with RBS Case Study)
The methodology set out in Chapter Two ended with metrics, but this is the starting place for this chapter. Here we focus on evaluating employer brand success and using metrics to help build the business case for employer brand management. We propose a measurement cycle for the branding process, plus an impact scorecard for the employer brand. We also take a close look at the best in class work around employer brand measurement being done by the Royal Bank of Scotland. In particular, we focus on the sophisticated scores they have for measuring the link between human capital and organisational performance.
Chapter Twelve: The Future – Where Next for Employer Brands?
Helen Rosethorn
Finally, we set our eyes on the future. We identify and examine four key changes and issues affecting the relevance of the employer brand. These changes are not simple workplace issues, but are more socio-economic or geo-political in their nature and reach. Shifting value systems, digitisation, a new global order and our need to belong are impacting how we judge our relationship with employers and how we value the deal they offer. And we end by looking at what attributes leading employer brands will have to demonstrate, which highlights the all-important role holistic reputation management will play in the future.
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