A basic understanding of the employment brand strategy and action


Have you heard these buzz words? Dynamic company, respected and valued, or how about team oriented environment? Sure they sound great but does it really mean anything to the employee? Today what you do has a far greater impact on your employer brand than anything else. We are consumers by nature and so naturally we want to be inspired, motivated, and happy, but are you doing anything to support those statements, literally?

We live in a faced paced world surrounded by media, and with so much information coming in it is hard to differentiate from the next guy. We all say that we are dynamic and team oriented but supporting those statements seem to be lacking everywhere. Driving your employer brand through action is not a quick process, it takes years to establish a reputation as the employer of choice, so rather than waste your time thinking up compelling statements you need unprecedented action, that’s what creates buzz. This action will not come easy either employer surveys need to be conducted, feedback needs to be calculated, and pilot programs need to be implemented. It sounds like a lot of work but as I mentioned above this is not something you can do in six or eight months. What you are doing is re-establishing a relationship with your employees while you are conducting employment brand research. You communicate a lot through action and your employees will take notice.

The economy of today has put an even greater strain on businesses and with operating costs on the rise employment brands suffer as a result. There is no better time for action then the present, but can you do something besides talk about it? These programs cost money and what is the greater impact by doing nothing at all, or reductions? Understanding how action relates to the employer brand is critical so whether you are looking at programs now or an employer brand audit is being conducted taking that action will truly speak louder than words.

If you have not implemented an employment brand strategy then I urge you to do so. Today a job seeker is not unlike a consumer, they are shopping. If it sounds too good to be true then it probably is. They need positive feedback from the people who work there, other consumers. We want to feel good about who we work for, but no matter how many times you say it’s a great place to work ask yourself this, is it? Employment branding is still new to some companies and with fast moving markets, tough competitors, and lack of patience doing the wrong thing can be just as damaging as nothing at all. Keeping the brand promise to your employees is just as important as a promise to the consumer. If you are implementing an employment brand strategy keep these four touch points in mind, values, difference, delivery, and choices.

Values; does your employment brand operate on an established set of employment brand values, I.E. (Our #1 asset is the employee), or (Internal growth equals success).

Difference; having a truly unique identity as an employer, I.E. (Leading our industry in employee professional development), or (Having more benefits than our competitors always)

Delivery; Employment brand recruiting videos, direct mail, recreational events, new employee sponsors, after hours job fairs

Choices; having a broad and diverse set of choices for benefits, schedules, and working environment, choices mean flexibility and freedom.

Two of these four touch points address the problem with conventional recruiting today in communicating your employment brand. They lack organizational values and delivery of your employment brand. It is hard to communicate your employment brand values through a third party or recruiting agency effectively unless you involve them in your strategy. This brings up coordination and collaboration between HR and Marketing & Communications. An effective employment brand strategy can be put into place by creating a strategic partnership between HR and Marketing. Advertising today has seen an increase and focus on the employee, companies are taking notice, but without an effective strategy it may be just more talk. HR and Marketing collectively can provide an employment brand strategy that works. The action truly speaks louder than words and when you implement an employment brand strategy the people that you attract and retain will be unprecedented.

Finally, it is important to note that there are no set of rules in place to design a successful employment brand, this gives you the freedom of creativity. You have a basis for starting implementation, an understanding, and through research, partnerships, communication, and action a truly unique employment brand will speak volumes.


Mike Nale is the founder and managing partner of The Brand Management Group LLC, Honolulu’s only employment branding firm, which is producing the TV show “Help Wanted Hawaii”, and provides strategic employment branding, workshops, and other specialized consulting services. Mike has a background in recruiting and talent acquisition management spanning 11 years. A forward thinker with progressive vision, Mike is a highly sought after consultant and speaker at various engagements on employment branding, and writes articles on various websites such as ZoomInfo, ERE.net, and Help Wanted Hawaii Info. In his spare time Mike volunteers with Junior Achievement teaching “Careers with a purpose”, and blogs regularly.