2022 HRO Today EMEA March April - 14

Talent Acquisition
To some extent, every brand has its genesis when a
company is formed-it's there in the intention, vision,
and thoughts of the founders. As a business gets
bigger, Muddy Wellies explains that each function
needs to create its own toolkit for communicating and
maintaining the brand. How the brand is managed
within HQ offices, for example, will be different from
how it is promoted on the shop floor or in a warehouse.
As far as HR is concerned, the brand should be integrated
into every part of an employee's experience. It should be
there in the way people are hired, appraised, how they
are treated and emailed, and even how they are fired.
Attracting and retaining talent are high on the list of
what a good brand can accomplish, says Niamh Graham,
senior vice president of global human experience at
company culture experts Workhuman. In fact, a survey
from Randstad finds that organisations with strong
talent brands enjoy a 50% increase in the number of
applicants per job posting.
" If your organisation has effective HR policies in place
that are centred on positive employee experience, where
everyone is welcomed and valued for the unique humans
they are, then this will naturally result in more organic,
positive employee feedback, " she says. " And this in turn
has a huge impact on your overall brand health. So it's all
interlinked. "
Graham believes employer branding can sit in the
marketing or HR function. At Workhuman, it's part of
HR, recognising that they are the team who is the most
connected to employees on a daily basis.
" A great way to establish clear shared values within your
organisation, which will in turn shape your employer
brand, is to embed them into a formal recognition
programme, " advises Graham. " This means that, when
employees want to recognise one another, they must
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HRO TODAY EMEA | MARCH/APRIL 2022
consciously decide which company value the behaviour
aligns with. This enables employees to think about
their organisation's shared values in an active and
participatory way, ensuring that they are fully and
organically embedded into your company culture. "
At PeopleScout, the corporate and consumer brands have
influence over the employer brand as well as building
appetite and awareness amongst the candidate pool.
" HR cannot afford to ignore the significance of the
corporate and consumer brands, " says David Macfarlane,
talent solutions director for the company, although, he
adds, these brands are secondary for the function, to
cultivating an authentic and leading employer brand,
designed to engage and unify a diverse workforce.
The corporate brand is made clear by HR through
its content and communications. The employer
brand, meanwhile, is felt across HR activities. " The
lived experience amongst employees is shaped by all
interactions, whether that be visiting the careers site,
reviewing reward considerations, considering internal
opportunities or their involvement in employee
networks. "
Macfarlane also believes that brand cannot afford to
stand still. " In the case of attracting and engaging
talent, the awareness amongst the candidate population
of what you stand for and what you offer is vital, " he
says. " This needs constant management by dedicated
owners and governance by subject matter experts, not
forgetting support from senior stakeholders to ensure
that the brand HR presents is authentic, faithful to the
organisation at large and meaningful. "
Business expansion, acquisition or significant market
changes may provide a clear reason to update a brand-
essentially, any event that has an impact on the identity
and personality of the workforce. " It's necessary to
2022 HRO Today EMEA March April

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