When we – as an industry and as practitioners – talk about best practices for employer brand, we tend to dwell on the feel-good side of things: better candidate experience, more brand ambassadors, improved employee engagement. But what if the secret to improving your employer brand actually lies in the practices and processes that we try to avoid, because they feel taboo?
In this exclusive #SmartTalkHR webinar with Kyle Lagunas, Principal Analyst at Lighthouse Research & Advisory, we’ll discuss the implications of making the taboo an afterthought, including:
Organizational Transparency
Relocation Practices
Performance Expectations
Outplacement Resources
He’ll also discuss how you can take proactive steps to improve your employer brand around these processes and events, so make sure to reserve your seat.
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand: Afterthoughts and Implications
1. TABOO TOPICS IN EMPLOYER BRAND
AFTERTHOUGHTS &
IMPLICATIONS
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
2. About Us
Kyle Lagunas – Principal Analyst & Founder - @kylelagunas
An analyst specializing in talent acquisition, Kyle keeps tabs on key practices in sourcing,
recruiting, assessing, hiring and retention strategies and technologies. Through primary
research and deep analysis, he keeps today's business leaders in touch with important
conversations and emerging trends in the rapidly changing world of talent.
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /about us
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#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
3. About Us
Lighthouse Research & Advisory is a modern analyst firm building a standard of excellence in talent
acquisition. Compelling research and actionable insights for recruiters, hiring managers, and business
leaders, we navigate the rapidly changing tides of human capital management in order to support
today’s talent advisors.
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /about us
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
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Approachable. We’re professionally curious, purveyors of the land. We value
work that is relevant for our target audience in talent acquisition, but also
meaningful to technology leaders and enterprise HR executives as well.
Credible. We’ve come down from the Ivory Tower to focus on vetting research —
from benchmark data to industry perspective — with in-the-trenches recruiting
leaders and global talent executives alike.
Agile. We value free thinking, timely execution, and quality work. Our analysts
focus on quality research that doesn’t take six months to deliver. At Lighthouse, we
want to provide value for our clients every day, not once a year.
Our Values
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /about us
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
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5. Agenda
Here’s a breakdown of what we’ll be discussing today
Taboo Topics
What’s Taboo in Employer Brand?
Employer Brand
101
What it is – What it isn’t – Why it
Matters
Hiring Process
Messaging, communications, and
interview fatigue
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Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /agenda
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
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6. Closing Remarks
A word from RiseSmart
Outplacement
A New, Unlikely Value Proposition
Open Dialogue
Key Takeaways, Questions and Answers
New Hire Onboarding
A Critical Juncture in the Employee
Lifecycle
Relocation
Costly mistakes and opportunities for
improvement
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Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /agenda
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
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7. 321
What It Is
Employer brand has taken
center stage in talent
acquisition of late, but many
are still trying to figure out
what, exactly, employer
brand is.
What it Isn’t
While forward thinking hiring
organizations are going all in
on employer brand, many are
still on the fence about its
importance.
Why It Matters
Like it or not, employer brand
has become a cornerstone of
high-performance talent
acquisition. And for some very
obvious reasons.
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Employer Brand 101
Beyond the Buzzword
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /employer brand 101
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8. Employer Brand – What It Is
Employer brand has quickly become a core component of high-performance talent acquisition – and a key driver of
success. But many hiring organizations are still trying to wrap their heads around what, exactly, employer brand is. As
we see it, employer brand is the sum of two parts:
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Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /employer brand 101
Image Reputation Brand
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
Aspirational: Your ‘About Us’,
messaging, brand promise,
social campaigns and
presented EVP.
Perceived: Public opinion of
organization as an employer
of choice, employer reviews,
brand sentiment.
Reality
9. Employer Brand – What It Isn’t
While some hiring organizations are trying to figure out what employer brand is, others are charging ahead without much
thought for the implications of getting it wrong. Worth noting: In employer brand, “Asking forgiveness rather than
permission” is the wrong approach.
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Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /employer brand 101
• Employer Brand is not cover-up for an otherwise toxic culture.
Brand promise is a very real thing – and not something
candidates take lightly. Beware of well-intended, but inauthentic
messaging.
• Employer Brand is not a buzzword du jour. While it certainly has
gained traction in recent years, it’s far more than feel-good HR.
It’s a cornerstone of hiring success.
• Employer brand is not something you can afford ignore.
Competition for talent is fierce, and your ability to distinguish
yourself as an employer of choice is critical to attracting top
talent.
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
10. According to
CareerBuilder’s
2015 Candidate
Behavior report,
61% of employed
candidates are
open to new
opportunities.
Competition for
talent is high, and
recruiters have
never had a
reputation for
being shy about
jobs they need to
fill.
With the rapid
pervasion of social
and mobile, there’s
an endless amount
of white noise
candidates need to
filter through in
order to find the job
that fits.
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Employer Brand – Why it Matters
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /employer brand 101
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
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11. Taboo Topics in Employer Brand
Afterthoughts & Implications
Hiring Process Relocation OutplacementNew Hire Onboarding
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Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /topics
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
12. Relocation
With competition for talent so
high, employers are recruiting
beyond their backyards. But
relocation is still an afterthought
for many – and a major hassle for
new hires.
Hiring Process
Candidate experience continues
post-application, and from bad
employee referrals to interview
fatigue, pre-hire process can be
frustrating.
New Hire Onboarding
A new hire’s first days in an
organization are critical to
longterm success, but onboarding
is still largely administrative.
Outplacement
One of the more taboo topics in
HCM – and employer brand in
particular – outplacement is one
area ripe for innovation.
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Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /topics
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Quality of Hire
39%
Quality of Hire is
consistently rated the most
valuable performance
metric for talent acquisition
Time to Hire
57 days
From application to offer
acceptance, candidates are
spending an average of 57
days in the hiring process.
Hiring Process
Setting Expectations, Maintaining Momentum, Consistently Communicating
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /hiring process
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52% of Candidates
had previous
relationship with
prospective
employer
<46% inform
candidates what to
expect next
91% made no
contact beyond the
automated
acknowledgement of
application receipt.
32% reported that
they received no
information to help
them prepare for
interviews
61% of candidates
were never asked to
provide feedback on
their screening or
interview experience
50% of recruiters
found the hiring
managers
in their company to
be average or below
average in their
hiring capabilities
overall
The Post-Application Candidate Experience
Key Findings from The Talent Board’s 2014Candidae Experience Report
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /hiring process
#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
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For Employees
DisruptiveRelocation is often a
disruptive, stressful life
event. Lack of
experience,
unanticipated costs can
quickly derail plans.
For Employers
ComplexFew employers take the
time to understand cost
versus benefit in
relocation, and don’t fully
understand risks –
including tax and
compliance issues.
The Reality of Relocation
Failure to plan is planning to fail.
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /relocation
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Relocation is a unique experience.
The cost of moving a renter averages $15,000 to
$30,000. The cost of moving a homeowner costs
$50,000 to $100,000. Personal (unforeseen)
circumstances can add or subtract 50% from these
numbers
It’s not something people often go through.
An incredibly stressful life event – full of unexpected
costs (social, emotional, financial). Few organizations
have taken the time to think through relocation, and
ensure new hire has support he/she needs.
Bad relocation has real repurcussions.
It is important to understand that relocation within the HR
environment: Is not an employee benefit – it’s a form of
compensation. Tax law treats relocation expenses as
income to the employee. As such, taxes have a
significant impact on cost
Some relocations are not worth the cost.
Matter of fact: Some relocations are not worth the cost
(or the effort) for the employer – or for the employee.
Failure to at least gauge relocation needs in the
recruiting process can cost you a first choice candidate.
The Reality of Relocation
Failure to plan is planning to fail.
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Completed Forms
Online
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Spoke with
Hiring Manager
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New Hire Onboarding
Place your subheading here.
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /new hire onboarding
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18. 18The New Hire Journey
A Critical Juncture in HCM
Onboarding is a critical juncture in HCM, as it’s how new employees acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviors needed to become
effective members of an organization after accepting the job offer. Research demonstrates that effective new hire onboarding can lead
to increased employee performance on day one while reducing a new hire’s intention to leave the organization within year one of
employment.
Candidate
New
Hire
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /new hire onboarding
Employee
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When will
onboarding start?
Don’t leave
everything for Day 1.
Pre-boarding,
wherein new hires
complete paperwork
ahead of time has
quickly become best
practice.
How long will
it last?
This varies from one
organization to the
next, but the reality is
that new hire
onboarding extends
far beyond the first
day – even beyond
the first month.
What kind of impression
do we want to make?
An employee’s first
day is one the most
important in their time
with your
organization. How do
you want them to feel
– challenged?
Appreciated? Amped
up?
How will we support
socialization?
Getting new hires
connected to an
organization’s
mission, vision, and
values is important –
but so is fostering
meaningful
connections with their
coworkers.
What role does
everyone play?
Traditionally, HR has
owned all of
onboarding. But as
new hire experience
broadens in scope,
consider what role
hiring managers,
business unit leaders,
and executives may
play.
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /new hire onboarding
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Job Openings
14-Year High
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standar
Layoffs
Up 13%
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Outplacement – The Unlikely Value Prop
A
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /outplacement
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Protects employer brand
Show both impacted and
remaining employees that you
have their best interests at heart.
Tools for career transistion
Best-in-class outplacement
provides impacted employees
with tools that help manage
career transition.
Impacts future hiring
Demonstrates caring and
consideration for employees
past, present, and future.
Affects brand sentiment
Clients, partners, and employees
bear witness to treatment of
impacted employees.
Career coaching & branding
Focus is finding a new job, but
career coaching and professional
branding helps define their new
course
Shortens length of unemployment
Gets impacted employees back
to work sooner, reducing
financial and emotional burden.
Outplacement & Employers of Choice
Impact for Employers and Employees
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /outplacement
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Key Takeaways
Things to consider when evaluating employer brand in 2016
You can’t afford to ignore employer brand.
More people are employed and skilled candidates are
even harder to come by. This creates a new reality for
employers and means we need to know what these
qualified employees want and how to attract them to
new jobsTackle taboo topics head on.
Everything discussed today is an opportunity for you
to distinguish your organization as an employer of
choice – but you have to tackle these things head on.
Optimize onboarding for positive new hire experience.
New hire onboarding is a critical juncture in HCM –
the beginning of an employee journey. You only get
one shot to make a good impression.
Don’t shy away from layoff blowback.
Layoffs aren’t pretty – but that doesn’t mean they
have to be ugly. If a candidate asks, be prepared to
give them straight answers… because they’re going
to ask.
Leverage best-in-class outplacement.
Traditional outplacement is a dying breed. Consider
the options available for your organization – and how
they can give you a competitive edge.
Consider post-application, pre-hire experience.
Candidate experience only begins at application.
Don’t underestimate the value of clarity, consistency,
and timely execution in the hiring process.
Address relocation as soon as possible.
Relocation is more and more common these days,
and you should be prepared to discuss – and deliver
– before you move a candidate forward.
Balance talent assessment with talent engagement.
Quality of hire is important, but interview fatigue is
alive and well thanks to extensive assessment
practices. Balance these out by checking in with white
glove treatment.
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Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /key takeaways
23. Open Dialogue – Q&A
Taboo Topics in Employer Brand /open dialogue
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#smarttalkHR@kylelagunas
According to LnkedIn’s latest global recruiting trends report, 62% of organizations consider employer brand a top priority – and 59% are investing more in employer brand compared to last year. The goal is to create more proactive, cohesive strategies – but it’s a struggle without a common understand of what, exactly, EB is.
To kick off today’s discussion, let’s levelset on a few things: What it is. What it isn’t. Why it matters.
Universum puts it plainly: Employer branding is the process of promoting a company, or an organization, as the employer of choice to a desired target group, one which a company needs and wants to recruit and retain. The process facilitates the company’s ability in attracting, recruiting and retaining ideal employees – referred to as Top Talent in recruitment – and helps secure the achievement of the company’s business plan.
If employer branding is the process, the employer brand is the identity of a company as an employer of choice. For effective employer brand promotion, however, the company can only attract current and future employees if it has an identity that is true, credible, relevant, distinctive and aspirational.
While attraction is the endgame in EB, best practies are far from fluff – more than adding personality to job postings. Generic or copycat branding (fast-paced work environment, opportunities for growth, work hard/play hard) may attract more in the short term, but won’t attract better in the long term.
The thing about inauthentic EVP is that candidates and employees quickly learn the difference between the job they were sold and the job they take on. If the two do not align, there’s going to be hell to pay. In today’s candidate-driven hiring climates, this is a very big deal – which is why EB is something you simply can’t ignore.
Need to haves: Clarity. Alignment. Authenticity. This isn’t about putting lipstick on a pig. It’s about capturing your real value prop as an employer. Is it the work? Is it the culture? Is it mentorship opportunities? Figure this out, and make sure you’re communicating this clearly and consistently.
The strengthening economy has led to the tightest labor market in almost seven years—more people are employed and skilled candidates are even harder to come by. This
creates a new reality for employers and means we need to know what these qualified employees want and how to attract them to new jobs.
Indeed found: 71% of people are actively looking or open to a new job, and 90% of people hired within the past year actively looked for a job within six months prior to being hired. Also, 65% look at new jobs again within 91 days of starting a new job.
64% of employed adults say they would feel more confident that a job is the right fit for them if they picked the company and applied versus if a recruiter contacted them.
So... When talking about EB, most people think of the most obvious things: Career site, recruitment marketing collateral, social media campaigns like #lifeatmycompany. But there are a number of areas that are often overlooked. Some of them are intentionally overlooked – “we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it”. Some are taboo. Others we just don’t think about. Whatever the case may be, each of these offers unique opportunities to distinguish your organization as an employer of choice.
For today: Looking at 4 EB afterthoughts, and discussing implications and impact on core components of recruiting performance (e.g. candidate experience and employee enagement) – as well as opportunities to improve.
52.3 percent of candidates indicated that they had a previous relationship. These relationships include being a customer of their product/services, friend or family member to employee, consumer of the company’s content and/or being a company advocate. This group of candidates has a pre-disposition to the company’s marketing brand, and most likely will have a positive association with the employer that can be cultivated through effective content, messaging and employer brand.
While more companies are now acknowledging receipt of applications, less than half of the organizations responding inform the applicant what to expect next, how to check their status, or let them know they will inform them when the position has been filled. The percentage of candidates indicating they received a reminder about next steps post application declined by close to half.
The most alarming data this year, for unqualified external applicants, 91.4 percent of the employers responding made no contact beyond the automated acknowledgement of application receipt.
The perception among qualified applicants clearly demonstrates a decline in personalized communications from recruiters and hiring managers closing out the recruiting process. The message for the past four years has been clear, candidates overwhelming rate the quantity and quality of disposition communications received poorly.
While 38.2 percent indicated the interviewer provided names and background information prior to the interview event, alarmingly, 31.9 percent reported that they received no information to help them prepare. Providing candidates insight into what to expect during the interview process can help reduce candidate anxiety and allow them to prepare as best as possible.
A shocking 60.8 percent of candidates were never asked to provide feedback on their screening or interview experience. This is certainly a missed opportunity by employers. Interestingly enough, 74.8 percent of companies reported they do not survey candidates (qualified/not chosen or unqualified) about their post application disposition.
As if interviewing for a new job wasn’t demanding enough, transplanting your life – your stuff, your family – is one of the most stressful events one can go through.
Address relocation when you determine that you will make an offer to the candidate:
Be clear that relocation cost will be a factor in hiring
Ask relocation related questions when you determine that the person is a viable candidate. Typical questions address employee circumstances that drive relocate costs
Do a relocation cost estimate
Based on the employee’s circumstances determine what it will cost to relocate the employee and his/her family.
Share the information with the recruit (we’re all adults!)
Explain that relocation is compensation and related tax consequences
Do a cost-benefit assessment & negotiate a final solution
Determine if the cost of the relocation is justified by the benefits (involve hiring manager, HR, others?)
If not worth it, do not make a job offer
Or negotiate with the employee to get the costs to an acceptable level
Typically, companies give their employees 2 weeks to accept a formal transfer offer. This can seem like a long time to employers, but for the employee thats a small window in which to consider such a significant life change. You should be doing everything you can, providing them with every last bit of information, so that they can make a decision that is not only informed, but right for them. Once they accept, companies offer their employees an average of 4 weeks to move and report to their new job. Once again, this time frame usually seems more generous from the employers perspective than that of the employee. This is basically crunch time. Its time to get everything in motion, and to focus on a smooth transition. Its time to start thinking about what you can do to help your employee through their move.
Recruiting does not stop at the point the candidate accepts an offer. But after a smooth recruiting process and learning great things about the company, the new hire experience does not live up to the same standards most of the time.
Supplying information and completing required paperwork remains the focal point new hires express primarily happen after accepting the offer. What is truly disappointing is that less than half of new hires received a phone call from their hiring manager during the onboarding process, and less than a fifth engaged in any social connection with their future team members
Onboarding, or the new hire experience, refers to how new employees acquire the knowledge, skills and behaviors needed to become effective members of an organization after accepting the job offer. Research demonstrates that effective new hire onboarding can lead to increased employee performance on day one while reducing a new hire’s intention to leave the organization within year one of employment.
The Wynhurst Group puts employee turnover within the first 45 days of employment at 22%. Employee turnover is expensive and is estimated at 150% ofthe annual salary associated with that position. It takes an average of 8 months for a new employee to become fullyproductive in a role. Another sobering statistic: when an employee leaves an organization, 70% of his knowledge walksout the door with him or her. And an organization’s brand suffers when an employee makes an early departure.
Before implementing a formal onboarding program, employers should answer some key questions to attain team and upper management buy-in, said Hyatt:
When will onboarding start?
How long will it last?
What impression do you want new employees to walk away with at the end of the first day?
What do new employees need to know about the culture and work environment?
What role will HR play in the onboarding process? What about direct managers? Co-workers?
What kind of goals do you want to set for new employees?
How will you gather feedback on the program and measure its success?
Even as the economy improves, layoffs remain commonplace and continue to shape our business landscape for a number of reasons — some layoffs occure due to cost cutting, some due to reducing redundancies after a merger or acquisition, and still more stem from restructuring events due to changes in the industry.
Layoffs are motivated by a need to create value for the organization, but they often create new problems that affect the company’s bottom line and brand reputation. How can you ensure that your organization—and your employees—achieve positive outcomes after a layoff? By offering employees outplacement, organizations have been able to reduce costs, limit legal risk, and… hopefully get employees affected by a layoff back to work.
Unfortunately, outplacement hasn’t been the most value-add service for employees. In the past, it was a pretty lackluster experience.
As you might imagine, taking care of your employees isn’t just good karma—it’s good business. Your employees shape the public perception of your employer brand and corporate culture long after they’ve left the company. Providing support that allows your transitioning employees to quickly find another role creates an opportunity for positive associations with your company long after they are no longer employed with your company.
Done correctly, outplacement benefits your company in a few distinct ways:
Protects your employer brand, by showing both impacted and remaining employees that you have their best interests at heart
Impacts future hiring, by encouraging referrals to your company and positively influencing future rehire opportunities
Affects customer and partner relations by maintaining your brand reputation – and influences retention and productivity among retained employees and managers who witness the good treatment of your impacted employees
But best-in-class outplacement doesn’t just positively impact the organization – it is a high value-add for employees:
Provides impacted employees with state-of-the-art technology and accountability that help them quickly and effectively carry out their career transition
Reduces anxiety and grief for both impacted and retained employees with notification day support and manager notification training
Offers participants not only help in attaining their next job, but also career coaching and professional branding that will help them define the course of their careers
Ultimately shortens the length of unemployment and reducing the financial and emotional burden for impacted employees