Build employer brand equity

1. HR FUTURE 01.2011 (13)
YOUR SUSTAINABILITY
RESTS UPON
BUILDING YOUR
BRAND IN THE EYES
OF YOUR PEOPLE.
BRETT MINCHINGTON
A company has one brand
and the art and science
of employer branding
provides a focus for the
role of the ‘employee’ in
building brand equity. In addressing
the challenge of measuring the ROI of
your employer brand strategy, your
approach can be informed by previous
research in marketing, specifically in
the area of brand image and brand
equity.
BRAND IMAGE
Brand associations are the
determinants of brand image.
Keller defines brand image as an
amalgamation of the perceptions
related to the product related/non-
product related attributes and the
functional/symbolic benefits that are
encompassed in the brand associations
that reside in consumer memory.
Marketing literature supports the
concept that product brand equity is
strengthened when the brand image
resonates with the consumer. As brand
awareness heightens, consumers
begin to develop positive identification
with the brand. The more positive
the brand is perceived to be, the
more highly identified the consumer
becomes with the product. As social
identity theory suggests, in the end,
the consumer purchases the brand
because of the positive self-concept
that results from feeling membership
with the brand. In a similar manner,
as potential employees find positive
aspects of the employer image, they are
more likely to identify with the brand,
and will more likely choose to seek
membership with the organisation for
the sense of heightened self-image that
membership promises.
BRAND EQUITY
The concept of brand equity provides a
complementary theoretical perspective
for understanding employer branding.
In brand guru David Aaker’s book,
Managing Brand Equity, he defines
brand equity as the brand assets (or
liabilities) linked to a brand’s name
and symbol that add to (or subtract
from) a product or service. These assets
can be grouped into four dimensions:
brand awareness, perceived quality,
brand associations and brand loyalty.
Applying this thinking to employer
branding, I have developed a Model of
Employer Brand Equity™.
INTERNATIONAL WATERSEMPLOYER BRANDING
a
Build
employer
brand equity
EMPLOYER BRAND
AWARENESS
PERCEIVED
EMPLOYMENT
EXPERIENCE
EMPLOYER BRAND
ASSOCIATIONS
EMPLOYER BRAND
LOYALTY
EMPLOYER BRAND
EQUITY
MODEL OF EMPLOYER BRAND EQUITY™

2. (14) HR FUTURE 01.2011
Employer brand awareness is the level
of recognition people have about an
organisation’s positive and negative
employment attributes. Global food
services group Sodexo’s social media
activities have given me a strong
awareness of the community work
the company is involved in, whereas
the negative press about Foxconn’s
employment practices has made me
aware of just how different working
conditions are for some employees in
China compared to Australia or the
USA.
Perceived employment experience is
the association current and prospective
employees have about working for
an organisation and is based upon
the online (career website, social
networks, YouTube channel and so
forth) and offline (word of mouth,
career fairs, induction programmes,
among others) touchpoints the person
interacts with. When I hear the name
Google I perceive the employment
experience as challenging, inspiring,
fun, and one that offers career
and personal development. I have
been fortunate to visit their Zurich
headquarters on two occasions and
the physical environment from the
cafeteria to the chill-out rooms to the
themed meeting rooms is exactly the
type of environment that would inspire
me to give my best.
Employer brand associations are the
thoughts and ideas an organisation’s
name evokes in the minds of current
and future employees. It can include
imagery, personality, symbols, and
rational (career development, pay,
staff benefits, location and so on) and
emotional (strong reputation, friendly
working environment, inspiring
leadership, engaging culture and
others) employment attributes. Brand
associations can be verbalised, but
also might reside at a more sensory
level. In other words, employees
have a feeling about a brand, an
emotional response or the memory of
an experience with the company or
via touchpoints such as social media
channels. When I think of global
NGO, World Vision, I associate the
organisation with creating a better
society, global community, strong
reputation and people feeling good
about the work they do.
Employer brand loyalty is a person’s
commitment to join or remain
employed with an organisation as
a result of the positive associations
with the organisation. Loyalty is
demonstrated by positive behaviours
such as word of mouth advocacy.
When I read Facebook posts of people
saying they love their job (and mind
you there are very few who do this!)
it sends a strong message to me there
is something good about working for
the company. Employee advocacy is
the strongest level of endorsement a
company can receive. Remember it’s
not what you say your employer brand
is, it’s what others say it is when
leaders are not in the room!
In terms of employer branding,
brand equity is a strategic asset that
can be leveraged on the basis of
competitive advantage in the firm’s
ability to attract, engage and retain
talent. It is the desired outcome of the
collective impact of employer branding
initiatives. Prospective employees
choose to join an organisation and
existing employees choose to stay
because of the underlying employer
brand equity associated with these
firms.
As you can see, calculating ROI
of employer branding can be a very
complex area. However if you focus
efforts in these three key areas, you
will achieve some meaningful results:
1. A clear understanding of your
inputs (strategy development,
employee communications
collateral, recruitment advertising,
ongoing management costs) and
outputs (increased employee
engagement, decreased turnover,
increased time to productivity) and
how this is linked to your bottom
line;
2. An ability to track change in sales
and revenue performance over
time versus changes in employee
and customer engagement; and
3. Ideally, companies should be
able to identify the extent to
which a change in one behaviour
(increased engagement) leads
to a change in another (sales).
Companies should develop their
own ROI equations depending on
their employer branding objectives,
performance outcomes and so
on, so they will be able to enter
in the numbers and determine
the likely change in one of the
variables (sales) by changing one
of the other variables (employee
engagement). (HRf)
INTERNATIONAL WATERS EMPLOYER BRANDING
“Employer
brand loyalty
is a person’s
commitment to
join or remain
employed with
an organisation
as a result of
the positive
associations with
the organisation.”
Brett Minchington is Chairman/CEO of Employer Brand International, a global authority, strategist and corporate advisor on employer
branding (www.brettminchington.com). His new book Employer Brand Leadership-A Global Perspective is available at
(www.collectivelearningaustralia.com).

3. Certificate in
Employer Brand Leadership
About Employer Brand International
EBI provides research, advisory and thought
leadership in employer branding through
strategic consulting, conferences/training,
publications, research and global think-
tanks. EBI’s expert services are provided
through an international network of expert
employer brand Senior Associates. EBI’s
Global Advisory Board consists of leading
corporate professionals and academics
from around the world.
Why choose to study the Certificate in
Employer Brand Leadership?
• Study for an in demand leadership skill
• Case study approach to support
theoretical frameworks
• Real world application
• Flexible study options
• Supportive learning environment
• Access to the world’s most extensive
employer branding learning resources
• Alumni support
1. Since 2007 EBI has trained thousands
of managers in employer branding in
more than 50 cities in 28 countries.
2. Access to an employer branding global
community of 3500+ members.
3. Course is supported by world class
learning resources including books,
handbooks and global research reports.
4. The first course of its kind offered in
partnership with educational institutions,
business and the community.
5. Accredited by EBI
5QUICKFACTS
Enrol Today!
www.employerbrandinternational.com

4. WELCOME FROM THE
CHAIRMAN/CEO
Welcome to the Certificate in
Employer Brand Leadership
Course – a contemporary
leadership program for
managers around the world.
Since 2007, Employer Brand
International has conducted
training for thousands of
managers in employer branding
in more than 50 cities in
28 countries including Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France,
Germany, Italy, Russia, UAE, UK, and the USA.
Employees are fast becoming central to the process of brand
building and their behavior can either reinforce a brand’s advertised
values or, if inconsistent with these values, undermine the credibility
of your messages. Employer branding is a whole of business
concept concerned with the attraction, engagement and retention
initiatives targeted at enhancing your company’s employer brand.
The contest amongst employers to attract and retain talented workers
takes place in a world where changes in the political, economic,
social and technological environments and concerns about a
company’s environmental footprint is driving widespread change in
employment patterns. Today, competition for the best employees
is as fierce as competition for customers and market share.
The course brings together a talented team of academics,
strategists and corporate leaders to create an inspiring learning
experience in the growing field of employer branding.
Our emphasis is on assisting you to develop leadership,
communication, problem solving and team building skills, which
will enable you to better understand and deal with the complex
issues of management in a changing business environment.
In selecting students we look for high quality people with the potential
to not only benefit but also contribute to the learning experience.
Whilst practical in orientation, your learning experience will include
networking with like minded professionals around the world to
support a solid theoretical grounding in employer brand leadership.
Organizations that can attract and retain the best minds by
leveraging a unique, relevant and distinctive employer brand
will have a competitive edge in the marketplace.
We look forward to welcoming you and wish
you the very best with your studies.
Brett Minchington
Chairman/CEO
Employer Brand International
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
CORE MODULE A
THE BUSINESS CASE FOR EMPLOYER BRANDING
Study Unit 1: The Fundamentals Of Employer Branding (EBLFU)
CORE MODULE B
BEST PRACTICE IN EMPLOYER BRANDING
Study Unit 2: Employer Brand Leadership Principles Practices
(EBLPP)
Study Unit 3: Employer Brand Strategic Management (EBLSM)
Study Unit 4: Employer Branding Mapping Competitor Analysis
(EBLCA)
Study Unit 5: Employer Brand Analytics Reporting (EBLAR)
Study Unit 6: Contemporary Practices in Employer Branding Social
Media (EBLSM)
Study Unit 7: Employee and Customer Experience (EBLCE)
CORE MODULE C
THE FUTURE FOR EMPLOYER BRANDING
Study Unit 8: Employer Branding Social Responsibility (EBLSR)
Study Unit 9: Future Trends in Employer Branding (EBLTD)
Study Unit 10: Employer Branding Case Study Analysis (EBLCS)
HOW TO APPLY
Apply online at
www.employerbrandinternational.com
or to enquire please email Andrea at:
andrea@employerbrandinternational.com
Please direct all course
enquiries to:
Ms Andrea Fielding
P +61 8 8443 4115
F +61 8 8443 4149
ALUMNI SUPPORT
The EBI Employer Branding Global Community is an important part of
the life and community of the School, as it forms an integral part of the
School’s business relationships.
The network is diverse, including students and graduates who work and
live locally, interstate and overseas.
With more than 3500 members, the EBGC supports members in
various ways:
• Fostering global networking opportunities
• Informing the business community of latest trends in employer branding
www.employerbrandinternational.com