Workthing Editor, Janice Chalmers, writes:
Employer branding is a triumph of rhetoric over reality, according to Workthing's new survey of HR managers in the UK. Unclear
lines of ownership and lack of involvement are holding employer branding back.
The vast majority of the senior HR managers participating in the survey stress, in principle, the strategic importance of employer branding to
their business - see Brand value below.
The problem, they admitted, is poor internal management of employer branding itself, with HR surprisingly little involved in employer brand
management - see Off the rails.
An even greater cause for concern is the lack of clear ownership of employer branding inside UK companies - see In the driving seat. Tellingly,
the survey indicates that businesses with the best employer brands are those where employer branding is directly controlled by the board.
Brand Value
Highly important... The majority of HR managers surveyed stressed the strategic importance and the strength of their brand.
| "Employer branding is an important
issue for our organisation" |
89% |
| "We have a clear view of the image we wish to
project via our employer brand" |
80% |
| "Our employer brand is stronger than our competitors'
brands" |
62% |
Off the rails
But hardly involved... HR's involvement in internal employer brand management is surprisingly limited, but they're still more involved than
marketing or the board.
| "HR is involved in
tackling employer brand issues" |
55% |
| "Marketing is involved in tackling
employer brand issues" |
46% |
| "HR has ultimate ownership of
employer brand in our company" |
32% |
| "The board of directors is actively
involved in employer brand issues" |
19% |
Whose has ultimate ownership of employer brand in your company?
The board is best... although they directly 'own' employer branding in just 23% of UK companies, the 'best' employer brand builders appear to be the
board. When the board of directors has ultimate responsibility for employer brand, online jobseeker expectations are much more likely to be met -
under the board's ownership, 45% of corporate career sites display the financial information that would satisfy candidates who need to know that the
employer is financially secure versus 37% on average.
Build a better brand
Workthing has devised a (printable) self-assessment scorecard to help HR managers assess and build their employer brand. Access the scorecard »
About the research
The Workthing Employer Recruitment study explored the usage and perception of online recruitment and employer branding among FTSE 250 HR directors. This survey forms part of a wider research study, Workthing Employment and Recruitment Study 2003, which also studied the perceptions and usage of internet users and jobseekers.
The full research findings are available to purchase from BT Click and Buy for £195 »
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