In the past year, the topic of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) has moved to the forefront of employer brand and recruitment marketing strategies. At last month’s #TBSummit, Lisa Smith-Strother shared her approach to Creating Equitable Content.
As the VP and Global Head of Employer Marketing for RELX, Lisa is at the helm of Diversity TA Branding. She provided insights from RELX’s content strategy this past year, where diversity content and engagement are on the rise: Not only has her company increased the frequency of diversity content, but they have seen a 30% increase in engagement and employee sharing up 17%.
“Representation is a major issue,” Lisa stated, “By not considering diversity in your content, you could be failing to reach underrepresented audiences.”
She cited statistics published by Facebook, stating that 71% of audiences expect brands to promote D&I in their online ads and 59% of audiences prefer to buy from brands that stand for D&I. It goes without saying that if you prefer to buy from a brand that includes diverse messages, it can also have the same uplifting effect on your employer brand.
According to Lisa, the next generation of candidates expect to see a diverse and inclusive workplace, employers that give back to the community, and prioritization of employee health and well-being.
Some of the efforts that RELX has implemented as part of its diversity strategy include:
Providing branded templates for diversity days
Inviting employees to provide diversity and inclusion testimonials
A weekly series of curated content that employee ambassadors can share on social media, including pictures, captions, and important events.
Did you know that 90% of companies have Employee Resource Groups (ERG)? These groups are full of employees that you can feature to spotlight your diverse workforce and events and efforts to showcase as well. These groups are also a great place to promote your employee referral program, as diverse employees likely have diverse networks.
As Lisa looked back on RELX’s learnings over the past year, she emphasized the importance of responding to unforeseen challenges and adapting during a crisis. Leading the employer brand with humanity and exuding empathy towards employees and customers is also key. She said they learned to embrace and strengthen brand values as well as their diversity branding.
Interested in interacting with others to talk about diversity and inclusion? Join the Talent Brand Alliance! By clicking here you can connect with thousands of other practitioners who are navigating the same situations as yourself.
About Our TBA Members: Lisa Smith-Strother and Lynette Bellin
As VP, Global Head of Employer Marketing and Diversity TA Branding for RELX, Lisa is passionate about Marketing & Employer Branding. With 15+ years in consumer marketing, ethnic marketing, and brand/awareness for Financial Services and 12+ years of hands-on experience in employer branding, Lisa has deep experience in brand positioning targeting multi-talent segments across the globe.
As Senior Director of Omnichannel Strategy for Symphony Talent, Lynnette Bellin leads an international team of strategists and analysts in developing, executing, and optimizing world-class omnichannel media strategies. Prior to omnichannel strategy, she was Director of Content Strategy and is a seasoned expert in content strategies that bring employer brands to life.