I had the immense pleasure to attend the Talent Brand Summit in London. Bryan Chaney, Will Staney and Audra Knight were outstanding hosts making the 2-day-event an overall fun experience.
A vintage English bus ride took us to friendly competition at social darts, and whisked us to a delicious dinner with a 360-degree view of London at night at Olympic Park at the end of the workshop.
But most importantly, they created an atmosphere in which every attendee felt comfortable engaging and sharing both best practices and failures, leaving everyone with invaluable insights. Here are just 5 of many more take-aways:
Bringing an EVP to life is not a revolution, but an evolution! Get everyone involved: from leadership to all employees, making sure every employee at any level uses the same language. It’s not “just an HR thing”, but one team helping to attract the best talent.
Never lose sight of the “human” candidate experience. Hardly any company can afford losing potential candidates due to a bad online experience. Think for example in terms of diversity and inclusion: is it as easy and intuitive for candidates with disabilities? For the personal interview stage: Provide training for recruiters and hiring leaders how to properly give feedback during and after interviews (keep Glassdoor & Kununu in mind!) and follow up quickly.
Don’t just aim your content at active jobseekers – create content that’s engaging anyone in your target group. You can use design thinking methodologies to better understand and personalize your target group: what they want, what they need, how they think and how they behave. Create content that would appeal to those personas.
Leverage your own colleagues as brand influencers & ambassadors. You most likely already have colleagues that are passionate about the company. Act like a journalist in your own company – professional is personal! Keep in mind that some are unsure whether their story is good, so help them and explain what you are looking for. Find the stories that embody the Employer Value Proposition and give them a platform. Don’t forget to look after and take care of them: curate, as well as create! And of course, never force anyone into participating. Authentic content is key.
And finally: Don’t waste all budget on the production. Spend at least the same amount on media targeting as on the idea. You can have the best idea ever - if you don’t get it out there and target at the right people, no one will see the best idea ever.
Ergo: Don’t miss the chance to attend the next Talent Brand Summit, which is in Austin.
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About our TBA member: Sebastian Wind joined American Express to establish a strong employer brand in Germany. He holds a bachelors degree in Human Resources Management and a masters degree in Corporate Communication Management and gained first practical experience in both inhouse recruiting and recruiting agencies. He's an avid reader, podcast enthusiast and passionate jazz drummer.