How to Align Your Employment Brand with Your Company Brand? Part 2 of 3

By Jessica Miller-Merrell

In part one of the series, How to Align Your Employment Brand with Your Company Brand, we focused on the power behind employment branding and why it’s necessary to brand your company through all efforts made by recruiters and your human resources department.

In part two we’ll be discussing how the human resources department has shifted its main job function from obtaining talent to an overall strategy based on amplifying the customer facing marketing brand through marketing. The ability to attract candidates has become increasingly difficult due to the competitive nature of highly in-demand talent. Companies have started using unconventional methods to recruit or even in some cases steal the best talent in the market.

If you’re watching the news you’ll see that this executive from Facebook went to Twitter or that executive left for Microsoft -- and the most notable was Marissa Meyer’s transition from Google to search giant Yahoo. Companies are doing everything in their toolbox to hire and steal the most noteworthy talent in the industry to make sure they’re producing products and services unmatched by competitors.

So how does HR show this talent pool that they’re the best and you should come work for their company? Through marketing. Human resources have started working on not only recruiting the best, but also marketing their company in a way that’ll recruit talent without as many loopholes and obstacles to jump through. Here are three areas that your human resources department can start with in order to maximize brand exposure for candidates:

Talent Communities. Most companies don’t have the right systems in place to attract and retain candidates interested in their company. If a position isn’t open a candidate will simply come to your career site, see nothing available and go apply for 100 other jobs that match what they’re looking for.

With a talent community you’re able to have them sign up and keep in contact until a specific job is open. Talent communities are great because it allows the recruiter to become invested in each candidate that joins. No longer will your name just be a dataset, but you’ll have a profile and a real way to interact with recruiters.

Blogs. I read hundreds of blogs each month and while I’m not in the job market, your blog is how you get found and how candidates are able to interact with your brand. Creating a blog and sharing interesting information will help your company search-wise as well as culture wise. Take a look at the Nuts about Southwest blog. They’re creating an amazing representation of their company and the culture they have within the company. Use a blog to do the same – look at Southwest for inspiration. They’re doing things right.

Consumer site. Have you ever heard me say that your customers are your future candidates? You’ve probably heard it a hundred times because it’s so true. Use your consumer site to help your employment brand. Build a strong presence on your consumer site that’ll tell customers about how great it is to work for you and send them to resources to help them find more. People who shop are those who are the most passionate about your brand. Use it to your advantage.

Whether your building a talent community, starting a corporate blog, or using your consumer site to build employment awareness, your HR department must start developing a strategy based around marketing to your customer. It’s one of the best ways to attract those who are passionate about your brand.

Jessica Miller-Merrell, SPHR is a workplace and technology strategist specializing in social media. She’s an author who writes at Blogging4Jobs. You can follow her on Twitter @blogging4jobs. 

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