Is Your Internal Brand Attracting Top Talent?

October 13, 2011

Could a weak employer brand be your greatest enemy in the war for top talent? If internal branding is important to effectively sustaining the growth and nurturing of your overall brand, shouldn’t that also impact the volume and quality of the talent pipeline that goes along with it?

Last week, my colleague Brandon Hickie laid out 8 tips for building an effective internal brand. A comment from a contributor in the recruiting world got us chatting more about how a company’s internal brand can actually impact the recruitment of top talent, too. This is a great point, and unfortunately, it’s also one of the critical components in talent acquisition that many companies, especially smaller organizations, often misunderstand.

At this point, you’ve placed a great deal of attention toward understanding your customers – who they are, what they want, what they need. Chances are you have devised a branding strategy that really hits home.

But what about a brand for your employees and potential employees to admire?

It’s simple! Consider this equation: Product Brand = Internal Brand = Recruitment Brand. It’s all about consistency. Just like your customers, your potential employees are looking for a brand that they can trust, is credible, and will offer them a great ROI.

I recently had a conversation with a very talented friend about her recent job search. Like most A-players, her approach is targeted and specific. She’s focused on organizations that have great brand recognition, and thus, a very strong recruitment brand. Not surprisingly, one of the companies on her list is Liberty Mutual, whose “Responsibility: What’s Your Policy?” campaign reinvigorated its product brand and, while doing so, impacted the image projected to potential employees of its internal brand.  The company’s focus on one of its core organizational values really speaks to candidates looking for a credible employer that they can trust with their career.

So what does this all mean?

Top candidates are really looking for more than just a job! They are looking for an employer that shares their values, where they will be a part of a community and offers them an opportunity to grow and develop. The best candidates want to know that they will work on high quality products for an organization that is admired.

They want to be inspired by your company’s mission and they want to understand how the job they are considering with your company will fit into that mission. Top candidates want to know that they can be successful and deliver. So consider treating potential employees like investors and customers. Ultimately, they want to find an affinity with a brand that they can invest their career in, and as an employer, you want to find an employee who exemplifies your internal brand that you can invest in as well.

Whether you’re a startup of four or an expansion stage company of 60, as you build your brand, keep an eye on your employer brand, too. If you remember that people are your greatest asset and the true ambassadors of your product, you are already on the right track to building a great internal brand…and an even better pipeline of great talent that will only make it stronger.

Get our Guide to Employer Branding

 

Park Square Executive Search

Jessica Ray previously was responsible for recruiting initiatives for both the firm and its portfolio companies. Currently, Jessica is a Senior Associate at Park Square Executive Search <a href="http://www.parksquare.com/">Park Square Executive Search</a>.