CIPD launches 'one-stop guide' to employer branding

The CIPD has launched its practical guide to employer branding, entitled ‘Employer branding: a no-nonsense approach’ . Written by Paul Walker (head of employer brands at Barkers), it aims to demonstrate how a n effective employer brand can make a dramatic difference to an organisation’s ability to recruit, retain and engage its people. (According to recent CIPD research, three-quarters of organisations that use EB regard it as an effective recruitment tool.)

The new guide features case studies from leading organisations such as the British Library, Diesel, King’s College NHS Trust, Lakeland, Orange and ScottishPower, illustrating why and how they have developed and communicated their employer brands. It’s also designed to enable organisations to explore and maximise their own employer brand – a key weapon as they compete for talent in a crowded marketplace and seek to engage, motivate and retain their best people.

The guide addresses some of the challenges involved in implementing an employer brand and suggests how to overcome them. For example, employer branding is still seen as a new concept and lacks recognition as an important element of corporate strategy. (HR needs to ‘sell’ its ability to make a strategic contribution to the business in this area.) There’s also the issue of fragmented ownership, often highlighted by poor communication between the departments involved. In addition, employer branding can’t be ‘imposed’ – employees need to be involved in the development of a brand to ensure they can relate to its values.

CIPD organisation and resourcing adviser Rebecca Clake commented: “In their quest to be an ‘employer of choice’, many organisations are recognising the potential of employer branding as a concept. There is a real opportunity for employers to use some of the techniques associated with branding and marketing, to understand how the organisation is perceived by current employees and the external labour market.

“However, employer branding is not just about recruitment. It’s an opportunity to gather intelligence to help employers better understand what makes people stay with their organisation, and be prepared to ‘go the extra mile’. Working together with other departments such as marketing, internal communications and PR is important if branding initiatives are to be successfully implemented.”

The guide’s author, Paul Walker, adds: “The golden rule is to launch the brand internally, making sure it’s fully communicated, understood and embedded. Then and only then can you launch the programme externally to see the real benefits.

“Despite the success of employer branding, many companies still fail to accurately measure current performance in recruitment and retention in order to prove brand effectiveness and demonstrate return on investment. By measuring the success of employer brand, the HR community can really add value to their businesses.”

(The new guide is available at www.cipd.co.uk/surveys from 18 October 2007.)