integrating employment communications

copyright © 2009 - david a. greenway

INTEGRATING EMPLOYMENT COMMUNICATIONS

JAN 2008 / rev. JUL 09


PURPOSE

“Integrating Employment Communications” takes a look at how organizations manage the conversation with individuals. We begin with a new perspective - looking at the individual as part of the ‘candidate-employee-alumni’ continuum, rather than inviduals within static, discrete, and unconnected markets.

Part Two identifies the typical organizatonal structure that supports employment (brand) communications. We examine how the current structure leads to missed opportunities and creates inefficiencies in the dialog between organizations and individuals.

Lastly, we propose a new vision and structure. One that acknowldges the complexity of the challenges, the variety of stakeholders within an organization, and the need for effectiveness and efficiancy in a global marketplace.

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PART ONE: THE CONTINUUM 3


CONSUMERS AND PRODUCERS

as customers, people evaluate value and share experiences

as candidates, people investigate fit and talk about opportunity

as employees, people emulate brand values and align behaviors with objectives

as alumni, people follow company news and maintain personal connections

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CANDIDATE-EMPLOYEE-ALUMNI

the relationship to an organization (and brand) starts long before the resume is sent and continues long after the formal employment relationship ends

candidates, employees and alumni/ae are each viewed as monolithic and static while individuals are often one or more of these to an organization during the span of their career

as candidate, employe, or alumni (and early on as customer), the messages received from across the organzation may be experienced as uncoordinated and inconsistent

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QUESTIONS

how can individual employees change the customers’ brand experience?

what can employees do to better prepare themselves for future opportunities?

how could knowledge of an upcoming new product change how they evaluate a competitor’s job offer?

how can a candidate’s hot off the street insights add insights to the branding conversation?

what can the company learn from alumni infuse new ideas and energy into the marketing plan?

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PART TWO: A CLOSER LOOK AT EC 7


SEA CHANGE

sunday classifieds >> perfect market / imperfect people

killer app >> social networking

silos >> integration

technology as tool >> technology “baked in” (ubiquity)

”gut” >> strategy driving metrics

recruiting as ‘one stop shop’ >> recruiting as complex enterprise

the age of technology >> the age of talent

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EC TODAY

EC as stand alone discipline, separate form it marketing (XC - external communications) and internal communications (IC- internal comms) cousins

organizational- and systems-driven processes

ownership and accountabilities scattered across organization

conflict of interest between recruiting and brand goals, resources and priorities

lack of infrastructure that supports the business of the employment brand

missing central repository of employment brand assets and learnings

talent acquisition metrics drive strategy, instead of strategy driving metrics

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XCEXTERNAL

Communications

ECEMPLOYMENT Communications

ICINTERNAL

Communications

XC-IC-EC CONNECTIONS

MARKETINGAdvertisingInteractiveSocial / EdgeworkPRDirectResearch

Creative Services

Brand Managers

Agency(ies) of Record

RECRUITING-Employment brand-Recruitment advertising-Sourcing -Staffing coordination-Alumni communications

External Agency

Recruiters / Project Managers

MAR/COMM-Investor relations -Shareholder reporting-Internal communications-Senior management-Intranet

HR COMMS-Benefits-Development-Employee relations

Creative Services

Mar/Comm Managers

“Customer”

“Candidate”“Employee”

“Brand Assets”

“Relevant Content”

“Employment Brand”

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EC STRUCTURE


RECRUITING-Employment brand-Recruitment advertising-Sourcing and screening-Staffing coordination-Alumni communications

External agency


HR COMM-Benefits-Development-Employee relations


Creative Services

HR COMMSMar/Comm Managers

RECRUITING

“Candidate”

“Alumni”“Employee”

RECRUITING


External Agency


HUMAN RESOURCES

HR COMMS

MAR/COMM

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XCEXTERNAL

Communications


ICINTERNAL

Communications

XC-IC-EC GAPS

MARKETINGAdvertisingInteractiveSocial / EdgeworkPRDirectResearch

Creative Services

Brand Managers



External Agency




Creative Services

Mar/Comm Managers

“Customer”

“Candidate”“Employee”

“Brand Assets”

“Relevant Content”

“Employment Brand”

Ownership- Oversight- Authority- Accountability- Alignment

Infrastructure- Processes- Resources- Production

Integration- Brand- People- Organization- Systems- Knowledge

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INEFFICIENCIES

recruitment and alumni communications are owned by staffing, while employee communications responsibilities are shared by HR and internal communications

recruiting and alumni communications are often part-time jobs, shared with an equally critical job - recruiting

a variety of stakeholders have common messages, content and channels, but different agendas and accountabilities make collaboration challenging

what we learn from project to project, and year to year, is rarely shared across owner and stakeholder lines and institutional knowledge stays within silos and vanishes with turnover

the corporate brand and the employment brand have unexplored potential, but are separated by tradition

dollars are lost due to duplicated efforts and uncordinated strategies

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AS A RESULT

unconnected and sometimes conflicting messages.

underutilized knowledge, processes and relationships

unexamined brand building opportunities

allocations to research, creative events, public relations, etc. are anemic

very few organizations take advantage of shared resources or leverage investments made in advertising assets

only a handful of organizations have any type of infrastructure to support employment advertising

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PART THREE: A NEW EC 15


NEW VISION

EC views candidates, employees and alumni as a continuum. an individual’s relationship with an organization changes throughout their career

EC is organized to enhance the employment experience at contact points across the candidate-employee-alumni continuum

EC includes the spectrum of messages, tools and channels to communicate the organizations employment value proposition or employment bran

EC is organized to craft memorable and measurable experiences at touch points along the candidate-employee-alumni continuum

EC integrates organizational assests (brand, resources, systems, knowledge and people) which primary function is to define, collect, enhance, communicate the employment experience

EC facilitiatess a thoughtful and consistent engagement of the entire organization in correctly defining problems and developing integrated solutions

EC enhances organizational communications so that employees can support organizational objectives to the best of their talents and ability

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EC

XC MC

PR

BRAND

NEW CONNECTIONS

Career Site

Trade/ Conferences

Job Postings

Marketing

Onboarding/Orientation

Creative Services

Employee Functions

New Media

Benefits

Print / Traditional

Intranet

Product Management

Shareholder Communications

Corporate Giving

Sourcing Strategy

Verbal Identity

Employee Referral Program

Job Fairs

Internet

Sales/Service/Distribution

Research

Print / Traditional

Community Sponsorships

Employee Newsletter

Coaching & Leadership Development

Job Descriptions

College Recruiting

Performance Reviews

Exit Interviews

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HR COMMS & INTERNAL COMMS

NEW STRUCTURE

Agency(ies) Creative Services

RECRUITINGRelationship ManagementSourcing and screening-Staffing coordination


MAR/COMM-Investor relations -Shareholder reporting-Senior management-Intranet

“EMPLOYMENT BRAND MANAGER”

“Candidate”

“Alumni”“Employee”

RECRUITING

RECRUITING-Sourcing -Staffing coordination

HUMAN RESOURCES

Employment BrandingInternal CommunicationsRecruitment AdvertisingAlumni Communications

Brand ManagersProject Managers

MarketingAOR

RECRUITINGHR COMMS

MAR/COMM

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NEW ROLE

as employment brand manager:

lead branding and marketing activities for all employment communications initiatives

implement marketing plans and programs in order to identify and attract talent as well engaging employees in meeting organizational objectives

advocate for EC with peer marketing teams within organization

supervise the development of brand appropriate materials and promotions

develop cross-organizational relationships with key business partners in hr and client groups

develop strategies for recruiting top caliber employees in a high-growth environment.

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XCEXTERNAL

Communications


XCEXTERNAL

Communications

XCEXTERNAL

Communications

EC

EC EC

“Ind

ep

end

ent”

“Dep

art

ment”

“Hyb

rid

”

-or-

NEW HOME

Recruiting

•Large Scale Hiring Needs•Independent Leadership•Ownership of Delivery

•Small-Medium Hiring •Independent Leadership •Shared Services

•Small-Medium Hiring •Reporting Structure •Combined Services

“Above all, I found I had to accept that effective brand communication… involves processes which are uncontrolled, disordered, abstract, intuitive… and frequently impossible to explain other than with the benefit of hindsight.”

“Posh Spice & Persil”Apples, Insights and Mad

InventorsJeremy Bullmore

ICINTERNAL

Communications

ICINTERNAL

Communications

ICINTERNAL

Communications

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NEW QUESTIONS

what are the ways we can engage employees in achieving marketing objectives

how can the on-boarding experience increase productivity faster?

what can we learn form those not hired (or interviewed)? how can the individual accomplishments of our people

enhance the brand message?

how can company news be leveraged to increase employee retention?

how can we use social networking to create a strong community and encourage learning across departments and geography?

what are the ways we can piggy-back of existing relationships, channels and knowledge to increase marketing effectiveness?

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IMPLEMENTATIONI. Tactical Coordination of Marketing Communications

II. Redefining the Scope of Marketing Communications

III.Application of IT / Incorporation of Data

IV. Financial and Strategic Integration

(Adapted: Four Stages of Internal Communications, Kitchen et.al., Shultz and Schultz)

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OPPORTUNITIESintegrate people into branding strategy early and often

create employment communications strategies that support brand objectives

leverage content and channels across candidate-employee-alumni continuum

identify channels to upload ideas and feedback

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WHENnew or re-brand

growth / downsizing

acquisition / divestiture

change in strategy / positioning

competitive / global challenges

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OUTCOMES increased resonance of the brand

improved ability of candidates self-identify

knowledge that will help navigate any employment conditions

truly begin to leverage people as brand

enhanced value to employees

greater involvement with the brand

broadened employee engagement

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FINAL THOUGHTS

employment communications today must be frictionless, immediate and personal. the successful brand is not simply a concoction of stellar creative, laser strategy, website dazzle or rocket science technology but rather the integration of all these working in unison with the organization’s brand, resources, systems, knowledge and people.

bringing employment communications into brand thinking is smart for organizations, but it’s even smarter for their agency partners. ad agencies are in a unique position to help their clients leverage brand assets and compete for brand-building talent.

The job responsibilities of an Employment Brand Manager may exist informally, but most likely are shared among a variety of individuals across an organization. While a few organizations have made advances in formalizing the importance and oversight of the Employment Brand, the purpose of this document is to begin discussion around how to best structure the management of the Employment Brand and outline the nature of the Employment Brand Manager role.

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CONTACT

David Greenway

781-913-6698

[email protected]

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“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away..”

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

integrating employment communications

Business

staffing coordination direct

shareholder reporting

internal communications

employment experience

investor relations

senior management

employee relations

lum ni