5 Crucial Employer Brand Messages for 2013
As well as this, we remain in the grips of an economic slowdown and we are seeing increasing pressure on the ‘purse’ as childcare fees and fuel fees escalate while at the same time job security is dwindling and real estate remains a liability and not an asset for many following the housing crash.
Candidates are operating in a new climate and if employers are to remain relevant and attractive to the 2013 job seeker, they should ideally be focusing on putting out contemporary employers’ brand messages, which enable them to engage with changing candidate expectations. I have outlined five key employer brand messages for 2013 below:
1. Flexible Hiring Process
Top talent is busier and more on the go than they have ever been, thanks to smartphone and mobile working technology. They may find it a challenge to engage with the traditional face-to-face interview that occurs in normal working hours – and will soon be expecting more flexible interview options, such as out of hours interviews, video based interviewing and off site interviewing. Send out the brand message that you have a flexible hiring process and that you are open and able to engage with top talent in a range of flexible ways.
2. Support Flexible Working
Despite the recent antipathy toward flexible working and in particular home-working, flexible working remains perhaps one of the most desirable aspects of an employer brand in many candidates’ eyes. Why? Rising childcare costs and a sharp increase in both parents working (reported on futureofchildren.org ) means there is a much greater desire and expectation for flexible working options to help develop a better work, life and family balance. A recent CareerBuilder survey showed that flexible work schedules and home working was one of several crucial factors driving employee retention. It’s vital to develop a brand offering and message around flexible working in order to engage with today’s candidate market.
3. Committed to Career Development
A Randstad survey from 2012 has revealed that 86 percent of employees resign because of a lack of career development. As well as this, The Career Engagement Group 2012 Career Agility and Engagement study has revealed that career expectations are rising with 31 percent of employees wanting to fast-track their careers. Also, 75 percent are ready to use their own time to learn new skills to further their career. The modern candidate is more career focused and career conscious than ever and to truly connect with contemporary candidates you should ideally be delivering a strong brand offer and message around career development
4.You Embrace BYOD
Bring Your Own Device is all the rage in CIO circles. Employees now want to engage and collaborate on employee networks using their own mobile devices, be they smartphone, tablets or laptops. The old days when employee devices were ‘fire walled’ off are over. This is not a life changing employee brand message but it is increasingly becoming a given amongst employees. A failure to offer seamless BYOD will be a source of frustration and could make your business appear to be lagging a little behind the times.
5. You Value All Generations
For the first time, we now have four generations working alongside each other, all with different expectations. If you want to engage with the full range of the multi-generational marketplace, you would ideally be developing a brand offering and message that shows a multi generational approach.