The

Of Employer Branding

Richard Mosley – Global Head of Strategy and Fallen Angel

1universumglobal.com

For 30 years Universum has been helping organizations compete more effectively for talent

MY EMPLOYER BRAND

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

1. Fakery: Inauthentic presentation

2. Hyperbole: Exaggerated statements or claims

3. Imitation: Failing to differentiate

4. Consensus-creativity: The application of committees to creative ideas

5. Uniformity: Obsessive design

6. Passion-Killing Processes: Failing to consider the user experience

7. Short-Termism: Failing to take the long term view on something that takes a long time

(1) FAKERY

EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY

2018

2017

2017

2018

2017

2018

2018

2017

2017

2018

2018

Source: Unversum EB Now Survey – 2018Sample: WMAE

Primary employer brand objectives: ‘Promoting Active Employee Advocacy’’

30%

41%

44%

2016

2017

2018

EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY AT BP

Source:https://hros.co/blog/2017/5/31/how-ge-developed-a-brand-ambassador-program

GE AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

(2) HYPERBOLE

STRENGTH AND STRETCH

The most effective EVP statements stick to attributes that reflect:

• Current reality …or

• Credible leadership commitments and tangible forward progress

Currently Credible Wishful thinkingShared Aspiration

‘The way we do things round here’

‘Out of touch with reality’

‘The company at its best’

Authenticity OverstretchForward momentum

(3) IMITATION

PRESENTING POWER AND STATUS

PRESENTING DIVERSITY

VISUAL IDENTITY DIFFERENTIATION

19

BRAND DIFFERENTIATION

20

HAPPINESS

Doctor Happiness

IMAGINE IF…

MAKING AN IMPACT

22

BRAND POSITIONING TERRITORIES

Innovation

Empowerment

Performance

Career

Status

Learning

Purpose

Teamwork

The 8 Core

Positioning

Territories

The 7 Basic Plots

Innovation

Empowerment

Performance

Career

Status

Learning

Purpose

Teamwork

BRAND POSITIONING

DIFFERENTIATED EXPRESSION

28

INNOVATION TERRITORY

ADIDAS

29

GLOBAL EMPLOYER RANKINGS

(4) CONSENSUS CREATIVITY

Feedback from Communications Director:

“Just do what? I think our messaging needs to be clearer.”

JUST DO SPORT IT

Feedback from HR Director:

“We need to signal that its all about teamwork.”

JUST DO SPORTJUST DO SPORT TOGETHER

JUST DO SPORT TOGETHER

Feedback from Diversity Director:

“We need to be more inclusive. Not everyone likes sport”

JUST DO THINGS SPORTTOGETHER

Feedback from Finance Director:

“We need to increase our performance and margins”

DO THINGS TOGETHERDO MORE THINGS TOGETHER

DO MORE THINGS TOGETHER

Feedback from CEO:

“We need to make it shorter and focus on purpose and innovation”

MAKE AN IMPACT

AVOIDING COMMITTEE CREATIVITY

• Agree in advance that the senior team is not the target audience

• Agree that Gen Z / Gen Y candidates may think differently

• Back your decision with research

• Be bold

(5) UNIFORMITY

BRAND UNIFORMITY

CORPORATE BRAND UNIFORMITY

You can use any colour as long as its blue, grey or black.

You can only use photos that have been signed-off…and the logo needs to be prominent.

CORPORATE BRAND UNIFORMITY

CORPORATE / CUSTOMER BRAND vs. EMPLOYER BRAND

Custo

me

r B

ran

d Em

plo

yer b

ran

d

(6) PASSION KILLING PROCESSES

LEGO LOOK FOR PEOPLE WHO THINK DIFFERENT

CREATING A POSITIVE ON-BRAND EXPERIENCE

CREATING A POSITIVE ON-BRAND EXPERIENCE

Empathy map the experience

(7) SHORT-TERMISM

NO SHORT CUTS TO EMPLOYER BRAND SUCCESS

THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS

1. Fakery

2. Hyperbole

3. Imitation

4. Consensus-Creativity

5. Uniformity

6. Passion-Killing Processes

7. Short-Termism

54

BE GOOD