Using Authenticity to Create a Compelling and Truthful Employment Brand

Michael R. KannistoBausch & LombApril 2, 2008San Diego

The Talent Continuum

Clarify

Market

Answer

DecideHire

On-Board

Integrate

Develop

Lead

Mentor

The Talent Continuum

Company History

CompetenciesProducts

Financial Information

Organizational Structure

Company Vision

Business strategy

Hire

The Talent Continuum

Hire

Company History

CompetenciesProducts

Financial Information

Organizational Structure

Company Vision

Written and unwritten “rules”

Establishing individual leadership style

Understanding how things “get done”

Make key contacts

How have others integrated successfully?Business strategy

Develop a peer group

Why is it important to get very, very good at hiring and retaining talent? Low Unemployment Retiring Baby-Boomers Shortage of Knowledge

Workers Employees demanding

more information about your culture

Increased competition for top talent

Etc.

What is employment branding? Branding is showing

the outside world in a compelling, creative, honest, and authentic way what makes your organization idiosyncratically unique and different from every other organization on the planet.

Differentiation

Differentiation allows you to help job-seekers discover for themselves what makes your organization different from all the others.

Let me guess, your organization: Is Innovative Is committed to creating

a team environment Has a rich Heritage Makes a difference Helps people Is a great place to work Has great leaders Blah, blah, blah . . .

Why is this so difficult?

You’ll quickly learn that everyone is an expert on this topic

“We can do it ourselves if we just try real hard.” “Aspirational” qualities vs. reality Success means letting some job-seekers walk away It’s important and high-profile. That means others will

try to take it from you. More than once. You’ll have to facilitate some very pointed discussions

with very important people

(Oh, and everyone has a friend who works for a great agency!)

What do you currently do to ensure your new hires assimilate effectively? Do you provide information for them to review

(other than the standard company “propaganda”) between the time they accept their offer, and their start date?

Do you begin preparing new hires to become life-long learners who are familiar with your Learning & Development offerings?

If you don’t work at “headquarters” are you at a disadvantage right from the start?

Why is assimilation important? Most executives are unsatisfied with their

organization’s efforts to integrate them (ExecuNet survey conducted in 2004)

When anyone fails in an organization, it exacts a measurable cost

Conservative estimates place the “price” of a failed hire at 24 times base salary

(Watkins 2003, Smart 1999)

Why develop Orientation Programs? Job-seekers desperately want more

information about your culture You want them to be prepared to work

effectively right from the beginning You want them to know how your company

makes money You want them to feel like they are a part of

the company’s history Reinforce commitment to Ethical behavior

Content and Agenda

Who, when, and how often? What do you want graduates to know? What

should they be able to do? Who will teach the content? What happens at the end of the assimilation

process? How do you measure the effectiveness?

Considerations . . .

Do different new hires have different needs? Can you use technology to deliver content? Do you have the support of senior

leadership? Have you reviewed your turnover by level? Who were your key losses in the past three

years? Do you find out why people really leave?

“I found Rome a city of Brick, and left it a city of Marble.”

Augustus, Emperor of Rome

Thank You!

Clarify

Market

Answer

DecideHire

On-Board

Integrate

Develop

Lead

Mentor

What do you sell?

Where are you located?

How is your organization set up?

Why should I work here?

How do I bid on a job?

When will I hear back?

Will you value my time?

How often will I see my boss?

How do I learn about our products?

How do things really get done?

What does this culture value?

Is this what I expected?

The Hundred Questions– a new metaphor for understanding Employment Branding Number of people on earth: 6.8 billion Number of people who have ever lived: 100

billion Number of stars in the galaxy: 1 x 1023

Number of ways to answer the 100 questions (with only two possibilities per answer): 1.27 x 1030