TM - May 2008 - (Page 18) recruitment & retention assessment & evaluation compensation & benefits performance management learning & development succession planning Mid-Market Focus: Leveraging Brand to Compete Pete Kadens An employment brand is one of the strongest weapons available when competing as a middle-market company against Fortune 500 or 100 corporations looking to hire the same people. Tailoring brand image to the collegiate, young and aggressive talent and portraying that employment brand, or company culture, can tip the scales when a candidate has a higher compensation offer on the table. Leveraging that brand the right way to attract talent is key in the hiring process. Arming the Brand Weapon An organization must portray itself as a business that caters to candidates’ career growth and aspirations, as well as their social desires. This strategy is critical because, even if compensation and benefits are only “at market,” a company can still attract top talent without having to bet the farm on its people. Smaller companies always will be competing with larger companies that pay more to attract the same talent. Organizations win by executing on brand promises and spreading the gospel to their candidate audience, but companies have to customize and extend their brands to reach specific employment audiences and commit resources to make this happen. Recruiting-based brand architecture is based on four primary attributes. The evolution of this architecture is the result of listening to the candidate audience and discovering what resonates with potential and current employees. Every conversation with candidates, every piece of marketing collateral distributed and every speech delivered must reiterate these four aspects of the organizational brand: • Entrepreneurial spirit: Each candidate should have access and exposure to high-level managers and company owners so they can see where they will have an opportunity to make an immediate impact. Owners and managers must check titles and egomaniacal tendencies at the door each day to grow the business and attract top talent. • Clear and present opportunity for growth: Daily, weekly and monthly recognition of top talent and their success reminds candidates and new hires alike of where everyone in the company had their beginning and where they have grown in a short time. For instance, year-overyear growth of 100 percent or more opens a lot of doors. Share growth statistics with employees and candidates so they know they are on the cusp of something great. • Collegial atmosphere: Know your organization’s employee base. Have some fun in that first conversation with candidates. Talent managers could make initial interviews more informal if catering to a younger pool of candidates. • Flexibility: Understand that employees and candidates have changing and evolving lives with family and other outside interests. Make up for “at market” compensation with an aggressive three weeks of vacation plus personal days in year one and other ancillary, yet cost-effective benefits. By leveraging these four aspects, an organization can create a successful employment brand that will sustain its recruiting engine. A lot of companies spend 50 percent of their interviewing time selling the candidates on working for the company. That is not only inefficient, it’s risky because it limits the time talent managers need to appropriately qualify their candidates. Build an employment brand and make sure it truly runs through every vein of the organization so candidates know who you are as a company before they even walk in the door. Pete Kadens is CEO of Acquirent, an outsource sales solutions provider. He can be reached at editor@ TalentMgt.com. 18 talent management magazine www.TalentMgt.com http://www.TalentMgt.com
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of TM - May 2008 Talent Management - May 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Human Performance Leading Edge Learning Connections Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take The Four Pillars of Managing Performance Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? American Systems Employees Earn a Piece of the Pie Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential TM - May 2008 TM - May 2008 - (Page Intro) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page Cover1) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page Cover2) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 1) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 2) TM - May 2008 - Talent Management - May 2008 (Page 3) TM - May 2008 - Editor's Letter (Page 4) TM - May 2008 - Editor's Letter (Page 5) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 6) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 7) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 8) TM - May 2008 - Contents (Page 9) TM - May 2008 - Human Performance (Page 10) TM - May 2008 - Human Performance (Page 11) TM - May 2008 - Leading Edge (Page 12) TM - May 2008 - Leading Edge (Page 13) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 14) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 15) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 16) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 17) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 18) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 19) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 20) TM - May 2008 - Learning Connections (Page 21) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 22) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 23) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 24) TM - May 2008 - Make the Connection: Effective Employee Evaluations (Page 25) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 26) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 27) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 28) TM - May 2008 - Vacation: The Benefit Many Employees Don't Take (Page 29) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 30) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 31) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 32) TM - May 2008 - The Four Pillars of Managing Performance (Page 33) TM - May 2008 - Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization (Page 34) TM - May 2008 - Transform Talent With Deeper Skill Specialization (Page 35) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 36) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 37) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 38) TM - May 2008 - Mentoring's Role in Succession Planning (Page 39) TM - May 2008 - Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management (Page 40) TM - May 2008 - Graybar: Supporting a Long-Term View of Talent Management (Page 41) TM - May 2008 - American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health (Page 42) TM - May 2008 - American Diabetes Association: On a Mission to Improve Employee Health (Page 43) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 44) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 45) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 46) TM - May 2008 - Taking the Talent Pulse: What Drives High Potentials? (Page 47) TM - May 2008 - American Systems Employees Earn a Piece of the Pie (Page 48) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 49) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 50) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 51) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page 52) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page Cover3) TM - May 2008 - Editorial Resources (Page Cover4)
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