Talent Management - July 2008 - (Page 54)

An employment brand enables companies to maintain a sense of engagement and commitment among employees in good times and bad. When displacement occurs, an employment brand supplies the candor to effectively communicate motivators for offshoring, the positions affected and outplacement services available. A brand can establish the short- and long-term beneﬁts of innovation: expansion into and creation of new markets, less costly production and more affordable products. It also can highlight opportunities for Going ‘Glocal:’ Multinational vs. International The employee brand also is an integral component to facilitate entry into new markets and establish operations overseas. The world’s largest technology and pharmaceutical brands have several R&D efforts under way offshore. Major players are in multiple markets with tens of thousands of employees globally. IBM employed 53,000 people in India in 2007, up from 3,000 just ﬁve years prior, according to a July 2007 New York Times report With the emergence of a worldwide network of connections and resources comes the emergence of varying talent management strategies. More companies are adopting the notion of becoming “glocal:” thinking globally, but acting locally. There are inherent cultural differences in diplomacy, communication style, business etiquette, market conditions and demands, and talent management. A multinational approach that adapts products and services to each local market is becoming the strategy of choice over a global approach in which one consumer image and brand is used in all markets. An employment brand that embraces core company values while incorporating the styles, needs and expectations of the local country is more likely to inspire motivation and loyalty. employees to enjoy greater earning potential and upward mobility. An ill-ﬁtting consumer brand can work against companies striving to maintain a solid talent management program in the midst of global expansion or change. A good consumer brand can speak to a different audience in different languages. Yet, many organizations do not have an employee-speciﬁc brand in place and instead use their consumer brands as the basis for internal and external messaging. In CareerBuilder.com’s 2008 employment branding survey of more than 2,700 employers, 57 percent reported their companies did not have an employment brand, 4 percent were developing one and 21 percent were unsure. In addition to existing staff, it’s also critical to manage the employment brand message for potential employees. It helps to instill conﬁdence in the company’s standing as a leading competitor and desirable employer. In a 2008 survey by Personiﬁed and CareerBuilder.com, 6,300 workers were asked to identify the most important factor when evaluating a potential employer. The top answer was work culture, followed by stability and longevity in the market and good career-advancement opportunities. The same strategy is being applied to the employment brand. An employment brand that embraces the fundamentals of the core company values while incorporating the styles, needs and expectations of the local country is more likely to establish a work experience that inspires motivation and loyalty. Companies can adapt their employment brands to each individual market to enhance recruitment and retention efforts, and they often have employees help shape the brand. For example, through a diversity initiative developed by Personiﬁed, CareerBuilder.com established a Global Perspectives Council with representatives from each country in which it operates collaborating on ways to best share lessons and unique cultural perspectives amongst all employees. As worldwide markets evolve and businesses expand operations outside their borders, the issue of talent management will become increasingly critical. Organizations that proactively communicate through a deﬁned employment brand and inclusive work culture will have a competitive edge in overall business execution. Matt Ferguson is CEO of CareerBuilder.com, and Mary Delaney is president of Personiﬁed, a consulting ﬁrm. They can be reached at editor@talentmgt.com. 54 July 2008 talent management magazine www.talentmgt.com http://CareerBuilder.com http://CareerBuilder.com http://www.talentmgt.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Talent Management - July 2008

Talent Management - July 2008 Editor’s Letter Human Performance Leading Edge Learning Connections Guest Editorial Passive Candidate Recruiting: Evolving with a Changing Workforce How Do They Feel? Sec Regulations and Executive Compensation Performance Management: A Retail Perspective Train the Non-Trainer Management-Go-Round: Developing Future Leaders Netflix Creates Its Own Script for Talent Management Intuit Spotlights Strategic Importance of Global Employee Recognition Make HR a Profit Center: Automate Technology to Gather Tax Credit Data Offshoring and the Impact on Talent Management Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Full Potential

Talent Management - July 2008

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