N O.
ESSENZ - A Paper by WOLF
06
Focus: Employer Branding
Identification instead of communication
A “War for Talents” is raging and companies need a good strategy to attract the best specialists and managers. At the same time, more and more employees are unhappy with their jobs. Their emotional attachment to their employer is steadily declining. The magic word today is employer branding, especially when it comes to employer attractiveness. Employer branding still often deals with the development of the best and most creative advertising concept. But “communication“ is no longer the benchmark for successful concepts. It is about “identification“ – whether while searching for a new job or during daily business. “We are dealing with a fundamental transformation of work and demands. Work is no longer the accumulated daily burdens of our life time. Good work creates states of flow, meaning of life and happiness,” according to the TrendUpdate on work styles of the Zukunftsinstitut (11/2011). Anyone who sees this will also understand that a functioning employer branding is no longer about developing a
The Waves of EMPLOYER BRANDING
PAST
concept on a drawing board to lure employees with communicative buzzwords. Employer branding remains important but it will change significantly. As soon as companies became aware of the topic “employer attractiveness“, a period of intense, loud and sometimes meaningless communication began. Those companies who want to reach their future goals and who want to remain attractive as an employer have to understand which meanings employees are looking for and what really makes them happy. In this case, identification means that the quality of the relationship with the target group is crucial. Interaction and dialogue is highly relevant. One-way communication will lose. The key to success is the consistency of brand promise and the performance of the company. This also means an intense analysis of all interactions with those people the company wants to reach; not only during the recruiting process but especially during the following everyday work life.
PRESENT
FUTURE
volume
satisfaction
meaning awareness
range
dialogue
attention
monologue
interaction
Future employer branding is directed internally and externally. It is a direct result of the brand and is really lived within the company. It transforms from a communication concept into a service that is offered to the company’s potential and existing employees to create identification. Employer branding is becoming a service. For the future understanding of employer branding this means:
03 EMPLOYER BRANDING Requires Users-oriented Thinking and ActiONS
01
02
CORPORATE BRANDING DEFINES EMPLOYER BRANDING
EMPLOYER BRANDING means Service Orientation
Employer brand and company brand grow together again. The company brand defines what the employer brand stands for. It is not about creating a new brand but about identifying the brand values that are particularly attractive for employees and about expressing those values accordingly. The brand values itself remain untouched, but the attitude and the positioning as an employer are adapted. This employer brand must be lived internally in order to be credibly projected to the outside.
Keeping employer attractiveness in mind, companies have to understand themselves as service providers. This requires a scenario in which the company defines itself as service provider. The employer’s offer must be realized as a service and the applicants and employees as the clients. Companies need to find out, what employees and applicants expect as “clients“. What are their needs and expectations? What do they think? How do they behave? What are they interested in? How to reach them?
Companies should think and act in a customerand/or user-oriented manner. This means that applicants and employees must be understood as users and the brand must serve them by conforming to all relevant touchpoints. The aim is to offer a brand experience that creates identification and allows interaction and dialogue at the same time. Therefore, touchpoints should be analyzed to detect those that reach the users. There are numerous possibilities, for example within the recruiting process. Typically this only concentrates on touchpoints like print and online advertisements or recruiting pages on the web which wastes opportunities. Even standard elements like an application process or a job interview have the potential for optimization. They could become unique experiences so that candidates favor a certain company over another. Even small details make a difference such as a personalized confirmation with expected feedback date or a job interview during which the potential work place can be visited.
Hands-on Every company has the potential to be an attractive employer and to treat their employees as clients properly. The employer’s offer must therefore be thought of as service. It is important to know existing and potential touchpoints with applicants and employees and to implement them when needed. In our workshop “Touchpoint Analysis”, you will find both a customer journey with examples of touchpoints as well as a guide for the analysis of touchpoints within your company. This allows you to create and be active, either alone or with your colleagues. Have fun!
Customer Journey
TOUCHPOINT ANALYSIS Here, touchpoints between the employer brand and potential and/or existing employees can be identified, evaluated and designed. This requires the perspective of an exemplary “user” within a specific interaction situation with the company.
PERSPECTIVE:
external (applicant) internal (employee)
PEOPLE:
PHASE AND INITIAL SITUATION:
Describe the person who is the subject, so you can imagine him or her.
Describe what phase you will be dealing with (application, interview, first working day, or normal working day) and what the person’s situation is.
Touchpoint AnalysIs 1.
Identify the touchpoints: Which touchpoints does the person encounter during the interaction with the brand?
2. Describe each touchpoint: What kind of touchpoint is it (e. g. media or personal interaction)? What makes this touchpoint special? 3.
Evaluate the touch point: Is the touchpoint implemented? How good is it implemented? Does it fit to the employer brand?
4.
Prioritize the touchpoint: How important is the touchpoint within the process?
5.
Let’s think of something: How could the touchpoint be optimized?
Touchpoint:
Touchpoint:
Touchpoint:
Description:
Description:
Description:
Evaluation: Priority:
»
Evaluation: Priority:
»
Evaluation: Priority:
Idea:
Idea:
Idea:
Touchpoint:
Touchpoint:
Touchpoint:
Description:
Description:
Description:
Evaluation: Priority: Idea:
»
Evaluation: Priority: Idea:
»
Evaluation: Priority: Idea:
WOLF WORKSHOP employer brand experience We will gladly support you in developing your employer brand experience during a 1-day workshop in which we identify your most important touchpoints and develop a customer journey. In our workshop, you will acquire an insight into the methods of „touchpoint analysis“ and „customer journey“. We take care of design, preparation and implementation of the workshop, with up to 15 participants, which is facilitated by two WOLF experts.
Workshop objectives:
You will get to know the touchpoint analysis as a method and learn how to use it to optimize your employer branding.
You will identify specific touchpoints for your company.
You will develop a specific customer journey for your business (including first ideas and steps for implementation).
Composition: 1.
Input: A short presentation on the benefits of touchpoint analysis and customer journey to your company’s interactions.
Analysis: Joint identification of relevant touchpoints for your 2. business. 3.
Output: Development of specific ideas and measures for implementation in your company.
We will assist you in the entire employer branding process. From the definition of the positioning or the employer value proposition through the development of employers‘ messages to communication design.
For workshop inquiries, please contact: Joy Belgassem T +49 30 6167559-83 jbelgassem@wolf-corporate.de
Imprint
facebook.com/wolf.corporate twitter.com/wolfcorporate pinterest.com/wolfcorporate
Essenz A Paper by WOLF Publisher: Wolf GmbH, Sandra Wolf (V.i.S.d.P.) Editor: Joy Belgassem Design: Kim Pham
WOLF BERLIN
WOLF DARMSTADT
Reichenberger Straße 113a 10999 Berlin T +49 30 616 75 59-0 www.wolf-corporate.de
Hobrechtstraße 30a 64285 Darmstadt T +49 6151 950 63-30 info@wolf-corporate.de
The Agency WOLF is an agency for brand strategy and design. We believe that one does not work without the other. We are specialized in the development and management of corporate brands. We are constantly on the move and deal with new methods and trends to inspire our work and the work of our customers.
Our touch point analysis is inspired by “This Is Service Design Thinking”. (www.thisisservicedesignthinking.com)