| Attract the Best with Recruitment Branding
By Megan Martin
If you were asked to define your organization’s brand – how you communicate the benefits of products or services to potential clients – you could likely identify it quickly, in a few words.
But what if you were asked to consider your recruitment brand—how you attract the best potential employees to your organization? Would you be able to answer?
“In most recruiting scenarios, a company is looking for a specific skill set and they make the match based on the candidate’s qualifications,” says John Folkestad, co-founder of SALO. “But organizations have got to be more clear on where they want to be and what kinds of employees can help them get there…employers need people with a sparkle in their eyes, people who have a plan, because these are the people who perform.”
In order to snag these A Players, you need to honestly assess and communicate what it means to be a part of your organization. Here are some helpful tips to get you thinking in the right direction.
Define Your Recruitment Brand
Folkestad points out the most common mistake organizations make in recruiting:
“Companies define their goals in non-specific terms. They say, ‘I want to make a profit,’ or ‘I want a better system,’ but that’s like looking for a house and saying you want a roof over your head,” he says. “What is the vision for your organization? What is important to you? Who are the people you really need to achieve that?”
Folkestad says it’s important to understand your company’s values in order to seek candidates who share them.
Start with culture—how would you describe the daily work environment? Are employees hunkered down in their cubicles working long hours? Or is the environment more social and collaborative? How are decisions made? How much autonomy do employees have? What kinds of people tend to fit best within this culture?
Next, consider your organization’s future goals. Determine what kind of employees you need most. Those who are willing to put in extra hours whenever you need them to? Quick thinkers?
“If you’re a company defined by its fast-paced environment, you need to know that and be prepared to communicate it,” says Folkestad. “If you hire someone who doesn’t operate in that way, both parties lose.”
Next, assess your organization’s strengths and what you can offer potential candidates outside of a paycheck.
What will they gain? Are there opportunities for advancement or to develop new skills? Do you offer a flexible, creative work environment?
Carolyn Brandon, author of the HR Magazine article “Truth In Recruitment Branding,” recommends using your answers to these questions to create a list of the top messages you feel a candidate must know about your company.
“The more specific you can be in your self-assessment, the more likely you’ll be able to recruit the right people,” says Folkestad. “And specificity is much more appealing for an A player because they don’t want to simply punch a time card. They want much more than that.”
Brandon and Folkestad agree that the most important consideration is that you’re being candid with yourself and potential employees about what it means to work with your organization.
“Whatever your culture is, you have to understand it and you have to own it,” says Folkestad. “That’s the only way to recruit the people who will help you succeed.”
Market Your Brand
Once you’ve discovered your recruitment brand and what will draw in the right people for the job, you need to effectively communicate it.
As you work with recruiters, pass along your company’s mission statement and values to that person so he can give candidates a clear picture of what your organization is about.
“This really allows recruiters to do a better job because they know the backstory on your company, your values, and your beliefs, so they’ll be able to get you together with the right candidate—and not just in terms of qualifications,” says Folkestad.
Once you have selected candidates for an interview, offer them the opportunity to make an informal visit to your office to meet their co-workers and experience the culture firsthand. Not only does this allow the candidate to know what to expect from your work environment, but it also allows you to enlist current employees in the selection process. They will often be able to give you strong feedback on whether the candidate is a good fit with your organization.
During the formal interview, give the candidate a genuine picture of what the position entails, what your hopes and plans are for the company, and what types of employees thrive within your organization.
Folkestad recommends a thorough interview process.
“As you spend more time in interviews and allow the candidate to spend more time onsite, you’ll discover that you make fewer hiring mistakes,” he says.
He recommends the topgrading method of interviewing—which entails asking a candidate about his or her entire work history to uncover the 'real person.'
“You have to ask potential employees about their needs,” says Folkestad. “What they thrive on, what they have liked and disliked in various work environments.”
Does this candidate share your company’s core values, or are there important areas where you feel you’re not on the same page? Do they need flexible work hours, while you expect them to work weekends if necessary? Do their personal goals line up with the goals of your company? Asking these important questions will help both parties decide whether the match is right.
Folkestad says that the more frank you are during the interviewing process, the more likely it is that the candidate who isn’t a good fit will realize it and stop you from making a hiring mistake. He also recommends taking the time to complete a careful interview, rather than rushing to hire someone you immediately like.
If you think a candidate who values a laid back, informal work environment is terrific, but your organization has stricter policies, don’t pretend otherwise. It will only lead to quick employee turnover and send you back to square one.
With a little time, effort and self-knowledge, you can define and create a recruitment brand that will lure in the best and the brightest.
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