Characteristics of successful Employer brands
There has been a great deal of discussion on employer branding in the last decade. Organisations from a diverse range of industry sectors have formally defined, and are strategically managing their employer brand (eg Siemens, Honeywell, Accenture, Deloitte, Coca-Cola, Roche, Yahoo, Johnson and Johnson, Starbucks). Cultivating a unique employer brand experience is one method these organisations have chosen to attract and retain the most sought after talented employees; those who will enable them to generate success and secure ongoing profitability. In a recent article, Characteristics of Successful Employer Brands, the authors explore the perceived characteristics of successful and unsuccessful employer brands and construct a typology that organisations can use to assess their employer brands.
The research uncovered two key dimensions of successful / unsuccessful employer branding:
- The first is attractiveness – which relates to consistency in terms of being known and noticeable, being seen as relevant and resonant and being differentiated from direct competitors.
- The second is the accuracy – aspirational dimension, relating to the fulfilment of a promised psychological contract and unintended appropriation of brand values.
Organisations are looking to achieve the optimal position where sustained success can be realised. This can occur when employees are attracted to the organisation and the organisation can convincingly fulfil the ‘contract’ promise.