Employer Branding Case Study: WorleyParsons

Background:

• WorleyParsons is a leading global provider of engineering services to the resources and energy sectors and the complex process industries.
• WorleyParsons has 114 office locations across the world and employs in excess of 31,000 people.
• The organisation’s vision is to become the preferred global provider of technical, project and operational support services.

Need:

• A key need for WorleyParsons was to attract high quality candidates to keep pace with the activity demand experienced by the organisation.
• WorleyParsons needed to retain their best talent to satisfy customer demands.
• WorleyParsons needed to develop a stronger employer brand to counter competitors who were poaching quality people with higher financial incentives.
• It was recognised by the Human Resource and Marketing departments that WorleyParsons needed to develop a more competitive employee value proposition that would position the organisation globally as an employer of choice within their markets.
• WorleyParsons required improved collateral for their recruitment programs, however, recognised that they needed to develop their employer brand strategy first before commissioning the design of these materials.
• Being a global organisation, the employer branding strategy needed to be driven by corporate initiatives but also take into consideration local market needs.

Solutions:

• The Right Group developed a global employer branding approach that would build WorleyParsons’ brand reputation and position the organisation as a best employer within the industry.
• The global project involved the following phases of work:
  1. Understanding current employee perceptions and leadership aspirations of WorleyParsons as an employer -
     • A senior leadership questionnaire was developed and administered to engage the senior leadership team and to provide feedback on current perceptions and future aspirations of WorleyParsons as an employer.
     • Employee discussion groups were conducted across the four continents of WorleyParsons operations – Australia, North America, The Middle East and Europe to gain current perceptions and information on improvement opportunities.
     • An audit report was compiled identifying key global findings and local nuances.
  2. Employer brand strategy workshops were conducted with a cross functional team to identify WorleyParsons’ employer brand strategy and key employee value proposition (EVP).
     • Link between WorleyParsons company brand and employer brand established.
     • Employee profile defined
     • Unique WorleyParsons Employee Value Proposition developed based on market differentiation and alignment with the company’s strategic aims.
  3. Validation workshops were conducted globally to reaffirm the employer brand strategy and test the global EVP.
     • Leadership interviews were conducted to ensure strategic fit and buy-in to the EVP.
     • Employee discussion groups were conducted to validate the employer brand and EVP in local markets and identify improvement gaps.
     • A validation report was compiled highlighting global acceptance and local issues.
     • Final employer brand strategy and global EVP were agreed upon based on feedback.
  4. An internal rollout program was developed to communicate the WorleyParsons employer brand internally and improve internal alignment of the strategy with internal operations.

Outcomes:

• A compelling employer brand developed for WorleyParsons.
• Retention of key talent improved along with an increase in quality of applicants.
• The employer brand project facilitated improved communication between the Human Resources and Marketing departments.
• The business developed a more strategic and consolidated approach to communication.

“The Right Group were a valuable partner to our business in assisting us to develop and internally validate our employer brand. Their robust framework indicated our areas of competitive advantage and the best way forward for aligning our people and retaining our talent.”

Andrew Dixon, Regional Resourcing Manager, WorleyParsons