Building a recognized trademark requires intensive co-operation between the HR and PR/Marketing Department more than ever before. This is the so-called “HR Marketing Trend”. Today, both startups and established companies require specialists in marketing, PR and communication. Their role is to build a brand concept and ensure HR departments have a clear vision, which can be relied on during the recruitment process.
The success of recruitment has become highly dependent on external and internal corporate communication and often requires an allocated employee from the HR department to examine the market mood, employee preferences and competition from other companies.
Benefits do not ensure loyalty
Many medium and large companies in Slovakia offer jobs to people from the local region. Employees perceive this as an advantage, but they may not feel loyalty to their employer. During the current economic boom, new companies are also likely to locate in your area and may offer better company benefits and values that may lure away your employees.
In terms of successful employee recruitment, there is a need for a reliable system of CV registration and communication with unsuccessful candidates (phrases such as “We will only contact selected candidates” should not be used in job ads). Suitable candidates should be granted a personal interview as rapidly as possible after receipt of the candidate’s application.
The first impression matters and this occurs before the interview
The interview is no longer the first impression a candidate gets about your business.
Most candidates we want to employ have already checked the company on the Internet and asked their friends about the company. When informed candidates come for an interview, they have an opportunity to confirm the “mood” at the company and the behavior of its employees. The interview is of key importance and the length and manner in which it is conducted provides information on the atmosphere at the company. If the interview is conducted in the spirit of “what can you offer us”, this may not be the best way to win over the candidate.
Acting fast is important
Feedback and the way it is given is also very important. Sometimes potential employees send their CVs and they are not invited for an interview until a month later, the selection process takes another two months and then finally the company offers them a job. Good candidates will often have already accepted another offer.
After such a long period, a candidate looking to change their job will have had several other interviews and will select a position according to the salary and benefits, working environment and the feeling that the new employer perceives them as a partner.
Making your employees brand advocates
Company branding is primarily created essentially for free by employees.
If they are satisfied, they will not want to change their employer, but rather will improve the company’s reputation among their friends. Such a company often has a low employee turnover and its “referral” can provide the required inflow of candidates. In large cities, there are already many companies providing attractive benefits, which including flexible working hours, home office or the family-friendly concept of shorter working hours for mothers with small children. It is, of course, difficult to apply these principles for a manufacturing position with shift operations, where work benefits are of a different character, i.e. transport and meal allowances, vouchers, extra healthcare, etc.
Be consistent and authentic
Even if you have a great marketing strategy and tools, it still does not mean you have won. Many companies declare their values outwardly, but are not able, or not truly interested in putting them into practice.
If a company is not serious about building its branding strategy and only explicitly focuses on short–term recruitment targets, it will struggle to be a successful employer.
If your company has a clear vision of its concept for developing and strengthening its position on the labor market, it is certain to obtain results via recommendations from employees, which is the best advertising any company can get.
Katarína Nováková, Branch Office Manager, Lugera & Maklér spol. s r. o.
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