State the Obvious

In their book, “Sustainable Employer Branding – Guidelines, Worktools and Best Practices”, the two authors, Anders Parment & Anna Dyhre explains why companies need to change their way on how their recruiting, maintaining and how they market themselves as employers. What used to be “Let them come to us” has now changed to a “How can we get them to stay” business. And it is the generation Y (people born somewhere between late 60’s, whole 70’s and early 80’s) that leads the change.

Notes from the book:

• Generation Y:ers are more keen to give credit to people they find competent, than people with a fancy title.
• Y:ers rather wants a job that is self-fulfilling, than well paid.
• Flexible working hours is more common, than the ordinary 9-5. A Y:er can skip work an entire day, but makes up for it during a Saturday night.
• Problem with many industries is that it attracts a certain type of person. E.g. the make up industry is likely to attract a young female with a business degree in marketing. Problem is, all companies in this industry have enough of these. What they on the other hand is looking for are employees with engineering background – a typical male job. Thus, the women who apply for a job won’t get it, or the only jobs that are asked for by the company won’t interest them. Y:ers tend then to feel hurt by the company, thus the company might loose a customer.

Talented people tend to be more…

• …flexible
• …more interested in using the pull-factor – giving the customer what it wants
• …interested in forming it’s own work-life, not what the company wants.
• …likely to have a formal relationship to authority – boss = friend
• …open-minded in finding information all over, not used via the company/CEO

A Y:er tend to change jobs more often than others, however, still this is considered not to be good if it happens too often. Every second year is considered okay.

The two authors gives three advises on how to implement Employer Branding.

Employer branding…

1. …should be separated form the recruiting process
2. …starts from within an employer
3. …efforts should also help the employer to understand who is their ideal employee

By goal is to APPEAL TO THE IDEAL FUTURE EMPLOYEE.

A Y:er is more likely to…

• …accept less in pay if they get the opportunity o work for their favorite company
• …be motivated
• …most satisfied and feel proud to be a part of their employer
• …stay loyal to the firm
• …be more productive

If flipped around, these are the five reasons for an Y:er leaving an organisation

1. Low wage
2. Lack of influence in decision-making
3. Unattractive working hours
4. Working environment
5. work tasks

These five follow the same theme as those mentioned above, that the wage is not an issue, if the job the person is doing fulfills her-/himself. Thus, a boring job demands a higher wage. If this is not given the employee will leave the company.

Side notes:

• A bank that needs people, but has a reputation of being a bad employer – what kind of recruits will they get?
• At law and auditing firms they are, out of 100 employed students in year 0, only have 30 left in Y5 and 5-10 in Y10. Who will still be there after all these years if people knows about this?

To summaries what the authors want to say with their book, my guess is that, …

“Those who leave are the good employees. They are attractive because of their talent, … their driving force, and … their energy. They are likely to make a difference on their next employment.”

It is important, if a good employee wish to leave the firm, to keep it in the loop of the company. The book uses the term “boomerang recruitment”, meaning that the employee might comeback in a few years, if the company plays it’s cards right.

Intel, after an employee leaves, services it’s old co-worker with new computers, or printers. It also offers the employee to come back as a consultant, or invites it to company picnic, meetings, and sends it newsletters etc.

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For me, this book was a great eye-opener, and I know exactly who I’ll recommend to read it. The principal at my business school – the book ends with stating clear examples for how a university can do this.

I will also tell friends who works with events, especially one who is about to get started with a career fair. This is a great opportunity for companies to start their way into getting a good, solid, and sustainable employer brand.

Official site for the book, and authors.