For Employers And Recruiters

Interview With ImprovedExperience.com: Better Employer Branding!

In my last post, I mentioned Improved Experience, a company offering a service that I think is invaluable to employers. It supports employer branding, which is incredibly important. It recognizes that the ultimate measure of your employer brand is no more and no less than what candidates think it is. (A point lost on many companies, even those who recognize the importance of employer branding and spend a lot of money on it.) Finally, their service helps make your employer branding efforts measurable.

I figured the best way to further explore Improved Experience's unique services was to talk to  them. Following is a recent interview with Alise Cortez, PhD, and Claudia Faust, two of the founding partners.

Tell me a little about your background, how and why it led to starting up ImprovedExperience.com?

Alise:The business concept was born of Claudia's brain. When she shared the idea with me about a year ago and asked if I had any interest in toying with it, I couldn't resist. I have been in recruiting since 1998 and with an earlier background in consultative sales have always understood the importance of the candidate perception in the recruiting process. After all, not only are candidates potential employees of a company, they are also potential customers who consume the company's products. Whether or not they are hired by the business, they still wield an incredible amount of influence over that company's success because they tell other people about their all of their experiences. It's critical to know how they feel about your company and what they're saying.

Claudia:I've been recruiting since 1995, and feel fortunate to have participated in a variety of recruiting environments - from executive search, to contract placement, to corporate. My last role in a corporate setting was as a recruiting manager for T-Mobile USA in Seattle; the company was in wild, rapid growth while I was there, and there were no safety belts for the ride. It was during this time that I really began paying attention to two primary drivers for Improved Experience: how to understand job seeker perception as an employer, and how to better articulate recruiting results back to the business. Improved Experience is more than just a tool I wish I'd had as a manager; it's an expression of my belief that perception is reality for the individual, and that understanding the perception of others is the foundation of all great relationships.

Give us a little bit of perspective here. In the grand scope of employer branding, where does your product/service fit?

Claudia: Funny thing about employer branding; it's a bit like a handshake where the employer says, "Hi, I'm fabulous," and the job seeker says "wow - I want a fabulous job!" The problem is that there is a disconnect between candidates and employers when it comes to feedback. So employers interact with job seekers with the best of intentions but no real understanding of how their message is being received. Candidates and employees, on the other hand, have lots to say about painful job searches - but rarely get heard by the people who could generate positive change in the companies they try to connect with. Improved Experience simply closes that loop, and in the process we give companies a fundamental understanding of how they are perceived as employers. This means that they can strategically plan, execute and measure the brand that they want representing the business on the street.

Alise: Further, in a tangential way, Improved Experience contributes to positive employer brand by virtue of a company simply employing our services. By giving candidates an opportunity to participate in a survey from Improved Experience - a company they've retained for that one purpose only - our clients are telling candidates about their priorities. They are saying "your interaction with us and your perceptions of us as a result are important." And this subtle message positively enhances employment brand.

What's the payoff - succinctly, what do you offer employers?

Claudia: Improved Experience captures perceptions of people at all stages of the employment life cycle, and helps companies to understand the link between those perceptions and better business performance. Our flagship product is called Get Better Hires (GBH), which focuses on candidate experience. GBH is a patent pending, online "feedback portal" with two distinct components: an automated survey tool for job seekers, and a business intelligence tool for the company. We balance the job seeker's need for anonymity with the company's need for actionable information in some very unique ways. For the employer, this means a comprehensive view of company culture, pay and benefits, job opportunities and other relevant topics -plus a chance to slice and dice the feedback, and consistently benchmark performance against other companies competing for the same talent.

Alise: Improved Experience is the mouth piece for candidates, whose microphone is aimed back at the very companies who have requested the feedback and desperately need to know its content.

Let me play devil's advocate here. With the exception of the small percentage of job seekers who they would want to hire, why should an employer care what job seekers think as a whole?

Claudia: Well this is a brilliant argument for the omniscient - those who know long in advance the precise identity of each person who will be hired to a business. For the rest of us, the process of attracting, selecting and retaining talent is a bit more complex; we don't really know who we want to hire until we get to know them. So making the case that experience only matters for some is more than a little short-sighted: you don't know who you're disengaging until it's too late - and in this day and age of viral networking, you don't know who that person knows, either. It is a dangerous game to play. This reality is merely compounded when supply and demand for talent shifts toward the candidate side; suddenly a company finds itself in the position of working harder to bring the same talent onboard. The ramifications of this go straight to the bottom line; efficiency saves resources, which impacts profitability.  The most compelling argument for caring about the perceptions of the entire talent pool is summed up in these four words: right of first refusal. This means that regardless of the candidate's relevance for hire in a specific position, you have provided an experience that gives your company the right to say "no thanks" before the candidate does. In fact, the candidate's experience is so good that you've turned them into a friend - and friends become good referral sources in the recruiting realm. It is a circular argument.

Alise: I couldn't agree more.

The "war for talent," we've been told, is coming - and businesses need to make significant changes to effectively compete for talent. Where does your product/service fit into that?

Alise: Some companies are already doing so many things right when it comes to competing in the "war for talent," and it's interesting that those companies have been some of the first to show an interest in our products and services as a way to make themselves even stronger competitors. At the same time, we've had occasion to speak with other companies who are only just beginning to take notice of their recruiting strategies but know they need to start somewhere.

Claudia: Whether or not you choose to call it a war, the laws of supply and demand for talent are being enforced on a global playing field today. We compete for talent, of course - but why? So that our products and services generate revenue, market share, return to the investors. Technology has made it possible for business to compete without borders for customers; that competition shapes strategy, which drives growth, and ultimately propels hiring - hence we need the very best talent available to feed the curve. The old model of hiring isn't quite fitting the new environment. So is change necessary to keep up? If you want to stay in business it is. If perception is reality for job seekers, then it follows that they will make choices about working somewhere based on what they believe is true about that employer. By helping companies to explore how they are seen by the talent they attract and hire, we help them use their resources most efficiently when fixing broken processes, creating or improving outreach programs, and articulating employer brand. It is again a circular argument.

Clearly the point of your product/service is that each employer has its own unique issues to address. But if I asked you for one universal piece of advice, based on what you've learned in working with a variety of employers what do you have for us?

Claudia: Simply this: If you break the hiring equation into its most basic elements, both parties are just trying to make a good decision - to answer, in effect, "How does this relationship meet my needs?" Transparency with job seekers is the next great competitive differentiator for talent, because it sends the message that you think about what's in it for your talent, too. This builds trust with those you want working for your business, and trust impacts retention. There is no perfect place to work - just places to work that are perfect for the talent they keep.

Employer Branding & Job Seekers' Experience

My blog makes it pretty clear that I think that the way you treat employees, ex-employees and anyone who interviews with you but doesn't get hired (or accept an offer) is a critical and often overlooked aspect of employer branding. So I was delighted to find an upcoming company that focuses on precisely this facet of employer branding. Let's call it the synergistic effect between employer branding and hiring. ImprovedExperience.com offers tools and services that help employers measure, benchmark and improve this important aspect of their employer branding.

Networking: It's Not Just For Job Seekers

There are a lot of controversial topics in the world of career coaching. The value of networking isn’t one of them. Career coaches tell the job seekers they work with that it’s the best source of the highest quality leads, and the smart job seekers listen. The need to pick up the phone and hit the streets tends to filter out the less disciplined, less dedicated job seekers, who would rather work the web exclusively because it's easier.

It’s amazing, then, how many employers fail to take advantage of this excellent channel for recruiting and employer branding. They not only fail to actively participate in networking, they don't even cooperate when they are contacted by exceptional caliber job seekers working the system. That's too bad, for job seekers and employers alike.

How can you tap into the power of networking? As I've already implied, the simplest level of participation merely entails cooperating when job seekers contact you, in the spirit of networking, hoping for good job leads or informational interviews. Focusing just on the immediate benefits, these tend to be exceptionally high quality job seekers who are knocking on your door. You know that they are networkers, so you know that they are rubbing elbows with a lot of people and freely exchanging ideas. You will be talked about.

So, passive participation means taking the calls, following up on the voice mails, and making time for the occasional meeting/interview. But there's a lot more you can do, and it will pay off in spades.

First, get out there and attend networking events. Meeting (and schmoozing with) top networkers -- who generally view themselves as being in perpetual job seeking mode, always receptive to opportunities -- gives you a number of significant advantages over other employers. Better yet, when you meet people who are in active networking mode, don't wait for a request. Invite them to come meet you for an informational interview: "maybe I can help you out, share some pointers or good job leads." Finally, take an active role in making connections. When you meet someone who is interested (whether they are actively job seeking, or they just recognize the value of ongoing networking) help connect them to anyone you think they should talk to. If they aren't interested, oh well. If they are interested, pick up the phone and help make an introduction.

Individually and on behalf of your employer, you will generate loads of good karma and positive branding by tapping into the power of networking.

Word Of Mouth, Your Employer Brand & Extending Your Employee Referral Network

“Word of mouth” is a key characteristics of effective employer branding. It’s a classic example of applying powerful marketing tools to your recruiting efforts, the common definition of employer branding. And it’s hip and trendy — “word of mouth” is the latest fad in marketing, and it’s a very real aspect of your employer brand.

(Let’s consider the irony. Long before every other discipline associated with marketing and advertising, there was word of mouth. And nothing but. Now, it’s the latest fad, and rightfully considered extremely powerful. Everything old is, as they say, new again.)

But, I digress.

The ideal employer branding initiative is all about word of mouth. It is “buzzworthy.” That is, it creates buzz: people willingly discuss your employer brand. Interestingly, this phenomenon doesn’t only apply to Fortune 500 companies who retain Madison Avenue creative agencies. Furthermore, it doesn’t only apply to employers who create an employer brand deliberately, or even those who do it well. The simple fact — and this applies to every employer — is that people are talking about your employer brand. Everyone who works for you, for example, talks about you. This is a good argument for developing a clear company culture (which will influence your employer brand) as well as keeping tabs on employee morale.

Let’s focus, however, on two often overlooked constituencies that collectively may be even more influential, if only because they are probably a much larger group than your current employee base:

1. Past employees, and
2. Everyone who has interviewed with you and wasn’t hired or didn’t accept.

(Gulp?)

These are probably two large groups of people, and they may have strong opinions about your company. Furthermore (and of particular importance in anything but the largest metro markets) the people who comprise these two groups tend to be in the same markets/industries as your company and in the same departments as your employees. They may go to work for your customers, prospects and competitors. They network with and talk with the local people who comprise the talent pool that you’re fishing in when you recruit. As well as the pool of local customers and prospects in which you conduct your business development efforts. All in all, they are potentially quite influential!

It’s a tall order to try to influence these two groups so that they become cheerleaders for you — but it can be done. For example, some employers have recognized the value in treating past employees as “alumnae,” including them in mailings, events and/or special perks. Aside from generating good buzz, here’s one specific reason to court this group: as you probably know, employee referral programs can be very effective, and there’s no reason to stop with current employees. If your ex-employees feel good about you, and if you offer similar incentives to them, why wouldn’t they also be a great source of referrals?

You can’t turn every ex-employee into an ambassador, but many will accept this role if you simply treat them as such, especially if you offer incentives. (Since you probably offer incentives to employees who refer good candidates, why wouldn’t you extend this benefit to your alumnae?)

As far as candidates who interview but don’t get hired, are they inherently inclined to be critical of your company? In some cases, yes, and there’s not much you can do about it. But in many cases, as long as these individuals are treated decently through the process (which pretty much boils down to communication!) they don’t generally hold a grudge.

The key ideas here bear repeating. First, like it or not, there are a lot of people out there talking about your company, and in my opinion, collectively this is the single largest influencer of your employer brand. Second, the two groups that may comprise a large portion of people with something to say about you (and by default, with axes to grind) can often be turned into pretty good ambassadors, as well as a source of referrals. It’s almost too good to be true.

Conventional Employer Branding

I tend to focus more on the “hidden” aspect of employer branding — the many parts of your employer brand that are inadvertent — rather than the deliberate activities more commonly recognized, such as ad campaigns or programs designed specifically to enhance recruiting.

I shouldn’t dismiss more conventional initiatives. (Even though I do think your deliberate efforts to sway the “hive mind” about who you are will rarely be as effective as the sum total of impressions people have about your company, accurate or not.) Seth Godin made this point in a recent article when he posed the question: in the last major election, was your vote more influenced by the ads you saw on TV when the barrage started, or by a hundred passing comments/conversations you had in the months leading up to the election?

But, I must acknowledge that deliberate employer branding programs can be very effective. One recent example, as simple and cost-effective as it was brilliant and successful, occurred when the military started leaving recruiting literature in game arcades.

Here’s a lesser known example, one I love. In reaction to an industry-wide talent shortage, one employer developed an exceptionally creative employer branding initiative. A service company with a blue collar field-based workforce, they started experiencing problems finding field employees, due to an industry-wide shortage of qualified individuals. The company developed a special uniform that specifically appealed to their employees and to the type of individuals they hoped to attract. (Considering that employees are usually anything but proud of their uniforms, this was a remarkable accomplishment in itself!) The company created special titles and business cards that complemented the image. In short, they developed a whole brand specifically for employment purposes, which was synergistic with their company brand.

I could go on and on about why I love this initiative (and over time, I will!) but let me just hit on my favorite point. They turned their employees into outdoor advertisements. In fact, they turned them into walking, talking, interactive outdoor advertisements. Wow! I guess sometimes deliberate programs can be very effective at influencing your employer branding.

Senior Citizens, The War For Talent & Your Employer Brand

Homer Simpson once noted that beer was both 1) the cause of and 2) the solution to most of his problems.

One might make the same observation of the so-called War For Talent, and the baby boomers who are becoming our latest senior citizens. It is their retirement from the work force that will be the primary cause of the looming talent shortage. At the same time, they are the most promising solution. With any luck, the skilled boomers will re-enter the workforce almost as fast they retire out of it.

They will do so, I predict, largely on their own terms. And as long as I'm playing Karnak, let me predict the nature of said terms. They will be less concerned about money, and more about:
1. Benefits (mainly health care)
2. Flexibility (hours)

Frankly, employers won't have many good alternatives but to accomodate these terms. (Depending on what happens with Ripley The Robot.) However, mere obeisance won't suffice. This is yet another dimension of recruiting wherein your employer brand will be king. Seniors discuss things with other seniors. Including how well various institutions (shops, doctors, vendors & soon employers) treat them. They'll want to work with other seniors. (Not exclusively, but nobody likes to be the token Octogenarian on staff!) Your reputation (the less technical term for your employer brand) as a senior-friendly employer will largely dictate your results hiring seniors.

It's A Zero Sum Game

Stop me if you've heard this one...

Two hikers are walking through the forest. In the distance they see a bear charging at them. One sits down, opens his backpack, takes out a pair of running shoes, starts taking off his boots and putting on the shoes.

"Are you crazy?" says the other. "You can't outrun a bear!"

"I know," says the first. "I just have to outrun you!"

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

As Homer often says, "it's funny 'cause it's true."

When it comes to recruiting, it's especially true. There is a finite talent pool out there, and guess who you are competing with? Other employers.

This is why I'm a big advocate of playing dirty: slandering other employers, kidnapping their better recruiters, going to job fairs dressed up like them and scaring the job seekers. (Just kidding.)

What this really means is that your recruiting practices have to be better than those of your competitors. It's a zero sum game. And it is one of the most  business-critical games you face.

A Diverse Recruiting Arsenal

Employers will occasionally debate the relative merits of various forms of finding good employees -- the web, job fairs, third party recruiters, newspaper ads, employee referral programs, etc.

As the talent pool diminishes, even while the need for skilled workers increases, I don't think you can choose favorites. Effective recruiting requires a variety of channels.

Even just your online efforts should mix things up. Now that the web has become the cornerstone medium on which to post jobs, you can't afford to choose just a single employment Web site. If you really want to cover all the bases, start with the strongest local employment Web site you can find. (Start here.) For somewhat specialized positions, find the best "vertical" (industry-specific) employment site you can. If supply and demand require you to expand your search nationally, add one of the big national sites to your arsenal.

You can complement these efforts by Web-based searches for candidates. Web-based networked like LinkedIn.com are great. Industry-specific online networks like ere.net (for recruiters and employers) can be useful. Creative techniques include searching the Web (and "blogosphere") for candidates with the right skills.

Meanwhile, complement these channels with non-internet based efforts. An employee referral program is a must. Job fairs and networking events where you can target the right type of candidates and meet them face to face are also invaluable.

Finally, the cutting edge of recruiting (especially as things get increasingly competitive) is employer branding. This blog will continue to expand on this important subject. Your employer brand can dramatically enhance your recruiting efforts. It can also undermine them. Here's one tip: work with employment Web sites that offer features that help with your employer branding, rather than just posting your jobs. (Again, start here for a network of sites that offers several powerful tools.)

Even if your recruiting efforts are going pretty well, don't wait for the "war for talent" to really get going. Establishing a diverse portfolio of recruiting channels will pay off in the years to come.

Two Dimensions To Employer Branding

There's no doubt that employer branding is the key to taking your recruiting efforts to the next level.

There are an increasing number of companies who recognize this, and are creating significant branding initiatives and budgeting a lot of money. That's great, but many of these companies are overlooking a second dimension of employer branding. Here's how I break it down. There are two key dimensions to your employer branding:

• The brand you work deliberately to cultivate, through channels like billboards, recruiting collateral materials, PR, etc.
• The perceptions of you (and discussion about you) that is going on everyday ... online, in churches, supermarkets, recruiting events, etc.

A lot of employers are ignoring the second dimension, which I maintain is the more important. This blog will focus extensively on this!