Derek Irvine

Recognize This! – Companies are once again looking at how they are perceived by potential employees as well as prospective customers.

Following on yesterday’s post about the “acqhired” trend to get key talent on board, companies are also looking to polish their company culture and brand in an attempt to recruit skilled talent in short supply.

Nearly half (43%) of HR professionals surveyed by SHRM said “creating a corporate culture that attracts the best people to our organization” is the biggest challenge facing HR executives over the coming 10 years.

Part of this is communicating the value of the culture through the employer brand most visible to potential hires. Doing so isn’t easy. It’s more than hoping your company brand conveys what you want potential employees to see in your organizational as a desirable place to work. It’s also communicating what the employee may experience in the organization – high quality leadership, meaningful work, a culture of recognition and appreciation in which all are encouraged to thrive to the best of their ability.

Sure, compensation and benefits play a role in this, but companies cannot rely on these as the sole attractors of top talent. In fact, CFO reported compensation as last of 11 items – outranked by manager quality, empowerment and recognition, among others.

What are you doing to polish your employer brand? Revamping “Careers” pages on the website? A publicity campaign? Changes in recruiting approach? Is this linked into efforts to burnish your company culture as well?