The goal of any attraction campaign is simple: deliver the most compelling message to large concentrations of potential employees in order to draw a sufficiently large applicant pool so that you can be very, very selective in your hiring. You can run the most expensive and extensive recruiting campaign of all time, but if your message is not compelling and believable, you are wasting your time, energy, and money.

Why might your brand not be strong enough to attract the best?

One business leader told us that they were considered one of the most powerful brands in the world when it came to consumer markets. And yet that blue chip branding, which had always carried over as an employer, wasn't working when it came to recruiting today's young people. Why shouldn’t that blue chip brand carry some weight with this new generation when they are looking for a job? Why wasn't that enough to get them in the door?

Branding is a big part of recruiting. Whether you are a big global brand or a small local brand, if young people know who you are, trust your reputation, and believe you have plenty of resources, often that’s enough to get them in the door. But maybe you should hope that branding does not get them all the way in the door. Our research shows that some employers’ brands are so famous and “sexy” (think entertainment industry, sports, media) that Gen Yers flock to them—but they do so for all the wrong reasons. Gen Yers may be attracted by the glamour, excitement, and fantasy attached to the brand, but their unrealistic expectations are often dashed when they discover that what awaits them on the other side of the door is a workplace in which they are expected to do lots and lots of work, very well, very fast, all day long. This abrupt realization often leads to a disappointing and unsuccessful employment experience. That’s why it’s critical to build your brand as an employer, on its own terms, right alongside your brand in the marketplace. Just as your brand in the marketplace is built on the value proposition you offer to consumers, your brand as an employer needs to be built on the value proposition you offer to employees.

NOTE: This is a SAMPLE LESSON from the 21-lesson Recruiting Generation Y program in our video-based training site, TalkAboutTheWork.com℠.