A deep dive into creating an unmistakable Talent Brand and Rock Star Talent Acquisition Department working on focus points including Brand Awareness, Self Awareness, Steps to Creating Talent Brand Strategies, Steps to Rock Start Talent Acquisition Departments with a focus on companies who are doing it such as LV= in the UK and Menlo Innovations in the USA. Hope you enjoy! :)

1. Mary Pratt
Talent Coach

2. Dare to be Different
Becoming a Talent Magnet
and…
Developing Audacious Talent Acquisition teams

3. What Company
would you work for
instantly, if given
the chance….
And why?
And how does that
compare to your
own Talent Brand
right now?

4. Marketing Experts suggest that children as young
as 24 months are already addicted to Brands
Source: Adweek.com

5. By 36 – 42 months a connection between brand
can say something about their personalities
Source: Adweek.com

6. In China children can even write the‘ ’for
McDonalds before they write their own name!
Source: Adweek.com

7. 6.31 am
6.42 am
7.10 am
7.30 am
8.01 am
8.40 am
8.45 am
10.30 am
1.22 pm
6.38 pm
8.55 pm
Wake Up
Hygiene
Breakfast
Get Ready
Drive to work
Coffee Buzz
At your desk
Meetings
Lunch
Supper
Unwind
A person living in a city 30 years ago saw up to 2,000 ad messages a day, compared
with up to 5,000 today. Yankelovich, Market Research Company
“Ubiquity is the new exclusivity.” Kaplan Thaler GroupYou can’t escape from them…

8. # 69 World’s Most
Valuable Brand
They excite you….
Red Bull has won FOUR World Formula 1 Championships
but who remembers that it’s actually a Renault engine!
Red Bull seldom market their Energy Drink yet it is the top grossing energy drink in the World. They have
successfully crossed over from Product value to Brand led Value….# 69 World’s Most Valuable Brand .

9. They impact you….
Dove Self-Esteem Project DSEP
DSEP is a Global initiative set up
‘to ensure the next generation
of women grows up enjoying a
positive relationship with the
way they look, to help them
reach their full potential'.
More than 13 million young
people have received help from
Dove since 2005
Dove aim to have helped more
than 15 million young
people by 2015
Dove has also initiated ‘Legacy’, a programme aimed
at generating positive role modeling for girls

10. And no Names required….

11. So what is the difference between
a ‘Consumer Brand’ and ‘Talent Brand’?
Definition of Employer Branding:
Employer Branding is the process of promoting a Company, or an
organization, as the Employer of Choice to a desired target group, one
which a Company needs and wants to recruit and retain. The process
facilitates the Company’s ability in attracting, recruiting and retaining
ideal employees – referred to as Top Talent in recruitment – and helps
secure the achievement of the Company’s business plan.
Nada….ZERO….naught….ZILCH….
Nichts....Niente….NOTHING!

12. Video

13. Trends

14. Key Global Trends…
More than 2,500 Senior HR Leaders interviewed Globally, Deloitte 2014
Highly Urgent
• Leadership
• Retention & Engagement
• Re-skilling HR
Urgent
• Talent Acquisition
• Global HR & Talent
Management
• HR Technology
• Overwhelmed
Employees
• Talent and HR analytics
Important
• Performance Management
• Workforce Capability
• Diversity & Inclusion
• Learning & Development

16. Disengaged to Engaged…. ….the Paradigm Shift
ALERT – 87% of Workers
Worldwide are either not
engaged to actively disengaged
ONLY – 13% of Workers
Worldwide are driving their
Organizations forward
Disengaged Employees cost an
Organization approx. $3,400 for
every $10,000 in annual salary
More than 36% claim that
dissatisfaction begins at 3-6
months!! The honeymoon is over
EMPLOYEES BY REGION ENGAGED
NOT
ENGAGED
ACTIVELY
DISENGAGED

17. Disengaged to Engaged…. ….the Paradigm Shift
Work Flexibility Interesting Work Job Stability Opportunity to Grow
with the Business
A Commitment to
Ethics & Integrity
14%
20%
35%
30%
11%
30%
24%
30%
15%
40%
Most Important EVP Attributes in an Employment Experience
Source: © Employer Brand International – 2012 Employer Brand Attributes & EY Global Research Study (n1934)
Global UAE

18. Engaged Talent create the ROI Magic
Annualised 19.2%
growth in
Operating
Income
Profits grow
3 times faster
than the
Competition
Growth
Delivery
Employees
87% less likely to
leave your
Organization
Retention!
10% higher
Customer
Engagement
25 – 65%
lower
Employee turnover
lower
absenteeism

19. It’s about ‘how’ you frame the Questions
Leading and Sustainable Engagement is all
about how you ask the questions…..
How Happy are you at work today?
What can you do today to Experience
Happiness at work?

20. Are
‘YOU’
ready?

21. Leaders ‘Do’ not ‘Just Know’

22. Leadership Challenge….
You may KNOW what is right
and what is wrong but do
you DO what is right?
Do you have the Courage TO DO
Do you have the Humility TO DO
Do you have the Discipline TO DO

24. Linda Sharkey
Author, Coach and Radio Host
Engagement Busters
Video

26. The Talent Pioneer goes to…….
Human Resources
Marketing
HR & Marketing
HR & Communications
Executive Team
CEO
HR, Marketing & Communications
Directors
Talent Management
Communications
Not Known
Branding
Corporate Affairs
Information Technology
36%
15%
12%
12%
11%
10%
10%
9%
6%
4%
3%
2%
2%
1%
Department(s) responsible for managing Employer Brand, 2014 Survey
(more than one answer is possible)
EBI Global Research Study, 2014
In the same Survey conducted in 2009, HR represented more than 46%,
demonstrating a declining trend in Employer Brand responsibility
In the same 5-year period Executives have increased by 2%

27. Fashion Statement or here to stay?

28. Building it takes years, Losing it takes seconds

29. ….and they all love to talk….
and
sometimes
it all
backfires…
: Choose an external Review site to help measure your Attractiveness, and do it soon!

30. Creating the Unmistakable Brand…….
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8.
BUILD
the Foundations
DIG
In and Explore
AUDIT
see through Employees eyes
DIGEST
and Develop
IGNITE
with Life
CREATE
the Party Inside
CONTINUE
the Party Externally
MEASURE
Tweak and Celebrate

31. 1. Build the Foundations
Ensure CEO is on-board and publicly supportive
Knowing where you are before you start the journey and knowing where you want to be
Understand your Business needs (Reputation , Retention, Targeted Campaigns, Desire to be
an Employer of Choice)
Team engaged and ready (HR/Recruitment/IT/Marketing/Brand/Talent/Mgt/Training/OD/
Social Media/PR/Exec Team)

32. 2. Dig In and Explore
How are you perceived by current staff – Quantitative/Qualitative on and off line – every
language under the sun if necessary
Remember your Leavers and Candidates who have declined your offers!
Grill your Customers, Suppliers and External Recruiting Vendors
Read up and digest Social Media sites such as Glassdoor (it may hurt!)
How do you compare with your main Competitor
There is no more about what you ‘THINK’

33. 3. Audit..see through Employee Eyes
Walk in the shoes of your Employees, touch every part that affects them
What is the Candidate Experience in Talent Acquisition, Graduate Attraction, On-Boarding,
Induction, Performance Mgt, Coaching & Development, Remuneration & Benefits
What is the true measurement of your CSR Policy and how is it truly betrayed by your Talent
Current Communication Strategy…..just how effective is it? Does it really hit the sweet spot
Where does your current Social Media Strategy point to? Does anyone actually know what
your Social Media Strategy is
: You have to be tough to be honest….Grab it, assess it, scrutinise it. Templates,
Policies, Workflow, Work-levels, Performance Metrics, Fit-for-Business?

34. 4. Digest and Develop your EVP
Embrace all feedback, suck-up the negative and celebrate the instant wins
Engage your Talent Brand Warriors – All levels, all layers – Spread the Love
The BIG AHA Moment
What is your TRUTH…………What is your DNA………Does it align with the BIG Aspirations
Can you reach your current objectives
It’s not a fad, it’s a way of life….Are you ready to Live and Breathe it EVERY DAY
: If you have to stick your Values on the wall, it only means one thing: No one has a
clue what they are or what they mean

35. 5. Ignite with Life
Ignite your EVP into Feelings, Photos, Journeys – Become a Story Telling Organisation
Themes – Choose your Personality
Optimise your EVP for the ‘in’ and ‘out’ audience
Be Daring……….Be Bold…………Be Un istakable…….Be Credible……..Be TRUE!

36. 6. Create the Party Inside
Create Stories – Profile your Rock Stars – What’s the BIG DEAL about working for you!
Scream, Shout and Celebrate every Win – Promotions, Internal mobility moves, new starters
Brown bag lunches with CEO, yes that’s right, the CEO! Be Real, Be Human, Be Accessible
Be all about the bigger purpose – Corporate Social Responsibility… it’s not just words in a
Corporate Brochure
Have fun – Create a working environment that has boundless energy – IT’S ADDICTIVE!
Let your Talent tell YOU what THEY want….Free Ice Cream, coffees, flexible working….the
answers are under your nose!

37. TANFEETH GOT
6. Create the Party Inside

38. Annual
Survey
Annual
Tanfeeth
Day
Career
Paths &
Development
Continuous
Surveys &
Feedback
Weekly
Engagement
Calendar
Personalized
Development
& Growth
Plans
Like most of you here today, we have the basic strategic and
tactical engagement initiatives and frameworks in place

39. The Biggest Impact….Ice cream day
Leadership Pulse Breakfasts Chief Cooking Officer Make a Wish
Everything is
relative and
contextual
There is
no Cookie
Cutter
approach
But there is
one Guiding
Principle…
…LISTEN TO YOUR WORKFORCE, UNDERSTAND YOUR PEOPLE

40. 7. Continue the Party Externally
Research all the options available, ‘off’ and ‘on’ line
Think inside the audiences heads
Choose the most effective vehicles of Communication and the ones that fit your Brand
position
Undertake Effective Planning with clear and measurable objectives
Ensure cultural diversity
Roll-out consistently and NEVER take anything for granted
‘Plans are Nothing, Planning is Everything’
Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

41. 7. Continue the Party Externally

42. 8. Measure….Tweak and Celebrate
: Keep it Real….Select based on your Original Objectives….Don’t be a sabotage victim!
Create the environment, build the framework and measure what is meaningful
Is it: Cost per Hire, Quality of Hire, Attrition, Staff Engagement, Employee Surveys, Glass
Door, how many others?
Success comes from continuously improving what you do but more importantly, how you
do it
Celebrate success, achievements and improvements.....don’t assume everyone is motivated
the same way
Don’t be afraid to ‘tweak’ things if they can be improved…..test the results, ask for feedback
If you can measure it, you can manage it, and if you can manage it, you can improve it!

43. Talent Branding in Action

44. Our Mission is to end human suffering in the World as it relates to technology

45. A peak into the Menlo World………..
The ‘Menlo Way’ is defined by JOY
through the following practices:
o Pairing (no one works alone)
o High-Tech Anthropology
o Open and collaborative workspace
o High speed voice technology
o Daily stand up
o 40 Hour work weeks
o Pets and Babies at work
o Making mistakes faster
o Doing the simplest thing that could
possibly work
o Origami project management
o Work authorisation boards, storycards,
yarn and stickers
o Estimation without fear
o Integrated quality advocacy
o Test-driven development
Eight Menlo Babies so far!!!

46. Golden nuggets from the Menlo Team:
o Start with ‘Why’
o Custom fit everything you do to that “Why”. Be incredibly intentional about your why
o Hire first for culture fit, then for skills, not the other way around
o Become storytellers. Storytelling is how humans propagate culture
o Be lifelong learners…..read books, talk to others, you are never done working on your culture

47. Richard Sheridan
Author of Joy Inc.
CEO Menlo Innovations
Video

48. Developing Audacious Talent
Acquisition teams

49. More than 50% of Recruiters do NOT
understand the concept of Talent Brand
THE UNLOVED
58% of Applicants do not receive
regular updates on their application
52% feel as it they are not treated as an
individual throughout the experience
64% of Applicants share their
experience via Social Media
34% rate their overall Candidate
experience as POOR
Only 11% of Companies ask for
Candidate Feedback….INSANITY

50. 1. 2.
3. 4.
PEOPLE PROCESS
POWER PLATFORM
Steps to Igniting the Talent Team

51. Hire a Business Orientated Leader – Full span Commercial approach
Map your Maturity Profile of Recruiters based on Sourcing, Interviewing, Stakeholder
Engagement, Social and Commerciality
Pull together your Highest Performers and mirror excellence
Buddy-up Recruiters….create consistency of approach, collaboration and contingency
Create a Learning Culture (Workshops, Buzz Sessions, Innovation Sessions, Brand Case
Studies)
Develop (Create an academy aligned to your Brand, your Values……your Way)
1. People

52. 1. People
Rock Star Qualities
 Strategy has a clear Operational Plan
 Sourcing Channel Savvy – Off and On line
 Dares to be Different
 Keeps one-step ahead of competition
 Protective of amazing Candidate Experience
 Inquisitive – ‘Why’ is one of their favourites
 Commercially focused – not lost in the weeds
 Data driven – Simple but Effective KPIs
 Slick at predicting trends and adapting
 Loves coaching others how to be Rock Stars
 Jumps on new ways to innovate the Brand

53. 2. Process
Understand where you are before you start making any changes…..but be honest in that
assessment
Don’t over engineer the process…..Walk in the shoes of your passive Candidates….if it feels
clunky, it will be clunky
Every process must have a measurable output and must be meaningful
Innovation doesn’t always mean inventing something new, it means keeping it fresh
Avoid variations to a single process….Recruitment is NOT rocket science……Keep it Simple
: Implement an audit process that easily measures the effectiveness of your processes
Dig-In Develop Enhance

54. Process…Candidate Experience Touch Point Test
0
+5
-5
BRAINSTORMZONE
Add Glassdoor
to KPIs
Advert Writing
Workshop
Assess all
sourcing
Channels
Yay!! Website
working
Work through
all Comms
Design Free
Guides for
Job Seekers
Video the
Department/
Manager with
JD
Recruiter and
Candidate
Prep calls
Pulse Check
Questionnaire
to Candidates
for Service
standards
Company Group
Tours for
Newbies
Good Luck
card
Image
Story
Reviews
PR
Mix of
Sourcing
Channels
Advert
Wording
1 Click Application
on Website
Personalised
Comms after
Application
Mobile
Savvy
Timely
Prescreen
Reject/
Progress
Process
Compelling
Job Spec
Painless
Interview
Process
Prep
Advice
Interview
structure
Feedback
Offer/Reject
Process
On-boarding Pack
& Contact
Process
Timing
Keeping in touch
up to start date
Day One
Welcome
Induction
/Buddy
in place
BRAND CHANNELS APPLICATION PRESCREEN INTERVIEW SERVICE ON-BOARD START
Desire
to Keep
in touch
Desire
to Protect
the Brand
Desire
to Refer
Friends

55. Out with the Old…..
2. Process………

56. 2. Process………. ….In with the NEW!

57. Curate content into personalized microsites in minutes.

58. 3. Power
Keep it Simple! No more than 6 metrics that work for YOU
Tailor Make your Dashboard
Find your Analytics Whizz Kidd
Two Groups for Recruiting…….Efficiency & Effectiveness
Focus on your Objectives……WHY, WHY, WHY, WHY!
Make Data a Story……..Data is sure to get the Boardroom’s attention!
: Better analytics = Up to 8% higher sales growth, 24% higher net Operating Income
growth and 58% higher sales per Employee Cornell University ILRHR, March 2012
: Metrics help differentiate your Rock Stars from the grey and bland

59. 4. Platforms……Social Overloading

60. Social
Crib Sheet
Make the word ‘Why’ your new Best Friend
Have a Strategy (Audience, Objectives, Measurement and Platform of Choice)
Assess your Channels for Active and Passive Candidate attraction
The Answers are within your Workforce…..Ask for Help!
Create a simple Content Strategy and Calendar…..Become Epic Story Tellers
Mix it up…..Videos, Blogs, Photos etc
Dedicate some time every day to Social Media (you don’t need to invest in a
Rotate responsibility amongst your Rock Stars
You Start it…You Finish it (No audits or timely replies will create mayhem…..
DARE to be Different
Social Media agency…we are talking 5 – 10 minutes a day to start with)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
…….watch those Glassdoor complaints hit the roof!)

61. LV= Revolutionary

62. Out with the Old….. In with the New…..
LV= Revolutionary

63. …..The ChallengesLV= Revolutionary
The LV= Brand had developed
LV= had grown and continued to grow
Each LV= location was different
Were the people at LV= engaged enough
Were candidates getting what they needed
Career website used Flash and was not mobile enabled
Employer Brand didn’t feel fresh
An Employer Brand is dynamic, you can’t just ‘tick the box’

64. …..The ApproachLV= Revolutionary
LV went back to the Drawing Board
Identified what worked and didn’t work
Tried to articulate what the Brand stood for in real terms
Asked the question ‘why’ might people want to work for/with them
What would cause people to engage
How wacky could they go
People are at the heart of their Employer Brand
How would they increase the awareness of their locations

65. …..Internal AttractionLV= Revolutionary
400+ photos were emailed
886 snaps in the photo booth
533 people in the photo booth pictures
57,000 hits across the microsite since launch
99.9% of the business visited the “Faces of LV= site”
The most successful internal communications exercise in LV=‘s history
Faces of LV= started to take off……

66. …..Internal AttractionLV= Revolutionary
And so it began....
One heart-shaped chair
One gigantic beanbag
60 LV= people
Five photo shoots
Six film shoots
100 hours of editing

67. …..External AttractionLV= Revolutionary
From…. .....To
.....The refreshed LV= Employer Brand was born

68. …..Leveraging Technology and DataLV= Revolutionary
Using maps to
understand where
people live and where
applicants apply
from....Helping to target
attraction activity (and
challenge line manager
perceptions!)

69. …..Creating Social SizzleLV= Revolutionary
In 2012, LV= decided to dispel the myth of Social Media and Recruitment so
pulled together a full plan, strategy and executed it..
LV= Careers Social Media Followers increased by over 60%

70. …..Walking the TalkLV= Revolutionary
96% of new Employees
felt ‘Wow’ or ‘Welcomed’
100% of Employees
aware of the
core LV= Values
99% People they
met were
‘energised to work for LV=‘
87% felt views of
the job gained through
the recruitment process
were accurate

71. …..Is it Working?LV= Revolutionary
IN 2008…… IN 2014……
1,893 Employees c. 6,000 Employees
82% Recruitment
Agency dependency
3% Recruitment
Agency dependency
2,528 Applications
(per month!)
96% Application Acceptance
Attrition (Customer Service)
36% (rolling 12 months)
Attrition (Customer Service)
17.2% (rolling 12 months)
VS.

72. Tips from the Winning Team at LV=
Build your vision & business case and engage your Exec teams
• In-house takes investment – but cost per hire reductions are significant (we’ve saved LV= over £2m p.a!!)
• An in-house team can sell the Brand better!
Be clear on what you’re selling – what's your EVP (Employee Value Proposition)...
..What sets you apart from your competitors?
You don’t need to focus on everything at once
• Staged process
• Pick quick wins i.e. easier to fill roles/functions
Ensure you have the basics in place
• ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
• Careers website
• Benefits tracking – its easy to forget!
Have the right, Engaged Team – success at LV= was down to every single
individual on the team

73. Video

74. Thank You

75. A Big Shout Out to…
Jean Paul Smalls
Digital Marketing Manager, Elevate Direct
Jonathan Kidd
Director, Linked In
Chris Murphy
Founder, Zoomforth
Colin Minto
Group Head Resourcing Strategy, G4S
Mary Appleton
Director and Editor in Chief, Changeboard
Kevin Hough
Head of Resourcing, LV
Giovanni Everduin
Head of HR Strategy & Org Change, Tanfeeth
Linda Sharkey
Author, Coach and Radio Host
Frank Wagner
Co Founder Marshall Goldsmith Coaching
Richard Sheridan
Author of Joy Inc. CEO Menlo Innovations