Employer branding consultancy launches

28 Feb 2008

Simon Barrow, the founding-father of employer branding, last week shared his vision for the future of branding in the workplace in South Africa at the launch of Human Brand, billed as SA's first dedicated employer brand management consultancy.

And the message was simple. People branding in the work place is the next big thing. The attention and dedication given to marketing products must now be turned internally to market and communicate with employees. They are the first “product” of any business.

To successfully implement employer branding, leadership, marketing and HR have to overcome the silos that traditionally separate them and work together to build the company brand from the inside out.

Only alternative

By implementing employer branding and putting the emphasis on obtaining and retaining top talent, companies increase their productivity, create an image of their company and culture where people aspire to work, and save on recruitment and training costs. It is also the only alternative to retaining top skills in a global economy at a time when South Africans are looking to take their skills elsewhere.

The brand fundamentals of connectivity, clarity, cut-through, content, consistency and continuity apply equally to both employer branding and product branding. Employees are now in search of the big, motivating employee truth. And companies must work through their internal branding and communications systems to ensure that branding is ever present in the day-to-day workplace.

“Transforming to an employee-centric organisation where lifestyle is valued as much as the business deliverables is the only way to retain the high-knowledge skills that Generation Y brings to the economy.

“Deliver on brand promises”

“Great brand marketers need employer brand engagement to deliver on their brand promises at all levels. This is especially important as South Africa aspires to become an inherent player in the global economy and build and equalise the skills pool,” says Sandi Krige, GM of Human Brand.

Internal research, alignment of communication and marketing and consistent delivery on the brand promise is the basis of understanding and growing employee trust. “Human Brand is poised to assist companies in taking their marketing and HR to a new level that will not only improve the bottom line, but will also motivate employees into higher productivity,” says Krige.