Contents:
Higher psychological education, HR with over 12 years of experience. Has been providing career and vocational guidance consultations since 2018, has conducted over 900 consultations on digital professions. Manages innovative projects at Lerna.ru and is responsible for career guidance at CRK.by.
Expert in career guidance and career development, member of the Association of Career Counseling and Support, author of the free career guidance course Skillbox "Who to Become?"
Higher psychological education, HR with over 12 years of experience. She has been providing career and vocational guidance consulting since 2018 and has conducted over 900 consultations on digital professions. Manages innovative projects at Lerna.ru and is responsible for career guidance at CRK.by.
Expert in career guidance and development, member of the Association of Career Counseling and Support, author of the free career guidance course Skillbox "Who to Become?"
Master's degree in Management, specializing in "Human Resources Management Technologies". HRD EdTech platform Lerna. Certified business trainer and coach "ICU".
For 10 years, she has been building HR processes, specializing in the construction of corporate training centers and training departments.
Master's degree in Management, specializing in "Human Resource Management Technologies". HRD EdTech platform Lerna. Certified business trainer and coach "ICU".
For 10 years, she has been building HR processes, specializing in the construction of corporate training centers and training departments.
Many HR professionals and managers still think that employees should adapt to the company, and not vice versa. In fact, this attitude is long gone, and a real struggle for valuable talent is underway. And now the specialist chooses who to work for. How can you make sure they choose you? This is where your company's HR brand comes into play. After all, the stronger it is, the more you can count on a strong, professional, and loyal staff.
We'll explain what types of HR brands there are, how they are built, and how they work.
Develop your team without a company budget and conduct employee knowledge diagnostics on the Lerna platform
Learn moreInternal HR brand. How it is formed and what tasks it performs
What keeps your current employees in the company is the internal HR brand. If employees work effectively, are loyal to the company and strive for growth within it, then the internal HR brand is well developed. Let's figure out what it consists of.
Components of a strong internal HR brand:
- Employees are well motivated—the incentive system is well thought out and varied. This includes a decent salary, a benefits package, and bonuses.
- Communication and feedback between employees and management are well-established within the company.
- Employees always have the opportunity to learn new things, improve their skills, and grow in their careers within the company.
When choosing a potential employer, many employees consider whether the company offers development opportunities, and make this a priority. Training is considered the norm and is equivalent to voluntary health insurance, so it would be a plus if you also offer special programs, such as those for children.
I would add one more important component to the list, in my opinion. This is the manager under whose supervision the tasks will need to be solved. The best want to work with the best, so special attention should be paid to the development and training of managers. A culture of continuous development of the management team must be formed.
What functions does an external HR brand perform?
An external HR brand is a company's image in the labor market. That is, an employer's HR brand for new employees. This is what job seekers read when choosing you as an employer. Above all, potential employees look at how much they will be valued, whether there are prospects for them, and whether they will feel comfortable with you. A strong and well-built external HR brand will help attract the best and most suitable specialists and retain them within the company.
How an HR brand is formed:
- From reviews of former and current employees.
- From how the company positions itself in job descriptions.
- From the company's external manifestations on the Internet. How good and user-friendly is the website, how well-designed and maintained are the social media pages, how well-structured is the online communication with clients and subscribers.
- From the company's presence at public events. For example, at professional forums, city and national events, in support of charity.
It's not just online presence that's important, but also that it's positive. Reviews from former and current employees, the presence of ambassadors for your brand as an employer—all of this also carries significant weight.
For me, an external HR brand is the manifestation of an internal HR brand outside the company. The main focus should be on creating an internal environment and not forgetting to talk about it. I meet many companies that consider this an insignificant process. However, in today's reality, having information reflecting the company's DNA is a must. After all, every candidate studies the company, just as a recruiter does when studying a candidate's resume.
How to form a company's HR brand. Stages
We already know that internal and external HR brands are different things, respectively, and they are built as a result of different processes, however, they are closely related to each other.
To form an internal and external HR brand, you need to:
- Define your target audience—a general portrait of the type of employee the company wants to hire. Formulate your EVP—the better you do this, the better you'll understand the values of your future employees, and therefore, the better you'll be able to satisfy them.
i
EVP (Employee Value Proposition)—a set of company values that it offers in dialogue with past, current, and future employees. The main difference between an EVP and an HR brand is that an EVP is what your employees get from you, while a brand is what they get it from.
- Present the EVP in both directions - to current and potential employees.
- Analyze the current state of your HR brand. Identify strengths and present them. Find weaknesses and work on them.
- Create a step-by-step plan to enhance your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.
- Take measures and implement events and reforms in accordance with the plan.
i
Pay attention to each of these stages, and then the formation of the HR brand will be appropriate and consistent.
How to develop and maintain an HR brand
The value proposition (EVP) is not everything. The HR brand will only work when work on it is systematic. First form, then maintain. Please remember that these measures are slightly different for an organization’s internal and external HR brand.
How to create and support an internal HR brand:
- Improve communication between employees and managers, make it high-quality, transparent and accessible. This is important for motivation and work efficiency.
- Regularly monitor how satisfied employees are with working for you. Conduct surveys, questionnaires, make changes to the motivation system, maintain people's loyalty.
- Train and develop your employees, and not situationally, but systematically. Corporate training should be a mandatory expense item in your budget.
- Be fair. Distribute responsibilities among employees competently and proportionately, give them the opportunity to prove themselves.
- Don't forget about corporate holidays and other events that will help unite the team and make employees feel valued.
In today's world, where companies often have hybrid work schedules, it's difficult to bring people together and build relationships. What can be done? For example, establish regular contact with managers where you can express your grievances, ask open questions, and speak out. Yes, as an employer, you may be confronted with some unpleasant questions, but employees, having spoken out, will reduce the level of dissatisfaction.
How to create and maintain an external HR brand:
- Be active and loyal on social networks. Most people are there now, and you have a chance to show your best side. Build communication with subscribers, answer questions, entertain and give them benefit.
- Formulate all vacancies very clearly and make them accessible to potential employees. On professional recruitment portals, in social networks and on your own website. In job postings, you can position yourself as a desirable employer.
- Manage reviews wisely. People often look at reviews when choosing an employer. Don't let them slide, monitor them, respond, resolve disputes, and correct mistakes if the reviews are negative. To prevent reviews, don't abandon employees who are leaving. Conduct a final conversation about what they liked and didn't like, provide a recommendation for the next employer, and help with employment if possible.
- Be sure to provide detailed and at the same time loyal feedback to those candidates whom you rejected a job opening. Talk not only about the reasons for the rejection, but also about the candidate's strengths and potential. This will show you in a positive light, and the person will not have any negative feelings towards you.
- Participate in events that will help you become more recognizable. At exhibitions, forums, conferences, charity or government events and holidays.
Recommendations from Lerna experts
In order for you to build and maintain a successful HR brand for your organization, Ekaterina Borovets and Marina Arefieva recommend:
- If you decide to take on building your company's HR brand, do it, first of all, systematically. Assess your strengths and weaknesses, promote your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses.
- Evaluate the potential of your internal and external HR brand and identify what is missing for success. Systematic actions will help build a positive reputation.
- Proceed smoothly and consistently, without skipping any steps, even if it seems unimportant now.
- Once the HR brand is built, don't forget that it needs to be supported and nurtured. It won't work on its own, or it will soon fall apart. Maintaining a well-built company HR brand will be easier than creating it anew each time. Meanwhile, it will work for you and bring a lot of benefits to the organization.
Join 300+ companies that have already chosen Lerna
The platform contains 900+ courses from proven online schools for the effective development of your employees. Conduct a free diagnostic of employee knowledge, manage the team development process in the HR office and organize group training.
Take access