The Role of HR in Brand Building

According to various surveys, low morale and discontent with the style of the management are key factors leading to high turnover. This underscores the importance of employer branding.

Managing Director of Enterprise IG Hong Kong, Debora Chatwin said “Many people equate employer branding to recruitment advertising and misinterpret it as a one-off internal marketing activity.” She expressed that the word ‘branding’ is often associated with marketing, and therefore only used by the CEO and marketing teams in developing communications for external audiences. However, the role of HR and their internal clients (employees) are often overlooked when a company is in the process of brand-building.

Chatwin advocated that HR should be included as a component in the brand-building process for the following reasons:

1. Focusing on the people within and organization who deliver services to clients has become a key competitive advantage;
2. HR can directly influence the type of people who are hired.

According to Hudson Research in 2006, 42% of HR professionals acknowledge they do not have the right employment value proposition to attract and retain the talent their organization needs.

53% of HR professionals acknowledge that their own employees would be unclear as to what the company’s core value proposition is.

29% of employees believe that their employer provides a clear and competing reason as to why their organization is a great place to work.

Chatwin believed that there is a certainly more room for HR staff to play. She advised that companies should:

1. Finding your Compelling Truth. All branding needs to be based on the essence and realities of your organization.
2. Align HR policies and procedures around the brand promise.
3. Strengthen your internal communications messages and channels. Streamline them with your external communications.
4. Appoint and empower brand champions to be the agents of change within your organization.